Enniskillen Boer War Memorial, where the proposed new memorial is to be erected
THE LOCAL historian behind the proposed erection of a memorial to Fermanagh-born war recipients of the military award, Victoria’s Cross, has defended it in the wake of criticism from a local MLA.
Historian Oliver Breen, from Enniskillen, has been working on the erection of the memorial to 10 Fermanagh men who received the award, members of the British Army, who were given the Victoria Cross for service during the First War of Indian Independence.
Planning permission was recently requested for the project which is expected to cost over £12,000. The monument is to be located next to the Boer War memorial.
He explained: “I asked why have they not been remembered, they’ve been lost to time. I decided that these ten men deserve to be remembered for what they done. The other part about it was that they were from both sides of the community.”
But, Sinn Fein MLA Phil Flanagan said that the Castle should be a ‘shared space for people from all backgrounds’.
“I know very little about these men. However, my problem is not with them. It is what they are being used for and that is the ever increasing pornographic glorification of war and to celebrate the illegal occupation of foreign countries across the British Empire.”
He added: “No regiment of the British Army has anything to be proud of in their occupation and invasion of India and South Africa.
Like their time in Ireland, they had no business being there and they didn’t cover themselves in glory. No amount of revisionism 100 or 150 years later will change that.”
But, defending the decision, Mr Breen said: “The gentleman is quite entitled to his opinion, that’s what we call democracy.”
He went on: “I’m not going to get into the political shouting. The only thing I will say back to him is both sides of the community have given generously and these people have spoken that they wish to have this monument up: The lost heritage of Fermanagh restored to the people of Fermanagh.
“People commemorate people who were killed. Nobody glorifies war. War is an ugly face. If that’s what he thinks this is all about then he is on the wrong footing.
“I am a Roman Catholic and this is not coming from the Protestant community. This is solely coming from me alone. It’s nobody else’s idea. Don’t bring politics or religion into this.”
If the monument passes planning permission, Mr Breen hopes that it could be erected in the first half of 2015.
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