BBC Newsline Special - The Somme: 100 Years

:00:20. > :00:22.Hello and welcome to this special BBC Newsline to mark the centenary

:00:23. > :00:29.You join me at the Ulster Tower in northern France -

:00:30. > :00:33.built to remember the many, many men from Ireland who died -

:00:34. > :00:44.A special service of remembrance and reflections

:00:45. > :00:52.Guests are already beginning to arrive.

:00:53. > :01:07.Among them, the sons and daughters of one of the few who survived. With

:01:08. > :01:11.me is Seamus McKee and historian Philip Orr. Let's remind ourselves

:01:12. > :01:15.as to why is many have travelled to this part of rural France to

:01:16. > :02:37.remember those who lost their lives in the most horrific circumstances.

:02:38. > :02:49.This morning at 7:30am, the time the battle began,

:02:50. > :02:52.a private ceremony of remembrance was held at the Connacht cemetery

:02:53. > :03:00.The 36th Ulster Divisions Trenches were in Thiepval Wood

:03:01. > :03:09.This morning, three Royal Irish soldiers emerged, led by a piper. No

:03:10. > :03:14.weapons now. Instead they carried wooden crosses with poppies.

:03:15. > :03:21.They laid the crosses at the monuments to represent the three

:03:22. > :03:26.the 107th, the 108th and the 109th - that made up the 36th

:03:27. > :03:49.Mervyn Jess was given a tour of the trenches

:03:50. > :04:04.from where they initiated the attack on the German lines.

:04:05. > :04:14.These are the actual trenches in the crowd were at an awning 1st of July.

:04:15. > :04:19.-- Thiepval word. Waiting for the order to go over the top. The

:04:20. > :04:24.soldiers left their trenches here and went across these peels, towards

:04:25. > :04:27.German lines that they fell in their thousands. The Ulster Tower now

:04:28. > :04:36.stands on the ground where they died. Today's service will remember

:04:37. > :04:40.the men of the 36th Ulster Division. More than a million men were wounded

:04:41. > :04:44.and killed in the Battle of the Somme, one of the worst in the Great

:04:45. > :04:52.War. They were remembered earlier today in a service the short

:04:53. > :04:55.distance away at the Thiepval Memorial. Four guns, British and

:04:56. > :05:03.French, marked the end of the overnight vigil at the Thiepval

:05:04. > :05:11.Memorial. They had come to remember ordinary stories of men and women

:05:12. > :05:19.including Billy McFadzean, DC. He was at Thiepval Wood in a narrow

:05:20. > :05:23.Assembly trench. As he was preparing for the attack, and ammunition box

:05:24. > :05:29.turned over and spilled two live grenades, primed to explode. Billy

:05:30. > :05:36.threw himself on top of them. He was killed at once. His actions saved

:05:37. > :05:42.the lives of many of his comrades. This was a Commonwealth

:05:43. > :05:49.commemoration. Others had further to travel. Indian curry men, Australian

:05:50. > :05:57.soldiers who fought fierce battles. -- cavalrymen. The South African

:05:58. > :06:05.infantry Brigade. Soldiers from across Ireland served in the British

:06:06. > :06:15.Army. The 16th Irish division fought in one of the fiercest parts of the

:06:16. > :06:19.battle. The rain swept over Thiepval to the strains of Elgar and the

:06:20. > :06:27.people of those nations from all sides remembered more than a million

:06:28. > :06:30.souls, last but not forgotten. -- lost.

:06:31. > :06:45.It is hard to imagine, on a day like today, what it was like 100 years

:06:46. > :06:49.ago. Yes, it is a century ago. Such a different scene. There is a crowd

:06:50. > :06:55.here, modern life. Going back 100 years, the bombardment had just

:06:56. > :07:00.ceased. Probably the largest sound made by mankind Guptill than on the

:07:01. > :07:09.planet. Out of the wood we can see behind us, they would have tried to

:07:10. > :07:15.take the strongest fortification on the German lines. By this stage on

:07:16. > :07:18.1st of July, this ground where we are now standing would have been

:07:19. > :07:21.carpeted with the dead was there would have been stretcher bearers

:07:22. > :07:25.coming out and trying to pick up the dead bodies. Those who were crying

:07:26. > :07:31.out sometimes for their mothers, when they were lying in a great

:07:32. > :07:35.state of injury. Also, at the same time, the gunfire still going on

:07:36. > :07:39.until nightfall. One man told me about being so scared that he laid

:07:40. > :07:44.down in a crater and he stayed there till the rest of the day was up. And

:07:45. > :07:49.the nightfall, he crawled back to his own lines. He had been so

:07:50. > :07:55.terrified he would die. Others have pushed on, perhaps the guts of a

:07:56. > :07:59.mile into German territory and they were caught up in a hopeless

:08:00. > :08:04.situation and had to make their way back. At the end of the day, only a

:08:05. > :08:07.few Ulster Division members surviving in the trenches. A

:08:08. > :08:12.cataclysmic date was back home in Ulster they would not have known

:08:13. > :08:15.anything about it, just a few rumours in the newspaper and so on

:08:16. > :08:20.that big offensive was coming soon was they would soon find out about

:08:21. > :08:30.it. Within a few days, the news with perky late back home. There would be

:08:31. > :08:34.obituaries and newspaper columns, items in the columns. Not everyone

:08:35. > :08:42.could afford a newspaper. Some folk could not read. The could see one or

:08:43. > :08:46.two folk looking in the windows that someone they knew, perhaps new

:08:47. > :08:55.Wellcome had actually died. Such a mulch were staying. It is difficult

:08:56. > :09:00.when you see so many who do not have names on their graves. -- aid to

:09:01. > :09:06.mulch with Dave. One thing that was so sad about the Somme, is not just

:09:07. > :09:12.those who died but those who went missing you might have got a letter

:09:13. > :09:15.after a knock at the door. You opened it up and it said missing in

:09:16. > :09:22.action. You might think you could hear within days but that was not

:09:23. > :09:26.the case. Some families were still waiting six months later, writing to

:09:27. > :09:30.the Red Cross to see if they could find out any news that they were

:09:31. > :09:35.prisoners. That is why we see on so many of these little graves, a

:09:36. > :09:41.soldier known unto God because we do not really know who that person was.

:09:42. > :09:46.Arlene Foster is arriving. We have already seen Theresa Villiers and

:09:47. > :09:47.other BIP guests who have been invited today. Also lots of

:09:48. > :10:05.relatives of people who died. -- VIP. You have interviewed many

:10:06. > :10:14.people who told to terrible stories. In the 1980s I made it my business.

:10:15. > :10:19.With letters to the paper, trying to locate men who were still around.

:10:20. > :10:24.Someone said, I suffer for talking to you because it awakens in my mind

:10:25. > :10:27.all the things I am trying to banish some talked about being chased by

:10:28. > :10:31.German soldiers with the sound and rumble of the gun is going on

:10:32. > :10:36.throughout the night. The interviews were gruelling for some of the man.

:10:37. > :10:44.When they talked to me, I very rarely heard the word, glory. I very

:10:45. > :10:47.rarely heard the word, hero. Men remembered their comrades, they

:10:48. > :10:53.remembered losses and sorrows. Just the sheer fact they may be had to

:10:54. > :10:57.fight on after the Somme. You forget it finished in November 1918 and

:10:58. > :11:02.many soldiers from that part of the world were still fighting when it

:11:03. > :11:06.came to an end in 1918. We are just hearing the colour party coming in

:11:07. > :11:10.to start the initial part of the service. Lots of the soldiers I have

:11:11. > :11:13.been talking to, and I'm sure you have as well, feel very humbled and

:11:14. > :11:19.privilege to be in this event. They are very reflective of what their

:11:20. > :11:23.military forefathers did for them. There is such a long tradition of

:11:24. > :11:29.soldiering in Ireland. Some of the regiments represented here go way

:11:30. > :11:34.back, we think, about the ancestral links to regiments such as the

:11:35. > :11:39.Enniskillen Fusiliers which go back to the Battle of Waterloo, the Irish

:11:40. > :11:43.usually is, the Rifles. The long tradition is very important. We here

:11:44. > :11:47.in the tunes that are being played, these tunes stare the heart of

:11:48. > :11:54.anyone who is connected to the British Army. -- stir. These would

:11:55. > :12:00.have been played when recruiting in the countryside and on the streets

:12:01. > :12:05.of the cities. Interesting to see them coming up towards the Ulster

:12:06. > :12:10.Tower. This part of the service precedes the royal party arriving.

:12:11. > :12:16.Yes, it is very important that we think of the significance. This

:12:17. > :12:21.building was put up in 1921, 19 22. It will seem very much as the first

:12:22. > :12:28.building of its kind on the Western front. -- 1000 922. It is a

:12:29. > :12:33.remarkable place to come and have our service. It is seen as somewhere

:12:34. > :12:40.where everyone from the north of Ireland can come and lay a wreath.

:12:41. > :12:46.Many wreaths will be laid today. They campaign respects to the people

:12:47. > :12:49.who perished. The 16th Irish division later on in the Battle of

:12:50. > :12:58.the song were a big part of it. They're not symbolising it today. --

:12:59. > :13:04.Battle of the Somme. The battle goes on for 141 days. That is a long

:13:05. > :13:07.period of time. Many nationalists took part and suffered and died.

:13:08. > :13:16.They will be remembered particularly when it comes to September. On two

:13:17. > :13:21.particular locations on the line, further south from here, the Irish

:13:22. > :13:32.division suffered greatly, almost ball to the suffering of the other

:13:33. > :13:35.36 divisions. -- comparable. It is important to remember everyone.

:13:36. > :13:50.Keith and keen we all are, no matter our differences. -- kith and kin.

:13:51. > :13:54.This has to be seen in context. In 1915, the Easter rising happened.

