Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kennedy was one of over two hundred Northern Ireland football fans who attended a short memorial service yesterday at the Ulster Tower Thiepval in France, to remember the sacrifices of the 36th Ulster and the 16th Irish Divisions in the First World War.
The service, organised by the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs, was attended by football fans from all over Northern Ireland currently in France for the European Championships.
Danny Kennedy MLA said:
“It was an honour and a privilege to attend the Remembrance Service at the Ulster Tower, Thiepval organised by the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs.
“It is always important to remember the service and sacrifice of our fellow countrymen who never returned from ‘the green fields of France’. I am thrilled that so many Northern Ireland fans have taken the time to pause and reflect at the battlefields in Northern France, before continuing to support our team in the European Championships. The team has done us proud so far, and I hope we can achieve a positive result and outcome against the World Champions, Germany.”
After the service the supporters were given a tour of Thiepval Wood by the curator of the Memorial Tower, Mr Teddy Colligan, originally from Bessbrook, who explained the historical context of the Battle of the Somme almost exactly 100 years to the date it occurred.