Statuette dedicated to all children who died during the conflict in Ireland to be unveiled in Derry
The statuette will also remember those children who grew up without their parents as a result of internment and abuses of law.
A statuette dedicated to all the children who died during the conflict in Ireland is to be unveiled in Derry.
The unveiling will take place in the city’s Forever Young Memorial Garden on Westland Street in the Bogside, at 2pm, on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
The statuette will also remember those children who grew up without their parents as a result of internment and abuses of law.
The centrepiece of the Garden is a memorial stone, unveiled in August 2022, which records the names of the young people who died in Derry: Bernadette McCool (9), Carol Ann McCool (4), Damian Harkin (8), Gary Gormley (3), Annette McGavigan (14), Manus Deery (15), James O’Hagan, Gerald Doherty, Daniel Hegarty (15), Tony Diamond (12), Gordon Gallagher (9), Kathleen Feeny (14), Michael Meenhan (15), John McDaid (16), Paul Whitters (15), Stephen mcConomy (11) and Charles Love (16).
The idea for the Forever Young Memorial Garden came originally from Helen Deery, the sister of Manus Deery, to mark her brother’s 50th anniversary.
It is important that the children are recognised
Manus was murdered on May 19, 1972, as he stood in an archway near a chip shop in Derry socialising with his friends.
“I gathered round a few friends, Margaret Hegarty [the sister of 15-year-old Daniel Hegarty who was murdered by a British soldier during Operation Motorman] and her husband, Hugh; May McGavigan, Annette McGavigan’s sister; Tommy Kelly and Kevin Hasson - The Bogside Artists - and Tony O’Hara,” said Helen.
“We gathered the funds to put the names on the memorial stone, which was unveiled by myself and Mrs Lily Harkin, the mother of Damian Harkin (8) who was crushed by a British Army lorry in the Bogside,” she added.
Describing the statuette, Helen said it had been donated to the Garden.
“It is of a wee boy and a wee girl and is based on a old photograph of two Belfast children whose mother was in Maghaberry. She is coming down on Saturday,” said Helen.
“Paddy Gillen has done a lot of the work to prepare the Garden for Saturday, along with Seamus Meenan. I went up yesterday and Micky Feeney was there with Stevie Stewart and Pete McGowan, who has done a lot of painting. They had to put the founds down. The statuette itself is about three foot and it sits on a plinth,” she added.
“It represents the thousands of wanes who went without mothers and fathers because they were imprisoned. It is just about children.
“I will be introducing the speakers, Fr Shaun Doherty from St Eugene’s Cathedral and Eamonn McCann,” said Helen, who was only 13 when her brother Manus was shot by British Army Private William Glasgow, from an observation post on the Derry Walls.
“People talk about closure and about moving on but that doesn’t happen in real life, it simply doesn’t,” she reflected.
“We lived in Limewood Street, which is just round the corner from the Forever Young Memorial Garden. I was babysitting that night in Cuthbert Street in the Waterside that night, and Donal Moran, a neighbour, came over to get me and my sister.
“We were told Manus was shot in the leg but as you got into the Bogside, you knew, because there were hundreds of people on the street. I wasn’t told Manus was dead but I kind of knew.
“I remember going into the bedroom and our Vinny said to me, ‘He’s dead you know’. I ran and I ran down to the spot where Manus was killed. My aunt lived in that end house as well beside where he was killed - behind the Bogside Inn, the tunnels.
“I stayed in my aunt’s that night and I slipped out about half four or half five. It was getting light and I went over and sat in the tunnel where he was shot. It was very traumatising. There were 10 of us siblings. Mammy and daddy were devastated after Manus’ death. I don’t think parents come round after a death,” said Helen.
“We proved Manus’ innocence and they gave an apology of sorts but the thing that bothers me about the whole justice system is the way they change the laws,” she added.
“Manus was murdered. He was not unlawfully killed. He was murdered.
We also want to remember the children who suffered badly because they did not have their parents growing up.
“Unlawfully killed is a far lesser crime and that’s not what happened because the soldier on the stand said the reason the other soldier shot Manus was because he was a better shot. They asked him how he knew and he said because he got a pay rise for every target he hit. This soldier stood facing me saying that.
“It hit me then, it was nothing more than a pay rise to him.
“It is important that the children are recognised and you seldom see that and there are an awful lot of them. We also want to remember the children who suffered badly because they did not have their parents growing up.
This wee garden is on behalf of the wanes but it is also on behalf of the parents that want them remembered without politics and without flags and emblems and to just let children be children. We are extending a welcome to as many people as possible to come along.”
Following the unveiling ceremony, there will be refreshments available in nearby Pilots Row.