:13:55. > :14:01.That was a game changer as far as nationalism was concerned. Prior to

:14:02. > :14:06.that, before 1914, events were turning this island apart. I suppose

:14:07. > :14:10.you could say the 36th division reflects that. Most of the men we

:14:11. > :14:14.are particularly thinking about today would have been members of the

:14:15. > :14:19.Ulster volunteer Force. This organisation was set up as a very

:14:20. > :14:23.Unionist body. It was the heavy hitting of unionism, if you like, in

:14:24. > :14:28.order to defend the basal with their right to stay wholly and completely

:14:29. > :14:32.British and not have a home-rule parliament in Dublin. In the months

:14:33. > :14:38.leading up to 1914 and the start of the war, many men ended up lying

:14:39. > :14:42.here who died on the fields would have taken part as member of the

:14:43. > :14:47.Ulster volunteers in what we know as the home-rule crisis. So to the

:14:48. > :14:51.nationalists and Catholics who fought with the 16th. They were

:14:52. > :14:56.Irish volunteers. They were there to make sure that home-rule past. They

:14:57. > :15:01.were mortal enemies before the war. In a strange way, this terrible war

:15:02. > :15:07.brought together, at least for a while, men who were from very

:15:08. > :15:13.opposed backgrounds. Ironically, when the Easter Rising was taking

:15:14. > :15:17.place, a gas attack happened just north of here. Men from the

:15:18. > :15:22.Fusiliers with a different cultural background probably and a different

:15:23. > :15:26.demographic background suffered greatly when the Easter Rising was

:15:27. > :15:30.happening in Dublin. That was one of the many ironies and accommodated

:15:31. > :15:33.factor when you think about this period in history. It is not a

:15:34. > :15:39.simple period you can just put in a box. Yet it dictates the matter what

:15:40. > :15:42.we lived through now. The feelings that people have on both sides of

:15:43. > :15:49.the community 's date back 100 years. They do. We have to remember

:15:50. > :15:54.this battle has come to signify something terribly important for

:15:55. > :16:00.unionism. Many people are here purely because of family reasons. I

:16:01. > :16:04.think inside unionism there is a feeling this battle was such a

:16:05. > :16:09.sacrifice, such a loss of life. There was one guaranteed that

:16:10. > :16:15.written would stand by the North of Ireland make sure that home-rule did

:16:16. > :16:19.not happen. On the other hand, we see the 16th division, who fought

:16:20. > :16:25.and died in this horrendous campaign, them and their would

:16:26. > :16:33.probably have hoped home-rule did not pass at the end of the wall. We

:16:34. > :16:36.had the Irish Republican Army, Sinn Fein with the Easter rising. A

:16:37. > :16:41.strong feeling in nationalism that the war had been in vain for that

:16:42. > :16:46.maybe gone to war in 1914 thinking this would guarantee home-rule would

:16:47. > :16:50.pass and it did not. I think, from here on income and a sense among

:16:51. > :16:55.many nationalists that the war service was in vain. I do believe

:16:56. > :16:59.that what we see here, in terms of the Battle of the Somme is very

:17:00. > :17:04.important to understand our divided history that we have all lived with

:17:05. > :17:06.all stop we are trying to come to terms with it and find a way of

:17:07. > :17:16.living with each other's differences. Yet, it seems we focus

:17:17. > :17:25.much more on it now and 20, 30 years ago. One fascinating thing, the

:17:26. > :17:33.Ulster Tower would have been deserted. It was difficult to get a

:17:34. > :17:38.key in order to get in. I had to go to a local village. The place had

:17:39. > :17:45.cobwebs on it. One or two groups were beginning to take an interest

:17:46. > :17:49.in restoring the tower. It is a site of pilgrimage was not only will many

:17:50. > :17:53.be here today but people are becoming on the second, third and

:17:54. > :17:58.4th of July. Throughout the summer they will ride, literally tens of

:17:59. > :18:03.thousands of people. It became a site of pilgrimage. -- they will

:18:04. > :18:09.arrive. Partly we have become much more aware of history. It is more

:18:10. > :18:15.easy to access and genealogy. There are many programmes on television to

:18:16. > :18:21.make us Inc that way. In many ways, we have become or aware of the human

:18:22. > :18:27.story. 30 years ago, maybe you bought a book on the Somme. There

:18:28. > :18:30.were maps, arrows and diagrams, about military strategy. Fair

:18:31. > :18:35.enough. Military people were interested and now we have the human

:18:36. > :18:36.stories. We have recorded them, looked at them, kept them. We feel

:18:37. > :18:47.this is something to look Walker. We will hear a lot of those

:18:48. > :18:51.stories during the ceremony. The Victoria Cross was given to 37

:18:52. > :18:57.members of the Ulster Division. That shows the bravery. . It would be a

:18:58. > :19:03.bit invidious for me to pick out one. Opened, you cannot get over the

:19:04. > :19:06.story of Billy McFadzean. He had been a grenadier. He was responsible

:19:07. > :19:11.for grenades. Because of an accident in the process of looking after his

:19:12. > :19:15.grenades on 1st July, he - it was clear one of the grenades was going

:19:16. > :19:21.to go off. Maybe a whole bunch of grenades. As a result of, that he

:19:22. > :19:24.decides to protect the other soldiers around him by shielding

:19:25. > :19:29.them from the impact of the terrible blast. He is blown to fragments and

:19:30. > :19:34.dies in the process. Well, there is a pretty good, example, I think of

:19:35. > :19:37.giving your life for others. I think it represents the best in military

:19:38. > :19:41.traditions, that you do, sometimes, have to set your life on the line

:19:42. > :19:46.for someone else. Certainly, soldiers would have told me,

:19:47. > :19:50.veterans would have told me that very often it wasn't patriotism in

:19:51. > :19:53.your head on the battlefield, although it may have sent you into

:19:54. > :19:59.the Army. You were there for your friend. They could save your life,

:20:00. > :20:04.you could save theirs. That's the thing with the 36 Ulster Division,

:20:05. > :20:06.people were fighting alongside friends, neighbours, sometimes

:20:07. > :20:10.brothers, we heard awful stories of four brothers in one family, two in

:20:11. > :20:14.another, all being killed, wiped out and yet there was almost this tribal

:20:15. > :20:22.feeling amongst people because of those bonds that they already had

:20:23. > :20:26.before they got here. I think the British Army was keen to get people

:20:27. > :20:30.in. The German Army was massive. A conscript Army, probably the

:20:31. > :20:33.strokest in the world. You needed volunteer soldiers to get them

:20:34. > :20:41.anyway you can. People joined up as brothers, as you say or even as

:20:42. > :20:44.neighbours. That might be very well, in terms of creating the spirit of

:20:45. > :20:51.the group. The reality is one well-aimed

:20:52. > :20:58.machine gun can wipe out a whole family. Or certainly a family of

:20:59. > :21:02.boys. I was able to visit a family in the Shankill area of Belfast when

:21:03. > :21:08.I was doing my research in the 1980s. The story there is of one

:21:09. > :21:14.particular boy who goes missing with the Somme and another boy died at

:21:15. > :21:20.the Somme and the telegram boy came with a letter, in order to pass it

:21:21. > :21:24.on to the mother. He realised there were two letters. He could not go in

:21:25. > :21:28.through the door with two. He left one envelope in and came back a few

:21:29. > :21:32.days later, hoping top soften the blow. I should imagine maybe it

:21:33. > :21:36.softened it, maybe it didn't. It was a hard choice to make. But there is

:21:37. > :21:40.an example of how a family lost two boys. Yet in the Second World War,

:21:41. > :21:47.in that family, one of the fellows went on to serve in the second war.

:21:48. > :21:51.So, although that may seem like, and is a really horrendous story, it

:21:52. > :21:56.didn't ex-sting wish what, I think, that family felt. That they were

:21:57. > :22:01.doing their duty. -- he is sting wish. And duty is what you have to

:22:02. > :22:04.stand by. It is difficult. When you spoke to the veterans, was there a

:22:05. > :22:08.sense that they fought that war, hoping it would be the war that

:22:09. > :22:12.would end all wars, but of course it didn't? No, and that is a note of

:22:13. > :22:20.disillusion that you start to see when it comes to veterans. 1920s,

:22:21. > :22:24.1930s, is a time, all across these islands when there is disillusion

:22:25. > :22:28.beginning to set N because partly of the poverty soldiers return to. --

:22:29. > :22:33.set in. They come back and deleerly there may not be a job for them. --

:22:34. > :22:37.clearly there may not be a job for them. The job may have been taken in

:22:38. > :22:40.the four years, the girlfriend may be marrying someone else. We'll

:22:41. > :22:43.leave it there for now. The royal party including the Prince of Wales

:22:44. > :22:47.and Duchess of Cornwall have arrived and it is time for me to hand over

:22:48. > :22:53.to my colleague, Seamus McKee, who will take us through the service.

:22:54. > :23:00.The Archbishop of Canterbury already here. They are being introduced now

:23:01. > :23:05.to members of the Somme association and to assembled dignitaries. The

:23:06. > :23:12.First Minister, Arlene Foster, beside her. The French Minister for

:23:13. > :23:15.Veterans and the Irish minister for responsible for commemorations,

:23:16. > :23:19.heteder Humphreys and the Secretary of State, Thersea Villiers. --

:23:20. > :23:24.Heather Humphreys. That's the Chairman of the Somme association,

:23:25. > :23:32.Alan McFarland and Carole Walker, director of the Somme association,

:23:33. > :23:38.whose great grandfather, Charles groundy died in 1915 -- Charles

:23:39. > :23:49.Grundy died from muster gas poisoning. The deep personal

:23:50. > :23:54.feelings that people have here. Prince Charles there chatting there.

:23:55. > :23:57.Viscount Alan Brookeborough, Vice-President of the Somme

:23:58. > :24:01.association. And Ian Adamson, you may have seen him on your screen

:24:02. > :24:05.earlier. Chairman for 25 years. He recently stepped down to be

:24:06. > :24:13.succeeded by Alan McFarland. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of

:24:14. > :24:17.Cornwall have come here from Thiepval Memorial where they

:24:18. > :24:22.attended the joint British and French commemoration earlier today.

:24:23. > :24:34.This Ulster Tower, a close replica of Helen's Tower which stands on the

:24:35. > :24:40.Clandeyboy estate in County Down. It was built in 1867. It is in the

:24:41. > :24:45.shadow of hellen's tower and in its shadow the men of the newly-formed

:24:46. > :24:52.Ulster Division trained for the Great Wall. For many of the men

:24:53. > :24:54.training, the tower, rising before the surrounding countryside, a

:24:55. > :24:59.countryside very similar to where we are today, would have been one of

:25:00. > :25:03.the abiding memories of home when they left for England and then for

:25:04. > :25:06.the Western Front. The memorial tower was the idea of Sir James

:25:07. > :25:14.Craig, later Northern Ireland's first Prime Minister. It is the

:25:15. > :25:20.first official memorial to be erected on the Western Front by

:25:21. > :25:25.public subscription, in 1921. The Ulster Memorial Tower, dedicated

:25:26. > :25:29.as the marble tablet inside says, "To the officers and men of the 36

:25:30. > :25:33.Ulster division and the sons of Ulster in other force who is laid

:25:34. > :25:39.down their lives in the Great War and to their comrades in arms, who,

:25:40. > :25:42.by divine grace, were spared to testify to their glorious deeds."

