Digital museum and monument aims to honour lost Irish sailors of First World War
Group planning fundraising drive for new project and assessing Belfast site for a monument
Captain John Rees beside HMS Caroline
Ralph Hewitt
1/1/2025
BELFAST TELEGRAPH
A cross-border project to create a museum in honour of more than 1,600 Irish sailors lost at sea during the First World War is to launch fundraising efforts.
It is hoped the digital museum will also include a physical monument in memory of those who died in the Great War, as well as subsequent conflicts.
A working group is assessing a site for a monument at Belfast’s Alexandra Dock, where First World War light cruiser HMS Caroline is moored.
It is made up of experts including representatives from Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Belfast City Council, Irish Naval Service, Glasnevin Cemetery and the HMS Caroline Preservation Company.
The group is chaired by Captain John Rees OBE, retired chief of staff at the National Museum of the Royal Navy and former director in charge of the restoration of HMS Caroline.
He said the Irish sailors who died in the war, as well as those killed in subsequent battles, deserve recognition.
“There is no physical monument existing anywhere to honour the Irish sailor,” said Captain Rees.
“When we were restoring HMS Caroline in time to open to the public for the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, we had been very conscious of this gap in history.
“Now our working group is progressing ways of resolving this by creating a physical and a digital presence which will allow families, descendants, and everyone to participate in the memory of these heroic men.”
Commodore Martin Quinn and former Harbour Commissioner Noel Brady.
The group includes leading Belfast business figure and former Harbour Commissioner Noel Brady, who said all communities must be acknowledged in Ireland’s shared history.
“This is not a political expression of anything,” added Mr Brady.
“It is acknowledgement that, as a divided society in pre-partition Ireland, we treated each other badly.
“These prejudices continued after partition and the historic ignorance of the roles played by people from all communities in Ireland’s past 100 years must be addressed.
“This memorial is one such step which will encourage continued reconciliation.”
Captain John Rees OBE.
Commodore Martin Quinn, chairman of the HMS Caroline Preservation Company board of trustees, said the acknowledgement has been a long time coming. “We enter a new year a quarter of the way into the century with renewed confidence as a society with dual identities,” said Commodore Quinn.
“We need much broader acknowledgement of the roles played by all in our shared history, and as chairman of the board of trustees would very much wish to see the physical embodiment of recognition of the Irish sailor close to the ship which saw action in a battle that cost the lives of thousands of sailors, including many hundred Irishmen.”
The group is aiming to make an announcement on fundraising strategies early this year.
A cross-border project to create a museum in honour of more than 1,600 Irish sailors lost at sea during the First World War is to launch fundraising efforts.
It is hoped the digital museum will also include a physical monument in memory of those who died in the Great War, as well as subsequent conflicts.
A working group is assessing a site for a monument at Belfast’s Alexandra Dock, where First World War light cruiser HMS Caroline is moored.
It is made up of experts including representatives from Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Belfast City Council, Irish Naval Service, Glasnevin Cemetery and the HMS Caroline Preservation Company.
The group is chaired by Captain John Rees OBE, retired chief of staff at the National Museum of the Royal Navy and former director in charge of the restoration of HMS Caroline.
He said the Irish sailors who died in the war, as well as those killed in subsequent battles, deserve recognition.
“There is no physical monument existing anywhere to honour the Irish sailor,” said Captain Rees.
“When we were restoring HMS Caroline in time to open to the public for the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, we had been very conscious of this gap in history.
“Now our working group is progressing ways of resolving this by creating a physical and a digital presence which will allow families, descendants, and everyone to participate in the memory of these heroic men.”
Commodore Martin Quinn and former Harbour Commissioner Noel Brady.
The group includes leading Belfast business figure and former Harbour Commissioner Noel Brady, who said all communities must be acknowledged in Ireland’s shared history.
“This is not a political expression of anything,” added Mr Brady.
“It is acknowledgement that, as a divided society in pre-partition Ireland, we treated each other badly.
“These prejudices continued after partition and the historic ignorance of the roles played by people from all communities in Ireland’s past 100 years must be addressed.
“This memorial is one such step which will encourage continued reconciliation.”
Captain John Rees OBE.
Commodore Martin Quinn, chairman of the HMS Caroline Preservation Company board of trustees, said the acknowledgement has been a long time coming. “We enter a new year a quarter of the way into the century with renewed confidence as a society with dual identities,” said Commodore Quinn.
“We need much broader acknowledgement of the roles played by all in our shared history, and as chairman of the board of trustees would very much wish to see the physical embodiment of recognition of the Irish sailor close to the ship which saw action in a battle that cost the lives of thousands of sailors, including many hundred Irishmen.”
The group is aiming to make an announcement on fundraising strategies early this year.
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