John Spencer tells this story: There was a halt in the marching, and he was hanging over this gatewaywhen down comes a nun. John says,”Bonjour Madamoiselle”, and she replies ” What are you blethering about?”. I think she was from Kilkenny, but what on earth she was doing there we couldn’t imagine. She was a lovely girl and John talked about it with great gusto. Oh yes, it was his pet story.

There were lots of funny things as well as terrible things. Yes, some things do distress me. Now when you first came to interview me, Dr Adamson, things kept poppin’ up on me, I couldn’t sleep for weeks, things just came back. People ask me how I remember the names of all those villages, but I can’t forget it.. I belong to the Methodist Church, the little church in Ballynafeigh. I lay the wreath on Armistice Day. I think there were eighteen names on that hall table there: I knew every one, and when it comes up it bothers me. I just hate that time of year, it brings things up.”

Anyway I was still able to walk and I went down into the trench. I only got a few yards when a shell burst above my head and I was all shrapnel in my shoulders and my back; my arms had pieces of shrapnel everywhere, so I went out for the count right there. When I wakened up on the 4th of July I was in Colchester hospital. I don’t remember how I got from France to England.

When I wakened up I saw two nurses standing looking at me and they laughed and one of them says ” there’s a wee souvenir for you”- it was two wee bags made out of pieces of lint and they were filled with wee pieces of shrapnel and a bullet that was taken out of me.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Dr Justin Welby today hosted a luncheon and meeting with representatives of the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) from Northern Ireland.

The meeting was held at the invitation of the Archbishop, for him to be informed of the origins and work of the LCC; in particular its role in committing former loyalist paramilitary groups to the peace process and opposing all forms of criminality; and its work to address severe educational under-achievement in loyalist communities. During the meeting, the LCC members and the Archbishop discussed issues relating to social justice, peace and reconciliation and resolving the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

The Archbishop heard about the impact of educational under-attainment, particularly in relation to working-class Protestant young men, as well as the long-term problems relating to high levels of suicide in disadvantaged communities. The delegation re-affirmed its commitment to ensuring that Northern Ireland remains peaceful and stable, and to addressing ongoing divisions between communities. The delegation also highlighted the importance of how any legacy process should be comprehensive and inclusive and not marginalise the loyalist community.

The LCC members discussed what assistance the Archbishop might be able to offer in terms of supporting the work of the LCC   and to consider what role he might have, as an international church leader, in helping Northern Ireland deal with painful legacy issues. The members also discussed with the Archbishop the importance of developing young leaders within working-class Protestant communities, and asked what advice and support he may be able to provide in relation to developing initiatives which develop the capacity of young people and expose them to a wider range of influences and experiences.

The LCC members presented the Archbishop with a copy of ‘Bangor – Light of the World’, an historical account of the evangelism of Saint Columbanus from Bangor Abbey, Co. Down written by the eminent Ulster historian, Dr Ian Adamson.

The LCC was represented by David Campbell (Chairman), Richard Monteith (Secretary), Winston Irvine, Jackie McDonald, and Robert Williamson of the Dalaradia organisation.

As founding Chair of the Somme Association I am delighted and indeed honoured to be have been invited to speak at the launch of a very important initiative. It is appropriate to be standing here at Farset as the Farset organisation was responsible for organising along with myself to take young people from the two main communities to visit the Ulster Tower and Thiepval Memorial in France in the 1980’s. This trip  began to explain our Common Identity and Common History in the First World War.The Somme Association was initiated as an inter-community project to honour all the soldiers from Ireland who took part in the First World War particularly, the 36th Ulster Division and the 10^th and 16^th Irish Divisions. The creation of a new flag showing great respect for those who fought in this war on the 100th Anniversary of the Somme is therefore to be welcomed

Helen’s Tower was designed in 1848 by William Burn in the Scottish style and construction was completed in October 1861. It was part of an ambitious landscape project by Lord Dufferin covering the five miles between it and the coast at Helen’s Bay, to aid local labourers  made destitute by the Great Famine. The tower was eventually named in honour of his mother Helen, who was a grand daughter of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the great Irish playwright, orator and politician. It was built as a Gamekeeper’s residence but became a retreat for his mother who suffered from cancer of the breast and poems were written in its honour by Tennyson, Kipling, Argyll and other luminaries of the nineteenth century literary world.

However, the tower took on an unforeseen poignancy after the battle of the Somme in 1916. The land around the tower had been used as a training camp by the 36th (Ulster) Division prior to their embarkation from Belfast for France and, for those soldiers, Helen’s Tower would have been a lasting image as they sailed out of Belfast Lough. For this reason, in 1921, funds were raised by the families of the fallen initiated by Sir James Craig and a replica, the Ulster Tower, built on the battlefield at Thiepval.

