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Post by Wasp on Jan 17, 2011 11:47:33 GMT
A SCULPTURE dedicated to the memory of all those who served with the Ulster Defence Regiment is being erected in the Co Antrim town where the regiment was formed.
Described as "heroic" in stature, the 19ft monument features a pair of bronze figures on a Mourne granite plinth and is due to be unveiled in Lisburn city centre in the spring.
The two bronzes capture the image of a male UDR soldier and a female 'Greenfinch' on operational duty.
Whiteabbey-based sculptor John Sherlock was commissioned by the UDR Memorial Trust to work on the project and recently travelled to Edinburgh to oversee the final casting process.
The internationally-renowned artist's other recent public works include life-size bronzes of Professor Frank Pantridge, Harry Ferguson, and a large scale bronze relief tribute to the RUC at FBI headquarters in Washington.
"Everyone involved in the Lisburn sculpture has put their heart and soul into it and I couldn't have had a better group to work for," Mr Sherlock said.
"I don't think I could have got a better commission for a more justifiable project — I hope it strengthens the resolve of all those who served."
It has been almost two years since the original concept was devised, with Lisburn chosen due to its close association with the UDR.
The regiment was formed there in 1970. Lt Colonel Wesley Duncan is one of those behind the initiative to erect the 19ft bronze monument.
The UDR Memorial Trust chairman of trustees said work on the project is "in the finishing stages".
"The plinth has already been constructed and is on site in Lisburn in Market Square. Of the two figures, the Greenfinch is complete at the foundry in Edinburgh and the soldier is almost complete."
Lt Col Duncan said the memorial was dedicated to all who served with the regiment.
"The memorial is to recognise the service of over 50,000 people over the years — not just those who died or were injured.
"This initiative came from ex-members to have a memorial erected... and the primary driving force has been the members of the regimental association.
"We believe it will be a ?tting tribute to their dedication to duty, courage and the stress which it brought to their families."
The chair of trustees added: "The regiment was formed in Lisburn, and it is appropriate therefore that the memorial is being erected there. The trustees are delighted and grateful that Lisburn City Council have granted permission for the memorial to be erected on a prominent site in Market Square."
Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson said he was delighted the city had been chosen due to its "strong connection" with the regiment.
A former UDR member, Mr Donaldson said: "The people of Lisburn will be very proud of this statue which is being erected to commemorate the enormous sacrifice and the invaluable contribution made by the men and women of the UDR in bringing peace to Northern Ireland."
Basil McCrea, of the Ulster Unionists, also paid tribute to the UDR and said it was fitting that a city with "such a strong military tradition" should honour the regiment.
The Lagan Valley MLA added: "It's only right and proper that those who have served the community so well get their due recognition."
In September 2007 the city erected a separate tribute to eight UDR soldiers from the Lisburn area who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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Post by leeside on Jan 17, 2011 16:16:37 GMT
Wonder how many of the UDR were actual members of loyalist terrorist groups. How many of them supported loyalist terrorist groups by giving them guns and intelligence or simply just supported loyalist terrorist actions against the Catholic/Nationalist/Republican community as a whole.
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Post by Wasp on Jan 17, 2011 16:52:18 GMT
Well I would say not to many especially when you consider the fact when they were first formed they were about 37% catholic.
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Post by leeside on Jan 17, 2011 22:49:39 GMT
Well I would say not to many especially when you consider the fact when they were first formed they were about 37% catholic. ....And then dropped to 3% by 1980. |
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Post by Wasp on Jan 18, 2011 21:00:15 GMT
Even the bogside mothers couldnt stop the drop in the numbers of catholics joining after they signed a 1000 strong petition and gave it to sf/ira, it was titled leave our sons alone and this was to try and stop the ira from killing/maiming/threatening catholics who had joined or wished to join any of the security forces. Sad really when you consider many of the senior officers jobs in the RUC where held by catholics before and during the troubles where they were disporportionally higher. For example the guy in charge of the Loughgall victory was a catholic.
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Post by leeside on Jan 19, 2011 15:16:06 GMT
Thats a completely different issue.
Fact is.... a number of UDR men were either helping loyalist terrorists, arming loyalist terrorists, giving intelligence to loyalist terrorists and were even fully active members of loyalist terrorist groups. The full extent of which is currently being uncovered by the HET.
The drop in numbers of Catholics in the UDR was not only because of threats by Republicans.
"For example the guy in charge of the Loughgall victory was a catholic"
So? Nice choice of words btw....:-)
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Post by Wasp on Jan 19, 2011 19:43:11 GMT
I wasnt trying to be smart wirth my words in anyway, fact is loughgall was a complete success and pity there wasnt more like them. Back to the UDR, the drop in caytholics was almost exclusively down to threats from republicans. Up here most not all decent families have some relation or friend of a friend who is an extremist and it was people like that whowere the biggest threat to someone joing the security forces.
Nothing is as straight forward as they seem, there has been ex British soldiers who joined the ira, one of the army leaders who defended Londonderry during the vicious rioting at the start of the troubles was an irish nationalist, before and during the troubles catholic officers were given areas close to chapels to patrol so they could attend mass and this wasnt afforded to Protestant officers, the main damage done to republicans was caused by republicans themselves passing on info to the security forces etc etc.
So if any member of the security forces passed on info about republican terrorists and their supporters to loyalists then fair play to them.
