Memorial unveiling marks 50th anniversary of Coleraine bomb
Mon, June 12, 2023
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has hosted an Act of Remembrance Service and unveiling of a permanent memorial to those who lost their lives in the Coleraine bomb 50 years ago.
The memorial at Coleraine Town Hall has come to fruition following consultation and engagement with victims’ families and some of those immediately impacted by the bombing.
A one-minute silence was observed at 3pm to mark the exact time the first bomb exploded on Railway Road on June 12, 1973.
This was followed by an Act of Remembrance, including prayers and hymns, and the unveiling and dedication of the memorial sculpture. The memorial carries the names of the six victims, along with the words: “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone, but what is woven into the lives of others…. Never Forgotten.”
Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Steven Callaghan said: “I am honoured to be here to unveil this memorial to the six innocent people who lost their lives on that terrible day 50 years ago. This was a very touching remembrance service and I am sure that many people here today will have been moved, as I have been.
“This beautiful sculpture will ensure the victims are never forgotten and will give the families a place to come and remember them.
“We would not have reached this point without the help and support of the victims’ families and I want to thank them for engaging with this long collaborative process to bring about this fitting memorial today. They worked closely with the Council on the design, location and wording of the memorial.
“It would be remiss of me not to mention the dedication of David Gilmore, whose family was impacted by the bomb. David was instrumental in lobbying for a memorial and he is sadly no longer with us to see the results of his hard work.”
This permanent memorial follows the unveiling last year of a granite plaque, which was integrated onto the pavement at Railway Road - marking the location of the first bomb.
