The sun shone on what was a solemn occasion as Enniskillen came out to remember its war dead.
Although there was a big crowd at the War Memorial at Belmore Street, a collective dignified calm was felt in the air.
Each member of the gathered congregation was paying their respects to loved ones lost in recent conflicts, or to those relatives long since gone who either perished or survived to tell the tale of battlefields such as Ypres, the Somme, the beaches of Normandy, the jungles of Burma and the narrow isthmus of Goose Green – all landmarks where many gave up their lives or carried the scars after firing had ceased in order to defeat the armies of dictators.
And closer to home, they came out to remember civilians, soldiers and police officers killed in Belfast, Londonderry, Omagh and as we know only too well, Enniskillen itself during the dark decades known as The Troubles.
The families of the Poppy Day bombing of 1987 were in attendance as well – remembering the loved ones who were so cruelly killed by an IRA bomb whilst commemorating the dead.
Laurence Binyon’s poem, ‘For The Fallen’ – written back in 1914, not long after the British defeat at the Battle of Mons – has not lost its meaning, even 110 years on from when he wrote it, and especially considering the following verse.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
And it is vital that they be remembered. Monarchs, dictators, Prime Ministers and Presidents are the first to be named in history classes, documentaries and films.
But the ordinary soldiers were the ones who usually made the ultimate sacrifice. Both those who died in action, and those who survived and carried the scars and horrific memories of war with them.
As well as the bombing of Enniskillen in 1987, the town – and one neighbourhood in particular – were also affected back in 1915 by events on a peninsula in Turkey by the name of Gallipoli on the narrow Dardanelles strait.
Where the library, job centre and a car park now stand, a host of houses once stood where many of its men served in the Gallipoli campaign.
The area became known as ‘The Dardanelles’, given the amount of telegrams sent to homes there informing them that a loved one had been killed in what was of the bloodiest campaigns of World War One.
Their names, amongst others, are on the Belmore Street memorial – never to be forgotten, even if their homes have been erased from the map.
John Jones, the Chairman of the Enniskillen branch of the British Royal Legion, addressed the Remembrance Day gathering.
He said: “Today, at this Fermanagh Cenotaph, we gather to proudly honour the memory of all those officers, non-commissioned officers and men of our Inniskilling Regiments who together with all those from our county in the three services and the civilian services, paid the supreme sacrifice to secure our freedom and our future and whose names are inscribed on this memorial.
“We also remember all those who have died as a consequence of The Troubles here in Northern Ireland, those of our county and in particular, those who died following the Enniskillen bomb of 1987.
“We, together with the families gathered here, remember them all – especially on this day with our deepest respect, together with all those from this county who served.”
Members of Enniskillen’s clergy – of various denominations – all gave readings.
They included Bishop Ian Ellis, Monsignor Peter O’Reilly, Rev. Kenny Hall, Rev. Greg Alexander and Rev. Steve Kennedy.
In between the reading, and with the accompaniment of the Ballyreagh Silver Band, verses one and six of the hymn, ‘O God, Our Help In Ages Past’ was sung.
Then, as the clock struck 11 – which harked back to the Great War of 1914 to 1918 ending on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – a unified quiet fell upon the crowd at the Cenotaph as a two-minute silence was observed by all. As the second of those minutes expired, a lone bugler from the Ballyreagh Silver Band played ‘The Last Post’ which, like Binyon’s poem, has never lost its significance more than a century on.
Then the laying down of wreaths commenced, with Viscount Brookeborough leading the procession.
Following on was Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, who no doubt had his father (Tony), uncle (Michael) and grandfather (William) in his thoughts – all three having served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) with William Benn having served in both world wars with Michael Benn losing his life in 1944, a year before the second of those wars ended.
Minister Heather Humphreys represented the Republic’s government, and she laid a wreath to pay tribute to those whose lives were taken during The Troubles, to Irish soldiers who in pre-Partition times were sent to fight on a foreign field in World War One, and to those who enlisted for the British Army to serve in World War Two.
Other dignitaries laying wreaths included the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, UUP Councillor John McClaughry; the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady; and Fermanagh and South Tyrone UUP MLA Diana Armstrong.
Local schools paid tribute to the war dead as well, with children from Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, Devenish College, Erne Integrated, Model Primary School, Jones Memorial Primary School and Enniskillen Integrated Primary School all laying wreaths.
In closing the Remembrance Day Service, the Ballyreagh Silver Band performed a poignant rendition of ‘Abide With Me’.
Led by Viscount Brookeborough, the Inniskilling Regiments about-turned and marched away from the Cenotaph towards Wellington Road, with the Ballyreagh Silver Band bringing up the rear by playing ‘It’s A Long Way To Tipperary’.
And as the sun still shone, it was a fitting finale for those who had left us.
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