:25:43. > :25:46.Glorious deeds to which Prince Charles has already been testifying

:25:47. > :25:56.in his address at the earlier memorial at Thiepval. Fairly shortly

:25:57. > :25:58.now, as the royal party and assembled ministers and dignitaries

:25:59. > :26:29.take their places, we'll hear the royal salute.

:26:30. > :26:51.Now the Queens and Regiment Colours of the 1st and 2nd battalions of the

:26:52. > :26:56.Royal Irish Regiment will be marched on. Standard bearers carrying the

:26:57. > :27:04.colours, displaying the colours going back to the Somme and the Boer

:27:05. > :27:08.War. The regiment traces its history back to the units which were part of

:27:09. > :27:11.the Ulster Division, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the royal

:27:12. > :27:20.Irish fusiliers and the royal Irish rifles. These flags historically the

:27:21. > :27:22.rallying point for the regiments in battle, to be guarded and defended

:27:23. > :27:31.at all costs. The Band, Bugles, Pipes and Drums of

:27:32. > :27:33.The Royal Irish Regiment The Band, Bugles, Pipes and Drums of The Royal

:27:34. > :27:50.Irish The colours are marched on to the

:27:51. > :28:03.slow march to the tune, the slow march, Alieen Alannah.

:28:04. > :28:07.Traditionally the only people, soldiers allowed to take the colours

:28:08. > :28:17.from them, are the chaplains. The drums and flags will look like

:28:18. > :28:43.an altar. Waiting to receive the colours, the

:28:44. > :28:51.Reverend Bill Mullally, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland. He

:28:52. > :28:56.has served in the military. That's the Reverend Frank seller, the

:28:57. > :28:59.Presbyterian moderator, conscious of his family's tradition, rooted in

:29:00. > :29:06.Aberdeenshire, in the north-east of Scotland.

:29:07. > :29:19.With the utmost care, the flags, the battle honours the colours, draped

:29:20. > :29:25.over the drums to form what looks like an altar. It was important that

:29:26. > :29:29.it was from a distance it looked like this. Centuries ago the drum

:29:30. > :29:32.ceremony was performed on the battlefield, as soldiers, fallen in

:29:33. > :29:43.combat, were lowered into the earth. It is still a solemn occasion.

:29:44. > :29:49.Teed 1st Battalion, deployed on military operations around the

:29:50. > :29:55.world. Including in Iraq in 2003, when Colonel Tim Collins made that

:29:56. > :30:00.Eve of battle speech. 2 Royal Irish, a reserve battalion made up of

:30:01. > :30:04.part-time soldiers, teachers, doctors, lecturers. Based in

:30:05. > :30:13.Northern Ireland but which has also served overseas.

:30:14. > :30:26.Now, the official welcome to this commemoration from the Chairman of

:30:27. > :30:37.the Somme association, Alan McFarland.

:30:38. > :30:40.Former Ulster Unionist MLA. Your Royal Highnesses, distinguished

:30:41. > :30:43.guests, Lords, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the centenary

:30:44. > :30:48.commemoration of the Battle of the Somme at the Ulster Memorial Tower.

:30:49. > :30:51.We are joined today by the their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales

:30:52. > :30:56.and the Duchess of Cornwall, their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and

:30:57. > :31:00.Duchess of Gloucester, His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the

:31:01. > :31:05.Right Honourable Thersea Villiers MP, Secretary of State for Northern

:31:06. > :31:11.Ireland, minister Heather Humphreys, TD, minister of the Arts Mother Taj

:31:12. > :31:19.and Gaeltacht in the republic of Northern Ireland. -- Minister of

:31:20. > :31:23.Arts. 100 years ago at this time, this

:31:24. > :31:30.hillside was a scene of carnage and devastation. For the past seven days

:31:31. > :31:33.artillery had been shelling the enemy trenches. The British

:31:34. > :31:47.frontline was in Thiepval Wood behind you and this site is on the

:31:48. > :31:56.German frontline. On the hill behind the tower was the Schwaben Redoubt.

:31:57. > :31:59.The divisions were formed from the county battalions of the Ulster

:32:00. > :32:05.Volunteer Force, formed to fight against home rule. They were often

:32:06. > :32:09.known by their county titles. At 7.15 this mornings the troops left

:32:10. > :32:13.their trenches and lay in no-man's-land. And at 7.30 as the

:32:14. > :32:15.barrage lifted and moved on to the German second line, the whistles and

:32:16. > :32:28.bugles sounded to begin the attack. Could the Ulstermen reach the enemy

:32:29. > :32:32.trenches before the Germans in their bunkers 30 feet down, reach the

:32:33. > :32:38.surface and brought their machine guns to bear? On the other side of

:32:39. > :32:43.the river, the attack of the 12th Royal Irish rifles and the ninth

:32:44. > :32:51.Royal Irish Fusiliers found the enemy, while largely intact and the

:32:52. > :32:54.gap is covered by machine guns. Despite fierce fighting, both

:32:55. > :32:59.attacks were stopped with substantial casualties. The 30s

:33:00. > :33:05.rifles attacked up the slope to your left and were cut down by machine

:33:06. > :33:10.guns on the other side of the river. The 11th rifles, men from South

:33:11. > :33:15.Antrim, backed by the 15th rifles attacked up the slope to your

:33:16. > :33:20.immediate right. Further away from the machine guns, they made good

:33:21. > :33:24.progress. On the far right, at the ninth and tenth will and skill and

:33:25. > :33:31.Fusiliers made good progress, despite casualties from machine

:33:32. > :33:37.guns. -- Enniskillen. They were supported by the 11th, men from

:33:38. > :33:43.Donegal and the manner and the 14th rifles. -- Fermanagh. They both were

:33:44. > :33:48.badly hit by machine gun fire and sustained heavy casualties. The

:33:49. > :33:53.follow-on brigade consisted of the eighth, ninth and tenth Royal Irish

:33:54. > :33:56.rifles men from east, west and south Belfast. Although taking heavy

:33:57. > :34:00.casualties as they crossed no man's land, they moved to the German

:34:01. > :34:06.second line and reached the enemy third line and beyond. At about 10am

:34:07. > :34:12.this morning, enemy artillery fire, machine guns on both sides and

:34:13. > :34:16.fierce resistance had effectively prevented any chance of a

:34:17. > :34:21.breakthrough. For the remainder of today and tonight, there would be

:34:22. > :34:28.desperate fighting to hold ground gained on counterattacks. Efforts

:34:29. > :34:33.will be made to help the wounded. By tomorrow night, the division would

:34:34. > :34:39.have lost 5500 killed, wounded and missing. Of these, over 2000 would

:34:40. > :34:45.be dead. Many of them lie he is still full stop 18 months ago, the

:34:46. > :34:48.remains of Sergeant David Blakey of the 11th Enniskillen 's and an

:34:49. > :34:54.Unknown Soldier from the Royal Irish rifles were recovered, just miles

:34:55. > :35:01.from our gate. They were buried with military honours last October. The

:35:02. > :35:05.Ulster Division got four Victoria Cross is. Last night the bombing

:35:06. > :35:11.section were distributing hand grenades. Seeing that many would

:35:12. > :35:20.perish, private Billy Macfadyen threw himself on the bombs and died.

:35:21. > :35:32.Another got a posthumous VC for beating off counterattacks. Over the

:35:33. > :35:38.River, two more Victoria Cross is awarded for bringing back numbers of

:35:39. > :35:44.wounded men. A fifth Victoria Cross would be won by Corporal George

:35:45. > :35:52.Sanders of the Rifles, fighting alongside the Ulster Division on the

:35:53. > :35:56.Schwaben Redoubt. Today we remember the soldiers who died in the First

:35:57. > :35:58.World War, particularly the courage and sacrifice of the officers, NCOs

:35:59. > :36:13.and men of the Ulster Division. This will be followed by the words

:36:14. > :36:14.of those who went into battle on this Day 100 years ago and their

:36:15. > :36:25.families. This letter from a grieving mother.

:36:26. > :36:29.The letter sent from Maggie Stevenson in response to a letter

:36:30. > :36:37.which was written informing her of the death of her only son.

:36:38. > :36:51.24th of June 1917. Dear Reverend, sir, just a few lines with a broken

:36:52. > :36:59.and sad heart. I'm right to thank you for your kindness in writing may

:37:00. > :37:05.be sad news about the death of my dear son. Also for your kindness in

:37:06. > :37:12.putting the cross on his little grave. I am ever grateful to you for

:37:13. > :37:19.doing so. It is so very hard and a heavy blow on me, his mother, a poor

:37:20. > :37:27.widow woman. Again, I am very glad to know that he has still kept the

:37:28. > :37:35.one thing needful in view. That was to try to serve the Lord. He was

:37:36. > :37:42.always a dutiful child. My heart has built up in him. If maybe I loved

:37:43. > :37:48.him more than I should have, for our dear Sega says, we should love him

:37:49. > :37:55.above all other things. -- saviour. For it is he alone that gave us all

:37:56. > :38:00.that we have and he laid down his life that we might save hours. I

:38:01. > :38:09.trust he will forgive me for loving my dear son to much. The earthly tie

:38:10. > :38:14.is hard to break. I don't think I will ever get over the trouble of

:38:15. > :38:22.him in this world. I know I shall meet him in heaven where parting is

:38:23. > :38:27.no more. Again and keen you for your kindness to my dear boy. Also hoping

:38:28. > :38:34.the Lord will bring you safely through this cruel war. It seems to

:38:35. > :38:41.me to be so very inhumane. So now I will say goodbye. With the kindest

:38:42. > :38:48.regards to you from your humble, brokenhearted servant, Maggie

:38:49. > :38:55.Stevenson. PS, I hope the war will be over and there will be picked to

:38:56. > :39:09.read for the Allies. Carole Waugh kerk's parents.

