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Remembered Today:

President MacAleese to dedicate memorial in Gallipoli


Arnhem44

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Came across this earlier,just wondering if anyone here has anymore info on it,President Mary MacAleese is to dedicate the foundation stone of a new memorial to the Irish who fell in Gallipoli,the memorial will be on a place called Chocolate Hill and take place on the 24th of March

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A little birdie tells me that two or three GWF Pals hope to be there

So we will have to jog their elbow on this and make sure that they post some pics here once they get home again

All the best

Michael

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Thats great Michael,would be nice if they could share these with the rest of us here,I'm sure plenty of people here would love to see them.

Brendan

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  • 1 month later...

I heard on RTE (Irish national broadcaster) this morning that the President, Mary McAleese is laying a wreath in Gallipolli today in memory of those who died there in 1915. Are any pals at the event or able to provide reports or photos?

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From The Irish Times, Thursday, March 25, 2010:

President calls for 1914-18 war ceremonies

MARY FITZGERALD, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Gallipoli

GALLIPOLI CEREMONY: PRESIDENT MARY McAleese has called for Ireland to hold a “shared commemoration” to mark the centenary of the beginning of the first World War in 2014.

Mrs McAleese was speaking as she visited the Gallipoli peninsula to commemorate the thousands of Irishmen who perished during the ill-fated 1915 campaign.

Asked by The Irish Times how she hopes Ireland will mark the centenary of the 1914-1918 war, the President replied: “By restoring to memory a generation who, of their time and in their circumstances, made sacrifices that they believed to be important . . . [restoring] in such a way that those memories no longer divide us in the way that they have done historically but allow us a shared commemoration.

“I think a shared commemoration would be a very important thing, and in many ways we have already gone down that road, with the 90th anniversary commemoration of the Somme. That was a very special event and I have no doubt that something similar will occur on the 100th anniversary.”

Such commemorations, Mrs McAleese said, constitute a rite of passage.

“That couldn’t happen for the 80th or 70th or any of the other preceding anniversaries but for the 90th it was possible, and the direction we are going in now with the peace process, with the restoration of good neighbourliness North and South, and really very warm relationships east and west, I think we have a lot to look forward to for the 100th anniversary.”

In a later address to those gathered at Green Hill cemetery for the unveiling of a plaque to the almost 4,000 Irishmen who died at Gallipoli, Mrs McAleese said she wanted to honour “our Irish dead – those who fought in British uniforms, those who fought in Anzac uniforms, and those whom they fought, the young Turkish men who defended their homeland”. The sacrifice of the Irishmen at Gallipoli had suffered a “deficit of remembrance” due to the vagaries of history, she said.

To read the entire story click here. Another Irish Times story is available here.

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Hi all,

belated I know but yes, there were about half a dozen forum members in attendance at the ceremony, and a wonderful and moving event it was too.

Photos were taken and I am sure Michael will be posting a few shots when he gets home.

All praise to those who pushed for the recognition of the Irish contribution and who organised the event.

Cheers

Bill

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Further photographs of the Divine Service at Green Hill CWGC Cemetery and of the dedication of the new plaque there to the officers and men of the 10th (Irish) Division can be seen here and here

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  • 2 weeks later...

I brought a tour to Green Hill Cemetery last week (www.militaryheritagetours.com) and the plaque the President unveiled had been removed. It was removed the day after the President unveiled it and I'm told will not be replaced.

Can anybody comment on why this is so?

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The plaque had already been removed by the next day, when we also saw a team from the CWGC carrying out a thorough survey of the cemetery (taking levels, measurements, photographing stones to be replaced and making copious notes) There is obviously going to be a substantial program of refurbishment carried out at Green Hill and I think that we were given to understand that as part of that program the plaque would find its eventual resting place there

Michael

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I think that we were given to understand that as part of that program the plaque would find its eventual resting place there

You may get more specific details from the Somme Association

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Thank you. However, what happened to the story that the President was going to lay a foundation stone for a memorial? That seemed to be the message that people got before the plaque was unveiled.

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what happened to the story that the President was going to lay a foundation stone for a memorial?

That question should be addressed to those who initiated that story

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Agreed. I am now told that 'planning permission' for thr plaque will be forthcoming next September. A temporary arrangement was made for 23/24 March and that the plaque will be in place in Sept!

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'planning permission' for thr plaque will be forthcoming next September. A temporary arrangement was made for 23/24 March and that the plaque will be in place in Sept!

Thanks for checking-up on that

regards

Michael

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