A verse from “Helen’s Tower” by Alfred Lord Tennyson reads –

“Helen’s Tower, here I stand,
Dominant over sea and land.
Son’s love built me, and I hold
Mother’s love in letter’d gold.
Love is in and out of time,
I am mortal stone and lime.
Would my granite girth were strong
As either love, to last as long
I should wear my crown entire
To and thro’ the Doomsday fire,
And be found of angel eyes
In earth’s recurring Paradise.”

In the Memorial Room of the Ulster Tower at Thiepval, the first four lines are inscribed,although slightly altered to make them a fitting tribute to the Sons of Ulster:

“Helen’s Tower here I stand, dominant over sea and land.

Son’s love built me and I hold Ulster’s love in lettered gold.”

This new flag represents that continuing love and remembers everyone who gave so much for so many.

It may be that there are certain setbacks of such magnitude and heroism, in this case the enormous losses of the 36th Ulster Division at the Somme, that they serve to sustain and temper a people instead of weakening them. Or else, perhaps the setbacks come to have an energising, emblematic power. Perhaps, it may be that the Somme has come to symbolise unconsciously the thwarted nationhood of the Ulster People. Perhaps at the level of community consciousness the loss of the sons of Ulster and the founding of Northern Ireland are intertwined. The Battle of the Somme became Northern Ireland.

And so, to the Mothers of Ulster we say:-

“Mothers of Ulster. Grieve no more for your sons. For your sons now lie in the bosom of a great and noble nation. And your sons are no longer solely the Sons of Ulster, they have become the Sons of France”.

In Ullans or Ulster-Scots:

“Mithers o Ulster, Greet nae mair fer yer sons. Aye, fer yer sons noo lee amang a grand an gintil fowk,
An yer sons are nae mair jist the Sons o Ulster, They have becum the Sons o Fraunce forbye”.

To the people of France we say:-

“People of France, mother of nations, we thank you for your generosity and kindness to these our children who rest now in peace in the most beautiful gardens on earth. We pray that their sacrifice will not be in vain and that there will be no more war and that the peoples of Europe will walk together in mutual forgiveness, understanding and respect until the end of the world”.

Au people de France nous disons:-

“Peuple de France, mére des nations, nous vous remercions de votre générosité pour nos enfants qui reposent en paix dans les jardins les plus beaux du monde. Nous prions pour que leur sacrifice n’ait pas été vain, pour qu’il n’y ait plus de guerre, et pour que les peuples d’Europe puissent marcher ensemble et se pardonner, se comprendre et se respecter mutuellement jusqu à la fin des temps”.

Zu den Franzosen sagen wir:-

Bevölkerung von Frankreich, Mutter von Nationen, wir danken Ihnen für Ihre Grosszügigkeit und Freundlichkeit für unsere Kinder, die in diesen schönen Gärten in Frieden ruhen. Wir beten, dass das Opfer unserer Kinder nicht umsonst gewesen ist und dass es zu keinem weiteren Krieg mehr kommen wird, dass die Völker Europas in Vergebung, Verständnis und Respekt miteinander in die Zukunft gehen können.

To the sons of Ulster and Soldiers of Ireland we say:-

“Sons of Ulster, Soldiers of Ireland do not be anxious. The war is over – both here and in your beloved Ireland. The Western Front is no more and Ireland at last is at peace with herself and with her people. We will always remember you, so long as the sun shines and the rain falls and the wind blows and the great river Somme runs gently to the sea”.

Innui, deir muid le fir Uladh agus le fir na hÉireann:-

“A Fheara Uladh agus a Shaighdiúirí na hÉireann, ná biodh imni oraibh. Tá an Cogadh thart – ní amháin san áit seo, ach in bhur dtír dhílis féin in Éirinn. Níl an Fronta Thiar ann níos mó, agus, so deireadh, tá tír na hÉireann faoi shíocháin léi féin agus len a pobal. Ach chomh fada is a shoilsíonn an ghrian, agus a thiteann an fhearthainn, agus a shéideann an ghaoth, agus chomh fada is a théann abhainn mhór an Somme go caoin chun na farraige, bedh cuimhne againn araibh go deo”.

Finally I speak in Lakota (Oglala Sioux), the Hymn of the Warriors

Ho Tunkasila Wakan Tanka
Oyate oyasin unsiwicalapo na owicakiyapo
Nahan waci wicasi na waci winyan wopila tanka
Nahan oyate oyasin canku luta ognamani owicakiyapo
Lecel wacin ho hecel lena, oyate kin nipi kte.
Mitakuye Oyasin

Which in Wasicu(English) is

Grandfather Great Spirit, Almighty God,

Have pity on and help all the People
Many Thanks for the Participants here today, male and female,
Help all the People to walk the Red Road of Peace
This I ask so that the People will prosper
You are all my relatives

Dr Ian Adamson OBE