:39:10. > :39:18.Saturday 7th of July, 1916, my dear daddy. I suppose by now you have

:39:19. > :39:22.heard all about the glorious first a week ago today. Evidently, this

:39:23. > :39:28.division has made a name for itself that I am afraid at an awful loss. I

:39:29. > :39:36.see Craig is reported as a prisoner but I am afraid it is more likely

:39:37. > :39:40.that the worst has happened. There were 17 offices, casualties, all the

:39:41. > :39:46.very best killed. Captain Masters, Marshall and myself were the only

:39:47. > :39:51.four of the 20 to go over the parapet to get back safe. The

:39:52. > :39:57.excitement was tremendous so great in fact our mouths and tongues dried

:39:58. > :40:03.up at once. The worst of it was the water gave out late afternoon and I

:40:04. > :40:08.had never had such a burst before. I have now seen plenty of Germans,

:40:09. > :40:13.both alive and dead. Nearly all of them a fine looking lot but only too

:40:14. > :40:19.glad to put up their hands and shout, comrades. Our men went mad

:40:20. > :40:23.because of the memories of the Boyne. We had a much worse time

:40:24. > :40:28.during the bombardment. The men were put in trenches in the wood without

:40:29. > :40:35.dugouts and were continually and a shellfire. This company alone lost

:40:36. > :40:39.50 in five days. -- under shellfire. The attack was postponed for two

:40:40. > :40:45.days. We went in again the night before and then it was, at this

:40:46. > :40:50.point, my poor platoon was done for. We were glad to get into the open. I

:40:51. > :40:56.had given my knee a nasty cut and I am now a bed tried to let it heal. I

:40:57. > :41:01.had a splinter of a shell taken out of my leg today. Uncle Phil went

:41:02. > :41:09.right across as far as we went. After the attack he got back safely.

:41:10. > :41:17.I am afraid there will be great distress

:41:18. > :41:17.I am afraid there will be great coolest and most fearless man I had

:41:18. > :41:24.ever seen. If you are near your tailors, please tell them to make me

:41:25. > :41:28.a pair of slacks. They have my measurements. Also tell them to let

:41:29. > :41:34.me have the bill, which has still not yet arrived. Please thank aunt

:41:35. > :41:39.Ellen for the cake and also her gingerbread. Excuse my bad

:41:40. > :41:45.handwriting, I am still in bed. Colin McCracken of the 1st

:41:46. > :41:51.Battalion, the Royal Irish regiment. Now from the 2nd Battalion. Leslie

:41:52. > :41:56.Bell served with the tenth Enniskillen. It was a bright morning

:41:57. > :42:00.and the sun was up in the sky. The big guns were going off like mad. We

:42:01. > :42:06.have been addressed by one of the big knobs from headquarters telling

:42:07. > :42:11.us not to run. We got pipes and cigarettes and there would be no

:42:12. > :42:15.opposition. The first to never got out of their trenches. The trenches

:42:16. > :42:20.were full of dead. We managed to get out of the trench and advance some

:42:21. > :42:24.50 yards when Samir big shell came over and practically wiped out my

:42:25. > :42:30.whole platoon. I was wounded in the legs and back and laid in the field

:42:31. > :42:34.from 8:30am till 4pm. To tell you that is, I thought I would never see

:42:35. > :42:38.home again. I was lying there among the dead and wounded and your

:42:39. > :42:42.thoughts were far dashes I could be thoughts were far from pleasant. A

:42:43. > :42:50.number had been blown to pieces. What a waste of life. The 16th Irish

:42:51. > :43:02.division as well as the Ulster Division. I still think we would

:43:03. > :43:08.have taken Thiepval. The Ulster volunteer Force formed the nucleus

:43:09. > :43:22.of the division. Now the Methodist president with a call to prayer.

:43:23. > :43:30.Friends, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God, to

:43:31. > :43:39.offer unto him our worship, praise and thanksgiving. We remember

:43:40. > :43:45.proudly all those soldiers of Ulster who, in the great Battle of the

:43:46. > :43:53.Somme, 100 years ago, fought the good fight, kept the faith, and

:43:54. > :44:03.finished in this life, let us praise and thank Him

:44:04. > :44:09.for the gallantry and resolute courage of all those who fought

:44:10. > :44:31.in the Adapted by John Wesley.

:44:32. > :44:34.Traditionally sung in times of national distress or remembrance.

:44:35. > :44:39.# O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come

:44:40. > :44:56.# Our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home

:44:57. > :45:05.# Under the shadow of thy throne Still may we dwell secure

:45:06. > :45:18.# Sufficient is thine arm alone And our defence is sure

:45:19. > :45:28.# Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,

:45:29. > :45:41.# From everlasting, thou art God, to endless years the same.

:45:42. > :45:51.# A thousand ages, in thy sight, are like an evening gone

:45:52. > :45:57.# Short as the watch that ends the night

:45:58. > :46:23.# Time, like an ever rolling stream, bears all who breathe away

:46:24. > :46:26.# O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come

:46:27. > :46:28.# Be thou our guide while life shall last,

:46:29. > :46:40.Archbishop Eamon Martin Webb the lesson. It is the first time the

:46:41. > :46:45.head of the Catholic Church has been present at this ceremony. The letter

:46:46. > :46:46.is taken from the holy Gospel according to John. Chapter 15,

:46:47. > :47:04.beginning at first seven. Jesus said to his Disciples, if you

:47:05. > :47:10.abide in my and I abide in you, you will ask for what you will and you

:47:11. > :47:23.are get it. As the father has loved me, so have

:47:24. > :47:28.I loved you. Abid in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide

:47:29. > :47:33.in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in

:47:34. > :47:41.His love. I have told you this, so that my own joy may be in you, and

:47:42. > :47:50.your joy be complete. This is my commandment. Love one another as I

:47:51. > :47:57.have loved you. A man can have no greater love, than to lay down his

:47:58. > :48:09.life for his friends. You are my friends. If you do what I command

:48:10. > :48:15.you. The prayer delivered by Moderator of the Presbyterian Church

:48:16. > :48:17.of Ireland, the Reverend Frank cellar and then a lone Piper will

:48:18. > :48:32.play. On this most solemn day of

:48:33. > :48:39.commemoration and remembrance of terrible human loss, we thank you

:48:40. > :48:43.for those reassuring and comforting words, of Christ Jesus, that as the

:48:44. > :48:49.Father Has loved me, so have I love you. We bless you, that you are not

:48:50. > :48:57.unfeeling, concerning our human condition. But, rather, experienced

:48:58. > :49:04.yourself the sacrificial death of your only son, to a cruel death upon

:49:05. > :49:08.the cross, so that we who deserve nothing but loss, might instead

:49:09. > :49:15.receive the freedom of life everlasting. Remind us, please,

:49:16. > :49:24.then, not only of our human fragility, but also of your great

:49:25. > :49:30.redeeming love. So be it, Lord, thy throne shall never, like Earth's

:49:31. > :49:38.proud empires pass away. Thy kingdom stands, and grows forever. Til all

:49:39. > :49:40.thy creatures own thy's way. And together we say the prayer Jesus

:49:41. > :49:45.gave his Disciples. Our Father, who art in heaven,

:49:46. > :49:47.hallowed be thy name; on earth

:49:48. > :49:52.as it is in heaven. as we forgive those that trespass

:49:53. > :50:02.against us. And lead us not into temptation;

:50:03. > :50:08.but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power

:50:09. > :50:35.and the glory, for ever and ever. The strains of Oft in the Stilly

:50:36. > :50:39.Night will be heard before the pipe will be seen. David Hogg has

:50:40. > :50:43.returned from the Royal Irish scam regiment. He has links with the

:50:44. > :50:52.Somme association and is dressed as a First World War Piper.

:50:53. > :51:23.A soldier from County Meath was killed in July 1917. O poem on the

:51:24. > :51:28.grave reads, "Then in the lull of midnight, gentle arms lifted him

:51:29. > :51:37.slowly down the slopes. Lest he should hear again, the mad alarms of

:51:38. > :51:59.battle. Battle dying moans and painful breath."

:52:00. > :52:13.Soon the sound will fade again, commemorating the soldiers, the Paps

:52:14. > :52:19.led into battle and out of life. -- the pipes led into battle.

:52:20. > :52:28.And as this service continues. The address will be given by the Church

:52:29. > :52:37.of Ireland Primate, archbishop, Richard Clarke. May the words of my

:52:38. > :52:42.mouth and the thoughts of all our hearts be now and always acceptable

:52:43. > :52:47.in your sight, oh Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

:52:48. > :52:57.. There is a wonderful moment in the final scene of Frank McGuinness's

:52:58. > :53:01.iconic play, Observe the is Sons of Ulster marching towards the Somme.

:53:02. > :53:08.When a young Ulster soldier is about to go over the top on that morning

:53:09. > :53:15.of 1st July, 116, start discussing the rival merits of the Rivers of

:53:16. > :53:20.Ulster, the Lagan, the Foyle, the Bann. Then they suddenly realise

:53:21. > :53:24.they are standing there, near another river, the River Somme. The

:53:25. > :53:33.discussion becomes more excited and more excitable. One of the soldiers

:53:34. > :53:41.calls out that now the Somme is the Lagan, the Foyle, the Bann. This

:53:42. > :53:49.river, the Somme, is now theirs. The Somme has somehow become a river of

:53:50. > :53:51.Ulster. Few images could more perfectly encapsulate that

:53:52. > :53:59.connectedness between the Somme and Ulster. For many people of that

:54:00. > :54:04.Province, the Somme and Ulster have, for 100 years, belonged together in

:54:05. > :54:09.the imagination of succeeding generations and this connectiveness

:54:10. > :54:17.is something we celebrate today. But, we do more. The Somme, the

:54:18. > :54:23.Lagan, the Bann, the Foyle, all rivers. But however much they belong

:54:24. > :54:27.together in the imagination of Frank McGuinness' soldier, we need to

:54:28. > :54:35.recall what a river is and what rivers are. They flow. They change.

:54:36. > :54:43.For they are no longer rivers but stagnant pools. A Greek philosopher

:54:44. > :54:48.reminds us that one can never step twice into the same river. It is not

:54:49. > :54:54.the same river because of the flow of water. Yes, we think of a river

:54:55. > :54:58.as forever the same and in many respects this may be so, but the

:54:59. > :55:06.river does not remain entirely the same. And as we recall with

:55:07. > :55:13.thankfulness, and even awe, those young men who 100 years ago, choose

:55:14. > :55:17.to join up and come to this place, for what they believed was a

:55:18. > :55:22.righteous cause, and a place where so many of them died, we do them no

:55:23. > :55:26.service if we do not relate them to today and to our hopes and our

:55:27. > :55:34.prayers and our aspirations for the future. One week ago with my friend

:55:35. > :55:40.and colleague, Eamonn Martin the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh,

:55:41. > :55:46.we stood here, at this spot, at this Ulster Tower, with a group of young

:55:47. > :55:50.people from all parts of Ireland and representing both our Christian

:55:51. > :55:58.traditions, traditions which for so long have seen themselves as apart,

:55:59. > :56:04.even at enmitiy with one another. We prayed, we kept silence and we we

:56:05. > :56:08.flected, with those -- and we reflected with those young people,

:56:09. > :56:13.all in the sombre realisation that many of those who died here at the

:56:14. > :56:19.Somme were of an age of those young people who were part of our group.

:56:20. > :56:25.But we were also aware that the metaphorical river, like every

:56:26. > :56:33.river, flows on. Yes, those soldiers who died here were now part of us.