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Post by leeside on Jan 20, 2011 12:46:07 GMT
What about the ones who gave weapons to Loyalist terrorists who then used those weapons to kill innocent Catholics? What about those who supported loyalist terrorists who then went about terrorising and murdering innocent Catholics? What about those who were fully active members of Loyalist terrorist groups by night and members of the security forces by day, who killed innocent Catholics like the Reaveys and O'Dowds? Any security force members who helped or supported Loyalists are no better than the Loyalist terrorists themselves.
Sounds like you have alot in common with republicans who supported the actions of the IRA as both 'yours and theirs' justification seems identical.
Also, can you define what you regard as a republican 'supporter'? I mean, does that mean someone who simply supports their actions or someone who helps them? Because if its the former then you are a Loyalist 'supporter', right? There is no morally higher ground between loyalists and Republicans, Wasp. I know you believe there is but their isnt. They (Ye) are different sides of the exact same coin. Both wanting and supporting the murder or what ye deem to be the 'enemy'. Each group thinking they have a right to kill the other.
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Post by Wasp on Jan 20, 2011 18:02:19 GMT
If any member of the security forces gave a weapon to kill an innocent catholic then I fully condemn it, republican terrorsits and their supporters are a different story. On this very forum we had a terrorist/ex terrorist clearly state that the ira acted on what their community was telling them, even Jim said he was justifying loyalist attacks and all this at a time where I was debating elsewhere with loyalists against these attacks. Strange world when a republican backs loyalist claims. So going by this members comments then how many of those non ira members killed in republican areas were innocent? Please dont twist round what I have said to say that I am stating no innocent catholics were killed because I am not saying that at all.
Again I have never supported the killing of anyone simply because of their faith and I condemn it outright. If as alledged any member of say the UDR/RUC gave info to loyalists then I am pretty sure it would be accurate info about republican terrorists and their sympathisers and out of for example 50,000 UDR members there is everychance that a few passed on info and understandably so considering what they were facing day in day out. It would be a waste of time to pass on info on innocent catholics because catholics live in most loaylist areas and the same cannot be said for Protestants living in republican areas because they were either forced out or too scared to live there. It didnt take info from the security forces to target an innocent catholic.
Not at all, one group tried to bomb and shoot a people into something they didnt want and the other tried to stop people being murdered and keep the 2 sides apart.
Both.
Logicaly oneside was trying to defend its people from terrorist attacks, they didnt go attacking another country or lay claim to another country, the other done exactly that. In reality with bothsides much of the troubles came down to money and bullying/controlling there own community. There was dedicated loyalists who took the fight to the ira and helped force them to the negociating table and any action resulting in the ira and their supporters getting a taste of their own medicene was poetic justice. That aside loyalists sadly killed many innocent catholics in retaliation to ira attacks on our towns, our security forces and our community. They would use the point of trying to make the ira think again eachtime they plan an attack, but in reality the ira didnt give a fuck about what catholics were killed. They killed enough of them themselves in the most brutal ways, they tortured and maimed more catholic children than anyone ever did yet their support base continued to be strong in republican areas.
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Post by leeside on Jan 26, 2011 0:07:09 GMT
If any member of the security forces gave a weapon to kill an innocent catholic then I fully condemn it, republican terrorsits and their supporters are a different story. On this very forum we had a terrorist/ex terrorist clearly state that the ira acted on what their community was telling them, even Jim said he was justifying loyalist attacks and all this at a time where I was debating elsewhere with loyalists against these attacks. Strange world when a republican backs loyalist claims. So going by this members comments then how many of those non ira members killed in republican areas were innocent? Please dont twist round what I have said to say that I am stating no innocent catholics were killed because I am not saying that at all. Again I have never supported the killing of anyone simply because of their faith and I condemn it outright. If as alledged any member of say the UDR/RUC gave info to loyalists then I am pretty sure it would be accurate info about republican terrorists and their sympathisers and out of for example 50,000 UDR members there is everychance that a few passed on info and understandably so considering what they were facing day in day out. It would be a waste of time to pass on info on innocent catholics because catholics live in most loaylist areas and the same cannot be said for Protestants living in republican areas because they were either forced out or too scared to live there. It didnt take info from the security forces to target an innocent catholic. Not at all, one group tried to bomb and shoot a people into something they didnt want and the other tried to stop people being murdered and keep the 2 sides apart. Both. Logicaly oneside was trying to defend its people from terrorist attacks, they didnt go attacking another country or lay claim to another country, the other done exactly that. In reality with bothsides much of the troubles came down to money and bullying/controlling there own community. There was dedicated loyalists who took the fight to the ira and helped force them to the negociating table and any action resulting in the ira and their supporters getting a taste of their own medicene was poetic justice. That aside loyalists sadly killed many innocent catholics in retaliation to ira attacks on our towns, our security forces and our community. They would use the point of trying to make the ira think again eachtime they plan an attack, but in reality the ira didnt give a fuck about what catholics were killed. They killed enough of them themselves in the most brutal ways, they tortured and maimed more catholic children than anyone ever did yet their support base continued to be strong in republican areas. Wasp, i will reply to this i promise but frankly at this moment im a little too lazy as it will need a lot of work on my part to try and articulate the nationalist position regarding alot of your points. |
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Post by Wasp on Jan 26, 2011 18:03:31 GMT
No problem
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