The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, is today (Saturday) in France for a special ceremony at the Ginchy Cross in Guillemont, to remember the actions of the 16th Irish Division who entered the Battle of the Somme at this location 100 years ago. More than 1,200 men from across the island of Ireland were killed in the fighting at Guillemont and in nearby Ginchy. The ceremony has been organised by the Somme Association.
The ceremony will also be attended by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire MP, Minister Alastair Ross, MLA of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Alan McFarland, Chairman of the Somme Association. The Government of France will be represented by Pascale Boistard, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, who is a Deputy for the Somme in the National Assembly, and by the Mayor of Guillemont, Didier Samain.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Minister Humphreys said:
“Tens of thousands of Irish men lost their lives during World War One, many of them during that bloodiest of battles, the Battle of the Somme. I travelled to Guillemont and Thiepval in July for the commemorative events to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the battle. I felt it was very important to return to Guillemont today, to remember the outbreak of fighting here in September 1916, and the 1,200 Irish men who lost their lives.
“The 16th Irish Division of the British Army, which entered the Battle of the Somme in September 1916, comprised of men from all over Ireland. In the battles of Guillemont and Ginchy, the 16th suffered 4,330 casualties, of whom 1,200 were killed. Given that the 16th Irish included men from every province, these deaths would have impacted on communities the length and breadth of Ireland.
“Despite the sacrifices made and the casualties suffered, the story of these men was frequently overlooked over many decades. It has been incredibly important to me, during this centenary year, that we reflect on a complete view of Irish history. The 16th Irish Division entered the Battle of the Somme, fighting for the British Army, little over four months after the Easter Rising had unfolded at home. In 2016, this complex historical narrative is being fully explored.
“I would like to thank the Somme Association and the Mayor and people of Guillemont, who have done so much to ensure the memories of those Irish men who lost their lives here 100 years ago are not forgotten.”