:56:34. > :56:37.But we would do them no honour if we saw their young lives and early

:56:38. > :56:45.tragic deaths only as sad history or even sacred history. They point us

:56:46. > :56:49.beyond themselves and they move us beyond ourselves, to a future which

:56:50. > :56:56.they believed would have been for them, something of infinite hope and

:56:57. > :57:00.possibility. And we must now believe that in a hope for the future of our

:57:01. > :57:06.young people, as they must believe in it for themselves. A week ago we

:57:07. > :57:11.prayed in this place for true peace. God's peace in our lives and for our

:57:12. > :57:19.world. And this must surely be at the heart of our praying today. Both

:57:20. > :57:24.the Hebrew and Christian scriptures readily relate the image of the

:57:25. > :57:32.river to the presence and to the purposes of God, most emphatically

:57:33. > :57:37.in psalm 46 "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

:57:38. > :57:43.the holy habitation of the most high." Close to this place is our

:57:44. > :57:47.river, the Somme, the Somme representing a connectiveness for

:57:48. > :57:53.all time of many men and women. Not only in Ulster, and not only of one

:57:54. > :58:02.Christian tradition. In one sense, this Somme is the same river as it

:58:03. > :58:10.was 100 years ago, on Saturday, 1st July 1916. In another sense, that

:58:11. > :58:23.cannot be. And nor is it organically precisely the same river. And so, as

:58:24. > :58:28.we now remember, with true and gracious recognition, courage,

:58:29. > :58:32.commitment, service sacrifice, we also allow that river of remembering

:58:33. > :58:39.to flow and to carry us with it on to a new place to which we are all

:58:40. > :58:45.summoned by God in Christ. A place of hope. Of peace and even of joy.

:58:46. > :58:54.Amen. Now we come to the heart of this

:58:55. > :59:07.commemoration. The Act of Remembrance. The ex-who aretion. --

:59:08. > :59:20.the Exhortation. Spoken by the Colonel of the regiment.

:59:21. > :59:23.They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

:59:24. > :59:25.Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

:59:26. > :59:28.At the going down of the sun and in the morning

:59:29. > :01:32.Following the Last Post. There will be a minute's Silence, then

:01:33. > :02:01.And now a lament entitled 100 Years On, compose bid Pipe Major Josh

:02:02. > :02:19.Bruce, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment.

:02:20. > :02:27.The Hobbs family lived on union Street in Lurgan. There were four

:02:28. > :02:33.brothers, David Andrew and Robert were killed at the Somme. Herbert

:02:34. > :02:39.survived. The three Donaldson brothers were aged between 19 and

:02:40. > :02:43.21. They'd died side by side. John Dixon was a veteran of the Somme.

:02:44. > :02:48.There was no useful cowards that morning. The cream of Ulster divers

:02:49. > :02:52.and he dreamt of German soldiers after the war. -- died. I cannot see

:02:53. > :03:20.what it was for. We will now have the laying of

:03:21. > :03:27.official wreaths. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bennett and answering the

:03:28. > :03:34.laying of wreaths. The wreath presented to Prince Charles by the

:03:35. > :03:40.Somme Association liaison officer. Prince Charles has spoken in the

:03:41. > :03:44.past of how no village or town was left untouched. My wife, he says

:03:45. > :03:45.that the three great ankles in this terrible battle and I lost one

:03:46. > :04:05.macro. -- uncles. The right Honourable to raise

:04:06. > :04:11.billions MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. -- Theresa

:04:12. > :04:17.Villiers. Arlene Foster, First Minister for Ireland. Arlene Foster

:04:18. > :04:21.has spoken of the huge numbers who lost their lives. Not just people

:04:22. > :04:26.from my background, she said, but also those from a nationalist

:04:27. > :04:30.background. Theresa Villiers said laying wreaths on the 1st of July on

:04:31. > :04:34.behalf of the Government has been one of the most moving duties she

:04:35. > :04:39.has performed as Northern Ireland Secretary. Remembering soldiers of

:04:40. > :04:52.the 36th Ulster Division and the 16th Irish Division who fought so

:04:53. > :05:05.bravely. Minister Heather Humphreys, Minister for the arts and a

:05:06. > :05:09.representative from France. Heather Humphreys has spoken other year of

:05:10. > :05:16.commemorations that are respectful. Do not seek to be triumphalist or

:05:17. > :05:24.divisive. The French Minister for remembrance lays a wreath. France

:05:25. > :05:42.lost 200,000 men at the Somme, Germany 300,000. Britain, 420,000.

:05:43. > :05:53.His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester, president of the Somme

:05:54. > :05:57.Association. Tommy Jordan was a veteran of the Somme. He spoke of

:05:58. > :06:01.his distress at being asked to remember. I belonged to the

:06:02. > :06:10.Methodist church, the little church, he said. I think there were 18 names

:06:11. > :06:23.on the hall table. I knew them everyone. Brigadier J O Sullivan,

:06:24. > :06:50.Colonel of the Regiment, the Royal Irish Regiment.

:06:51. > :07:02.In the history of great battles... Commander of the Irish Brigade. The

:07:03. > :07:09.president of the Somme. British forces in India repelled the

:07:10. > :07:16.invading Japanese as more nations representing that governments and

:07:17. > :07:21.people lay wreaths. Card on a British memorial is an epic task to

:07:22. > :07:29.them. -- carved. When you go home, tell them of us insane, for your

:07:30. > :07:49.tomorrow, we gave our today. -- in saying.

:07:50. > :08:06.Soon we hear the hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers. The mayors and

:08:07. > :08:11.councillors of Northern Ireland. Mr William Hutchinson, leader of the

:08:12. > :08:12.Progressive Unionist Party. We'll have an opportunity to pay tribute,

:08:13. > :08:43.beginning with Belfast City Council. The Progressive Unionist Party

:08:44. > :08:49.councillor has written, the song gives the Protestant working-class

:08:50. > :08:54.reason to be proud. A viditch to be part of. They rose to the challenge

:08:55. > :09:01.of the hour. What does that say to those of us not of a Loyalist

:09:02. > :09:06.tradition? Does the valour and sacrifice of the 16th division fit

:09:07. > :09:10.into this? Starting with Belfast as the capital city, they will lay

:09:11. > :09:11.their wreaths. Other local authorities will follow in

:09:12. > :09:21.alphabetical order. We now seeing, Onward Christian

:09:22. > :09:32.Soldiers. -- seeing. # Onward, Christian soldiers,

:09:33. > :09:36.marching as to war, # with the cross of Jesus going on

:09:37. > :09:51.before # Christ, the royal Master,

:09:52. > :10:00.leads against the foe # Forward into battle

:10:01. > :10:10.see his banners go # Onward, Christian soldiers,

:10:11. > :10:19.marching as to war # With the cross of

:10:20. > :10:35.Jesus going on before # At the sign of triumph Satan's

:10:36. > :10:42.host doth flee, on then, # Hell's foundations quiver

:10:43. > :10:59.at the shout of praise # Brothers, lift your voices,

:11:00. > :11:08.loud your anthems raise # Like a mighty army moves

:11:09. > :11:17.the church of God # Onward, Christian soldiers,

:11:18. > :11:19.marching as to war # With the cross of

:11:20. > :11:43.Jesus going on before Tom Kettle fought with the Irish

:11:44. > :11:48.Brigade and was killed in action. He dedicated a poem to his daughter,

:11:49. > :11:56.Betty, the gift of God. He told her she should know that he and his

:11:57. > :12:04.comrades died, in Kettle's words, not for flag, or king or empire, but

:12:05. > :12:06.for a dream. Born in a herdsman's shed and for the secret Scripture of

:12:07. > :12:17.the poet. # Onward, Christian soldiers,

:12:18. > :12:19.marching as to war, # with the cross of Jesus going on

:12:20. > :12:34.before # Crowns and thrones may perish,

:12:35. > :12:37.kingdoms rise and wane, # but the church of Jesus

:12:38. > :12:48.constant will remain # Gates of hell can never

:12:49. > :12:53.gainst that church prevail # We have Christ's own promise,

:12:54. > :13:02.and that cannot fail # Onward then, ye people,

:13:03. > :13:11.join our happy throng # Onward, Christian soldiers,

:13:12. > :13:14.marching as to war, # With the cross of

:13:15. > :13:36.Jesus going on before Private Tommy Chambers was 17 when

:13:37. > :13:40.he died fighting with the Ulster Division. He kept a diary in the

:13:41. > :13:45.days leading up to the battle. A few weeks ago, his great-niece said she

:13:46. > :13:49.was moved to tears reading the last words of her great uncle who set off

:13:50. > :13:53.for battle, never to return. She came across the diary recently when

:13:54. > :14:01.she heard there was to be a display for the Orange Lodge. Tommy Chambers

:14:02. > :14:06.diaries are in the Fusiliers Museum as part of the Somme exhibition.

:14:07. > :14:09.# Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,

:14:10. > :14:31.# With the cross of Jesus going on before

:14:32. > :14:40.As we enter the concluding part of the ceremony, the closing prayer and

:14:41. > :14:46.blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Maybe power of God

:14:47. > :14:52.preserve us. May the wisdom of God instructs us. May the hand of God

:14:53. > :14:57.protect us. May the way of God direct us. May the shield of God

:14:58. > :15:07.defend us stop made the angels of God guard asks against the snares of

:15:08. > :15:14.the evil one. -- may be angels. May Christ be with us, make right be

:15:15. > :15:21.good for us. May Christ be in us. Christ be over all. May thy grace,

:15:22. > :15:33.Lord, always be ours. This day, oh Lord, and for ever more will stop

:15:34. > :15:38.Amen. Closing remarks from the vice president of the Somme Association.

:15:39. > :15:50.Your Royal Highness is, guests, members of the Somme Association.

:15:51. > :15:55.Your Royal Onward Christian Soldiers, we are very honoured and

:15:56. > :15:59.privileged by your presence today on this, the 100th anniversary of the

:16:00. > :16:02.Battle of the Somme. We are delighted to welcome minister

:16:03. > :16:08.Heather Humphreys from the Irish government and several members of

:16:09. > :16:12.the Irish Defence Forces. We value your support immensely. We also

:16:13. > :16:25.value the support of the French state and well: a representative. --

:16:26. > :16:29.Wellcome. Without your support of infrastructure, security and many

:16:30. > :16:34.other services, today's events simply would not be happening. We

:16:35. > :16:47.also appreciate that your commemorative battle from the First

:16:48. > :16:56.World War is Verdun and this is our Verdun. There was a replica in

:16:57. > :17:01.County Down which was built in 1921. It overlooked the training ground of

:17:02. > :17:13.the 36th Ulster Division. Over a long period of time, this tower

:17:14. > :17:16.deteriorated and the 1988 project, led by Doctor Ian Atkinson who is

:17:17. > :17:21.here today, raised funds and restored it. It was re-dedicated by

:17:22. > :17:26.the Duke of Gloucester's mother, Princess Alice, in 1989.

:17:27. > :17:35.I have two more local thank yous. An immense debt of gratitude goes to

:17:36. > :17:38.the Rhyl Irish Regiment, I have done so much more than they were

:17:39. > :17:43.committed to, and have enabled this event to take place. -- the Royal

:17:44. > :17:47.Irish Regiment. Lastly, I would like to pay tribute

:17:48. > :17:56.to Carol Walker of the Somme association. And the custodian of

:17:57. > :18:00.the Tower, teddy and Phoebe who was done so much in organising this and

:18:01. > :18:04.making it such a special event. Thank you very much indeed.

:18:05. > :18:07.APPLAUSE. The reply will come from the Duke of

:18:08. > :18:14.Gloucester, President of the Association. He succeeded his

:18:15. > :18:21.mother, Princess Alice in that role. She rededicated the tower on 1st

:18:22. > :18:27.July, 1989. We have all been commemorating the battle, the

:18:28. > :18:32.skills, the courage, spirit and indeed the achievements of the Irish

:18:33. > :18:42.here in the Battle of the Somme. But I think we ought to mention those

:18:43. > :18:48.who came afterwards, and dedicated this land by building this tower, to

:18:49. > :19:00.the memory of that event and that achievement. I think part of the

:19:01. > :19:06.reason that it was so important to commemorate this Irish contribution

:19:07. > :19:12.was because it coincided with a struggle that some of their

:19:13. > :19:20.countrymen were achieving with a quite different agenda. And it,

:19:21. > :19:25.therefore, for many years, became difficult for those from the South

:19:26. > :19:32.who took part in this battle to feel public recognition for all that they

:19:33. > :19:38.have achieved. And I think The Somme Association, particularly its

:19:39. > :19:44.founders, should be congratulated for seeing that need for

:19:45. > :19:56.spotlighting the huge achievement of the Irish in this battle, and

:19:57. > :19:59.wishing that succeing ing -- succeeded generations should notice

:20:00. > :20:04.it and be proud of it. And I think that the reason that we are all here

:20:05. > :20:09.today and that there is so much to commemorate and celebrate is partly

:20:10. > :20:13.because of their foresight and their need to guide succeeding generations

:20:14. > :20:19.in realising there was something here very much to be proud of and I

:20:20. > :20:24.hope that, as the years pass, yet more generations will be proud of

:20:25. > :20:25.what was achieved at the Battle of the Somme. Thank you.

:20:26. > :20:43.APPLAUSE And the recover rift colours will

:20:44. > :20:46.mark the close -- the recovery of the colours will make the closing

:20:47. > :21:09.stages of this centenary ceremony. The words of one of the Somme

:21:10. > :21:14.veterans come to mind at the close of this ceremony. Bob Grange came

:21:15. > :21:20.back to the Somme on the 60th anners havery. It was an emotional return.

:21:21. > :21:30."How different it was. Then it was all trenches barbed wire and shell

:21:31. > :21:34.holes. Now, it was the most beautiful place you could have been

:21:35. > :21:40.to." That day he signed the visitor's book at the tower, as no

:21:41. > :21:48.doubt today's visitors will do but RT Grange had a distinguished

:21:49. > :21:52.commemoration. He remembered he signed the book at Helen's Tower,

:21:53. > :22:03.where he trained before going to war. His name was in both towers.

:22:04. > :22:07.And before these soldiers signal the end of the ceremonial, we will hear

:22:08. > :23:00.the anthems of Britain and France. Quick march.

:23:01. > :23:47.# Allons enfants de la Patrie Le jour de gloire est arrive

:23:48. > :23:51.# Contre nous de la tyrannie, L'etendard sanglant est leve

:23:52. > :24:00.# Entendez-vous dans les campagnes Mugir ces feroces soldats

:24:01. > :24:04.# Aux armes, citoyens Formez vos bataillons

:24:05. > :24:16.# Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons

:24:17. > :24:20.# Amour sacre de la Patrie

:24:21. > :24:23.# Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs

:24:24. > :24:27.# Combats avec tes defenseurs

:24:28. > :24:31.# Sous nos drapeaux que la victoire

:24:32. > :24:32.# Accoure a tes males accents

:24:33. > :24:35.# Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire

:24:36. > :25:03.# Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras Egorger vos fils et vos compagnes #.

:25:04. > :25:13.Soon the regiment march of the Royal Irish will ring out over the French

:25:14. > :25:14.countryside, as it has done, during many commemorations here, down the

:25:15. > :27:04.years. And that rousing rendition,

:27:05. > :27:09.including the famous yell, brings to an end the ceremonial part of these

:27:10. > :27:15.proceedings. Shortly the royal party will be invited inside the tower.

:27:16. > :27:18.They'll spend some time in the Memorial Room with its marble

:27:19. > :27:23.tablet, recording the tower's dedication to the memory of those

:27:24. > :27:26.who gave their lives. On every wall there are plaques and tributes from

:27:27. > :27:29.local authorities throughout Northern Ireland and beyond. Those

:27:30. > :27:33.behind the centenary commemorations say it must not be a means of

:27:34. > :27:37.finally consigning to history what happened at the Somme, rather, they

:27:38. > :27:41.say, we should continue to reflect on the past so, it helps us live in

:27:42. > :27:46.the present and provides wisdom for the future. Those were thoughts

:27:47. > :27:50.reflected in the address we heard from archbishop Richard Clarke. In

:27:51. > :27:56.the words of Ian Adamson, former Chairman. Somme association, words

:27:57. > :28:01.he liked to use, "Sons of Ulster, do not be anxious, for we will never

:28:02. > :28:09.forget you as long as the sun shines and the wind blows, as it has done

:28:10. > :28:17.today, and the rainfalls, (as it has done today) and the rivers of Ulster

:28:18. > :28:20.run to the sea." Tarria. -- Tara.

:28:21. > :28:25.Well let's hear what Philip Orr made of the service. What did you make? I

:28:26. > :28:29.was really quite impressed with the readings. There were some beautiful

:28:30. > :28:33.examples there of the individual families who were affected and how a

:28:34. > :28:38.mother felt about a son and how a boy felt on the battlefield and just

:28:39. > :28:44.that little bit of detail like gingerbread, you know. The soldiers'

:28:45. > :28:47.favourite food, favourite biscuit. I think that's what makes the

:28:48. > :28:52.storivity First World War so poignant for us. -- the story.

:28:53. > :28:55.I think also I was interested to seat representation there. We had

:28:56. > :28:59.the Catholic archbishop present there and taking part in the

:29:00. > :29:04.service. This is a thing that would have probably been undreamt of maybe

:29:05. > :29:09.70, 80 years ago. The first time he has done it. A real gesture on his

:29:10. > :29:13.part reaching out and taking part in the service, not a token presence

:29:14. > :29:18.but doing a reading and a reading that emphasised I think the need to

:29:19. > :29:21.love one another. It is a benign and boughtively passage from the

:29:22. > :29:28.scriptures that he chose there. -- a beautiful. But I think the Primate

:29:29. > :29:33.of All Ireland also spoke with great interest there about comparing the

:29:34. > :29:38.Somme river to the river of change that happens all through life. I

:29:39. > :29:40.suppose I'm thinking at this time, we have reached the 100th

:29:41. > :29:44.anniversary of the Somme, what happens now? Do we continue to

:29:45. > :29:51.remember with the same vigour? That seems like, in one sense, the end of

:29:52. > :29:55.an era. Will that continue? Will crowds still come here in

:29:56. > :29:59.pilgrimage. A bit of me thinks he will, yet, on the other hand maybe

:30:00. > :30:03.we are witnessing a change and in the future other things will

:30:04. > :30:06.dominate. Of course the Ulster division went on and fought in this

:30:07. > :30:11.war and other battles right through to 1918 but they were changed a

:30:12. > :30:15.division. The damage that had been done meant the ranks had to be

:30:16. > :30:19.filled up from all over the UK with conscript soldiers. Very different.

:30:20. > :30:25.I'm thinking also, in terms of the changes we have seen over the past

:30:26. > :30:30.week. We have seen a whole raft. Constitutional issues up for stake.

:30:31. > :30:34.We have seen all kinds of threats, it seems, to the United Kingdom

:30:35. > :30:38.itself, in terms of the different ways that people have responded to

:30:39. > :30:43.the Brexit story. So, in those times of change, that river of change, you

:30:44. > :30:48.know, what qualities are called for now from the Ulster people. What is

:30:49. > :30:52.required of them, the way in which the ancestors showed, as was seen

:30:53. > :30:56.today, so much courage in the past. Philip, stay with us, we will come

:30:57. > :31:04.back to you in a few minutes. First, let's hear from Mervyn Jess.

:31:05. > :31:13.I thought today's eprevents deeply moving ceremonies. It brought back

:31:14. > :31:19.the horrors of war and the service that goes on forever, to generations

:31:20. > :31:23.of those who lost their lives. Impact on the Irish soldiers,

:31:24. > :31:27.obviously? Irish in particular, lost tens of thousands in the first day

:31:28. > :31:31.of the Somme and in successive days after that and as the attrition went

:31:32. > :31:35.on and on, more and more lost their lives. Those lives are engraved in

:31:36. > :31:39.this tower behind me but also in the bigger memorial over there at think

:31:40. > :31:43.value. Do you think that sacrifice is still remembered by the wider

:31:44. > :31:46.community in the island of Great Britain and the UK? I think it is,

:31:47. > :31:51.considerably because the commemoration of the First World War

:31:52. > :31:54.has brought a reality to it, to many people, because we showed the very

:31:55. > :32:00.early film on the Somme, which was shown on the very large scene before

:32:01. > :32:07.the -- screen before the big ceremony started. It was incredibly

:32:08. > :32:10.realistic. Most was shot in the trenches. Very eooe voktive and

:32:11. > :32:14.moving. Generations need to understand all the thousands who

:32:15. > :32:17.lost their lives in the mud. Some seconds after going over the top in

:32:18. > :32:25.the trenches gunned down straight away I'm ginned by Arlene Foster.

:32:26. > :32:29.What does today mean to you? -- I'm joined So much to so many in

:32:30. > :32:34.Northern Ireland. That was why it was important to be here it lay a

:32:35. > :32:38.wreath at the Ulster Tower which encompasses all the memories for the

:32:39. > :32:39.36 Ulster Division. I found the services moving and emotional and

:32:40. > :32:50.proud to have been a part of them. What was going through your mind

:32:51. > :32:54.when you laid the wreath? How people at home when thinking when a gang

:32:55. > :33:01.sons, Young husband is where here in such terrible, terrible conditions,

:33:02. > :33:06.fighting for freedom. -- Young fans. When you look at the footage, it

:33:07. > :33:11.really is very difficult for us today to comprehend the conditions

:33:12. > :33:16.they had to live in. It is so different today. So many memories

:33:17. > :33:22.when you say about letters from mothers and wives. It brings home

:33:23. > :33:29.the sacrifices. The sacrifice they made, many of them volunteers.

:33:30. > :33:32.Indeed the awfulness of war and the determination that surely we must

:33:33. > :33:38.stay away from that and we must make sure we have peace in our world. For

:33:39. > :33:44.us in Northern Ireland, that is very important, coming through the

:33:45. > :33:48.troubles. This is part of the centenary. Indeed. We will have more

:33:49. > :33:52.centenary is, coming up to the centenary of the founding of

:33:53. > :33:57.Northern Ireland. They continue. I am glad to have been part of this

:33:58. > :34:00.centenary. I'm sure there are many people at home thinking of their

:34:01. > :34:06.great-grandfathers, they're great uncles, people related to them

:34:07. > :34:14.today. Was family connection in your family? My husband's great uncle was

:34:15. > :34:18.in Carson 's volunteers. He joined up in the 36th Ulster Division. He

:34:19. > :34:24.came to the Somme, was injured and was sent home. He went back out to

:34:25. > :34:28.France and died in 1918 a couple of months before the Armistice. His

:34:29. > :34:33.name is on a headstone in County Fermanagh. Unfortunately his body is

:34:34. > :34:38.in France. You must be very proud to come and visit the graves and see

:34:39. > :34:43.courage and bravery shown, particularly on the first day.

:34:44. > :34:48.Absolutely. When you try to come to hand the number of people injured,

:34:49. > :34:53.20,000 casualties with many dying immediately or later on, it really

:34:54. > :34:57.does bring home the scale and enormity of war. Interesting that

:34:58. > :35:02.the Catholic archbishop was here today, reflecting on everyone who

:35:03. > :35:06.fought, not just the Loyalist and Unionist community. It is important

:35:07. > :35:11.that we do recognise everyone's to be. I am delighted that Heather

:35:12. > :35:16.Humphreys is here today, the Irish Minister for that she is a very

:35:17. > :35:21.close neighbour of mine, in County Monaghan. I am pleased that she is

:35:22. > :35:26.here. We are living in very fluid times with a lot of change going on

:35:27. > :35:31.at the minute. One of the most touching parts of today, when I was

:35:32. > :35:41.at Thiepval, was the sight of young children laying wreaths. It sent a

:35:42. > :35:46.very strong message. Here are very young people remembering what went

:35:47. > :35:51.on. I have been reflecting on the fact that soldiers were able to keep

:35:52. > :35:55.going, even though all around them such death and destruction. That is

:35:56. > :35:59.what people are saying today is is about the courage and bravery. Even

:36:00. > :36:04.though there were arguments about the military strategy that still

:36:05. > :36:07.being able to fight on. A lot of them, particularly in the 36th

:36:08. > :36:16.Ulster Division were friends, colleagues from back home. Many

:36:17. > :36:18.joined and knew each other socially. Perhaps they went to the same

:36:19. > :36:23.church. They came out here and stuck with each other. When you listen to

:36:24. > :36:31.stories of bravery, I was in Bushmills recently. It is the no way

:36:32. > :36:37.in which a man went back onto the battlefield and saved seven lives,

:36:38. > :36:42.it really was tremendous in terms of bravery. Thank you for joining us on

:36:43. > :36:47.the programme. Events have been happening at home as well. Michael

:36:48. > :36:52.Fitzpatrick has more on how it is being remembered in Northern Ireland

:36:53. > :36:57.and the republic. At Belfast City Hall, people gathered for a wreath

:36:58. > :37:00.laying ceremony, remembering men from the 36th Ulster Division and

:37:01. > :37:06.Irish Division who lost their lives at the Somme. Among those paying

:37:07. > :37:10.tribute was the Lord Mayor, Brian Kingston, and the Irish government

:37:11. > :37:16.minister. 100 years ago, tens of thousands of Irish people, from both

:37:17. > :37:20.parts of the country, left to fight. Many died in the First World War.

:37:21. > :37:26.Some folk in a country at other for the freedom of small nations. It is

:37:27. > :37:31.appropriate 100 years later that the come together and remember the

:37:32. > :37:39.sacrifice. Soldiers from the 38th Irish Brigade met for an ecumenical

:37:40. > :37:46.commemoration service. They record the incompatible gallantry shown by

:37:47. > :37:56.officers and men that day. In Fermanagh, the service was held at

:37:57. > :38:03.Enniskillen Castle. Full. -- Stephen Humphreys played the same instrument

:38:04. > :38:07.which Jack Downes of the tenth Enniskillen Derry volunteers used in

:38:08. > :38:15.the Ulster Division on the morning of 1st of July, 1916, when they left

:38:16. > :38:21.Thiepval would. He was killed in action. In the Republic, a

:38:22. > :38:27.commemoration was held at the Irish National warmer Morrill Gardens at

:38:28. > :38:36.Irish Bridge in Dublin. -- War Memorial. Commemorations began at

:38:37. > :38:42.7:30am, exactly the time the battle started 100 years ago. I am pleased

:38:43. > :38:45.to have a family join me now, three generations of one family. Just

:38:46. > :38:50.explain to me than your father was a very iconic figure in the war. He

:38:51. > :38:55.was iconic. Particularly poignant today. They read out one of his

:38:56. > :38:59.letters at the service. That was Frank Thornley led by lieutenant

:39:00. > :39:09.McCracken. It makes me feel solemn to think this very day 100 years ago

:39:10. > :39:13.he left Thiepval Wood. I happen to know from history was the most

:39:14. > :39:18.heavily defended part of the German lines in terms of machine guns. His

:39:19. > :39:24.platoon succeeded in capturing that. The sad thing was the rest of the

:39:25. > :39:28.assault was not a success and it was all a waste of time. He had to go

:39:29. > :39:36.back. The other particularly poignant thing which came out in the

:39:37. > :39:42.lead, writing home calmly six days later, out of 20 officers, only four

:39:43. > :39:47.survives. Only four survives from Irish rifles out of 20, is that

:39:48. > :39:51.right? In the assault. 20 took part in the assault and only four

:39:52. > :39:57.survives. Some are captured and wounded but they were not standing

:39:58. > :40:02.up the next day. He was your father, did he talk about the Battle of the

:40:03. > :40:07.Somme? It has all come back today. Feeling the power of 100 years ago.

:40:08. > :40:13.Such an enormous amount of time in one person's life. To think, here I

:40:14. > :40:17.am, 100 years later, listening to someone read out a letter my father

:40:18. > :40:25.actually wrote home. It was a very emotional moment. You are another

:40:26. > :40:29.direct descendants. You are Frank's daughter. How did you feel in the

:40:30. > :40:35.service to be here and be part of it? I felt he was here as well. Very

:40:36. > :40:42.emotional will stop just keeping them in control brings me down to

:40:43. > :40:50.earth. It has been a wonderful day. Even though I am soaked. Amazingly,

:40:51. > :40:56.the rain stopped just in time for the service to begin. We're all

:40:57. > :41:03.quite stoic. What sort of man was he? Did he talk to you about the

:41:04. > :41:08.war? He did. He wanted us to remember. 11/11 was very important

:41:09. > :41:13.in his life. Probably the biggest thing that ever happened. What I

:41:14. > :41:18.love about the painting is that he is that ever rallying his troops. He

:41:19. > :41:27.is featured in the very famous painting that hangs in the City Hall

:41:28. > :41:40.in Belfast. It is frozen in time. He loved his men, the round of it all

:41:41. > :41:49.but it just went so terribly wrong. -- comradery. His uncle describes

:41:50. > :41:54.how Frank took over one of the German trenches. They were dug in

:41:55. > :42:00.extremely deeply and have not been affected. When they took over some

:42:01. > :42:04.of the trenches, they found they had comfortable beds, wood panelled

:42:05. > :42:09.walls, chimneys, and all kinds of comforts. A little bit later in the

:42:10. > :42:15.war, Frank took over one of these and he described it as being very

:42:16. > :42:21.comfortable in there. You are a grandson, the second generation. You

:42:22. > :42:24.have done a lot of research. This centenary has sparked an interest

:42:25. > :42:28.for me. I was always aware that Frank would be on the front in the

:42:29. > :42:35.First World War. As children we came across a trunk containing a belt and

:42:36. > :42:40.a paper containing cartoons with a humorous angle on the First World

:42:41. > :42:43.War. On this occasion I was prompted to look more deeply into what

:42:44. > :42:47.happened. I read the letters and was reading histories on the first day

:42:48. > :42:52.of the Somme. The hair stood up on the back of my neck when I came

:42:53. > :42:58.across names he mentions in his letters. The two came together. You

:42:59. > :43:01.have been putting all the pieces of the jigsaw together. His generation

:43:02. > :43:06.were modest in the extreme and did not talk about the war. He did not

:43:07. > :43:08.talk about what really happened on the first day, except in those

:43:09. > :43:12.letters that were written immediately after. I have now

:43:13. > :43:17.realised he was in this extraordinary advance by the Ulster

:43:18. > :43:21.'s, who did achieve their objectives and got through to the second German

:43:22. > :43:26.lines which was not achieved anywhere out on the front. They

:43:27. > :43:31.achieved more than any other unit. The reason was, they were quite

:43:32. > :43:38.canny. They did not just go over the top and face machine guns. They

:43:39. > :43:42.crouched down at the edge of Thiepval Wood. They were unseen by

:43:43. > :43:47.the Germans am able to brush the trenches. The Germans had not got up

:43:48. > :43:51.from their bunkers and were not ready with machine guns. They did a

:43:52. > :43:59.tactic that clearly would have worked better had it been used more

:44:00. > :44:05.widely on the Front. This picture is very significant. Only two survived

:44:06. > :44:07.out of this. Of the men in this picture, only four were not

:44:08. > :44:12.casualties on the first day of the Somme put up the rest were

:44:13. > :44:17.casualties, either killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. That gives you an

:44:18. > :44:21.idea... This is a relatively successful battalion manoeuvre on

:44:22. > :44:27.the Thursday of the Somme. That gives you an idea of what the

:44:28. > :44:33.casualties were like. -- the first day. This is all the officers of the

:44:34. > :44:37.battalion. You have come all the way from Colorado. You are a great

:44:38. > :44:42.granddaughter. What did you think of it? I thought it was pretty amazing

:44:43. > :44:57.just to be here because I have come from a long way. My father had his

:44:58. > :45:03.dad and, I am, Frank was his dad. I thought it was pretty amazing how,

:45:04. > :45:08.if one man could have shot somewhere else, could have hit Frank, then

:45:09. > :45:13.none of us would be here today. A very mature way of looking at it

:45:14. > :45:17.that you realise your big family, your big, happy family is really

:45:18. > :45:22.hear down to luck, I suppose, and delivery, of course. Is it important

:45:23. > :45:28.for you to hear these stories? Yes, I like hearing about my family's

:45:29. > :45:36.history and how far we have, I guess, travelled from century to

:45:37. > :45:41.century to get here. Do you think you will carry it on and tell your

:45:42. > :45:46.children all about it? I will tell all my children about Frank and how

:45:47. > :45:52.I came here. Just a quick word from you. What did you think of today?

:45:53. > :46:02.Really good. I loved listening to the letters. Frank writing to his

:46:03. > :46:10.mum and dad. Are you very proud of your great-grandfather? Yes. You

:46:11. > :46:16.should be. Let's hear from Mervyn. I am down in amongst the crowds at the

:46:17. > :46:21.front of the town. First of all, we saw you earlier on the big screen.

:46:22. > :46:28.You are dabbing a tear away from your eye. You were touched by what

:46:29. > :46:33.you saw. I am representing my counsel. My father was in both world

:46:34. > :46:40.wars. I appreciate what the soldiers have done over the years. Because of

:46:41. > :46:46.the centenary, do think there has been more interest in the Somme, or

:46:47. > :46:51.has it always been there? There are more young people this time, not

:46:52. > :46:55.just my generation. Is it important for young people to know what

:46:56. > :47:00.happened and to learn about it? Very much so. It is from both parts of

:47:01. > :47:05.Northern Ireland, coming together with something in common. We should

:47:06. > :47:10.be celebrating the fact that we have come to do that now. Not just

:47:11. > :47:14.Northern Ireland, but the whole of Ireland. Lessons to be learned

:47:15. > :47:22.through that, do you think? Very much so. What today got to you?

:47:23. > :47:30.Think of the young boys who joined up and who were under-age. Some I

:47:31. > :47:34.can madget 16-year-olds now, some hadn't left school and they were

:47:35. > :47:40.joining up to fate for their country. -- and didn't come back.

:47:41. > :47:44.Adidn't come back. To fight for their country. And Phoebe, you help

:47:45. > :47:49.to run this tower your husband, teddy. This has been a big day and

:47:50. > :47:54.the build-up has been going on for sometime. How do you feel? Very

:47:55. > :48:01.emotional. I feel very proud to wear my grandfather's medals today. It is

:48:02. > :48:06.a pleasure to be here today. Very moving. Especially when they read

:48:07. > :48:12.the letters out. It was very moving. Written by the soldiers themselves.

:48:13. > :48:15.Even when you stand here and the stories you have heard over the

:48:16. > :48:20.years and visitors coming to the tower, you still get moved by events

:48:21. > :48:25.like this. If you didn't get moved, you wouldn't be human. It does move

:48:26. > :48:30.you. Now it is over, as such, is there any relief? Do you feel relief

:48:31. > :48:33.or disappointment, perhaps? No, we will be back again to normal,

:48:34. > :48:37.probably tomorrow, a lot of people but it is lovely today. I wouldn't

:48:38. > :48:41.have missed today for anything, with all the crowds here. Thank

:48:42. > :48:46.you-for-speaking to you. Back to you, Tara. The Catholic amp Bishop

:48:47. > :48:50.of Armagh is with me, Ian Martin. Thank you for joining us. Your fist

:48:51. > :48:56.time at a Somme commemoration. Why did you decide to come? I think this

:48:57. > :49:01.year was very special for many people as they were commemorating

:49:02. > :49:07.the centenary year of the Battle of the Somme. Along with archbishop

:49:08. > :49:12.Richard Clarke, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Oar marks I had

:49:13. > :49:16.been thinking what can I do in a symbolic way, in saying to people -

:49:17. > :49:22.look, we are conscious of the tremendous sacrifice and bravery of

:49:23. > :49:27.people who went to war. We are anxious to promote a message of

:49:28. > :49:31.peace, healing and reckonciation. My presence today here is part of that

:49:32. > :49:35.wish. -- reconciliation. It is part of our history. Yes, part of our

:49:36. > :49:40.shared history. I think it is sad that down through the decades our

:49:41. > :49:43.histories have moved apart and we told separate stories of what

:49:44. > :49:51.happened here and yet the stories I'm hearing here is that really

:49:52. > :49:55.Protestants and Catholics stood side-by-side, fought side-by-side

:49:56. > :49:59.for freedom and peace. I really hope that we have taken a small step

:50:00. > :50:03.forward to recovering the complexity of the narrative and the fact that

:50:04. > :50:08.we do have something, very, very much in common, when we think back

:50:09. > :50:11.to the bravery of those men. Of course that brave rift 16th Irish

:50:12. > :50:19.Division will be remembered a little bit later in the year. -- that

:50:20. > :50:35.bravery of the 16th Irish. Yes, the 16th Irish and 36 Ulster foughting

:50:36. > :50:38.together and there were other regiments from Dublin who fought and

:50:39. > :50:43.died here who were decimated during this awful, horrific battle. Do you

:50:44. > :50:49.think we can now remember it together move on? We still have some

:50:50. > :50:52.way to go, because perhaps of our present and more recent conflict.

:50:53. > :50:55.But I think we are taking a step forward where there is a more

:50:56. > :50:59.generous narrative going on now and as our younger people begin to

:51:00. > :51:02.uncover history and ask questions for themselves, I think we are

:51:03. > :51:07.seeing a way forward and today I must say I've been welcomed by so

:51:08. > :51:12.many people, people coming up to me saying - we are glad you are here. I

:51:13. > :51:16.think it is important for me but it is also important, I think for those

:51:17. > :51:21.who have traditionally come here, to open up a little bit and let's have

:51:22. > :51:24.much more in common as we remember the sacrifice that took place, 100

:51:25. > :51:28.years ago. Archbishop, thank you very much indeed. Enjoy the rest of

:51:29. > :51:32.the day. Back to you, Mervyn. Thank you. Jonathan Buckley is with me now

:51:33. > :51:35.from Portadown. You have a particular story to tell, you laid a

:51:36. > :51:42.wreath at a Griff on your advice the to the Somme today. -- to a grave.

:51:43. > :51:45.This morning I laid a wreath at my great-great-grandfather's grave,

:51:46. > :51:50.private Robert Warden who served in the 9th battalion of the Royal Irish

:51:51. > :51:53.Fusiliers who died here close to the Ulster Tower on 1st July. So

:51:54. > :51:57.extremely poignant moment for myself to come out here and remember the

:51:58. > :52:02.sacrifice of not only him but his comrades and so many that gave their

:52:03. > :52:06.lives here at the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916. You are a

:52:07. > :52:09.much more recent generation, obviously, but do young people of

:52:10. > :52:16.your age really appreciate, do you feel what was done that day and does

:52:17. > :52:20.it resonate with them in the way it does with your parents and

:52:21. > :52:25.grandparents? Yes, absolutely. Anybody who has a history to hear of

:52:26. > :52:32.our forefathers across the towns and villages of the Northern Ireland and

:52:33. > :52:39.the Republic, it gives rows sons to dome crass sane here at the Somme.

:52:40. > :52:45.-- it gives resonance here at the Somme. The sermony and the kofrnl

:52:46. > :52:49.across the country has been befitting of the sacrifice the men

:52:50. > :52:52.made. Thank you very much. Tara. As we approach the end of the

:52:53. > :52:58.programme, Philip, reflect on the sort of day it has been? Well, we

:52:59. > :53:03.struggled and worried about the weather but it turned out

:53:04. > :53:06.beautifully in the end. I suppose the prayers of the bishops and

:53:07. > :53:17.archbishops who were with us maybe helped with that. More seriously, I

:53:18. > :53:20.think a positive day. . I have seen so many people I worked w not just

:53:21. > :53:24.friends and neighbours but groups I have worked with, community groups

:53:25. > :53:28.who have worked hard to tell their story about their particular corner

:53:29. > :53:31.of Ulster. Here today I'm here as historian but there could have been

:53:32. > :53:35.100 people today because there are so many people out here in that

:53:36. > :53:39.crowd you see who have written books and articles and people, as we have

:53:40. > :53:43.seen, the last family who came on who have travelled a long distance

:53:44. > :53:46.to be here. Incredible stories about the bravery and courage that people

:53:47. > :53:51.have shown but also the massive loss, the wiping out of a

:53:52. > :53:56.generation. Yes, very much so. I went over, the other day, down to

:53:57. > :54:01.the river and across to the accept train a part of the Ulster

:54:02. > :54:09.Division's advance, which was really -- and across to a part of the

:54:10. > :54:14.Ulster Division's France and there was a man, who worked on the factory

:54:15. > :54:20.floor, where he was a senior operative, and it is right beside

:54:21. > :54:24.where I live. And to see where all those soldiers went missing.

:54:25. > :54:28.Carrickfergus for me and I'm sure there are people here from every

:54:29. > :54:33.part of Ulster and beyond, linking that to somewhere in France. I'm

:54:34. > :54:37.interested in the way people here are enjoying the hospitality of

:54:38. > :54:40.France, visiting, people in France have been warm and helpful. There

:54:41. > :54:45.has been such a good relationship there. I'm delighted to see that

:54:46. > :54:57.connection and we, of course, have had the French National Anthem, as

:54:58. > :55:03.well as the beautiful music we are hearing now from the band. And this

:55:04. > :55:09.has been the part of your life for 30 years Yes I remember thinking

:55:10. > :55:16.when I went to interview by first person, Hue James Adams. I probably

:55:17. > :55:19.never thought then, relatively little of the personal soldiers'

:55:20. > :55:25.stories but standing here with the representatives of church and state

:55:26. > :55:30.and all the folk here, it is a very moving thing to measure that passage

:55:31. > :55:35.of time. Thank you for joining us today. That brings us to the end of

:55:36. > :55:39.this special BBC Newsline. More on the programme tonight at 6.30pm. For

:55:40. > :55:45.now, we'll leave you with some of the images of today.