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What
a Day! |
By
John MacVicar |
All
too often you hear the question and subsequent answer
to ‘Do you remember where you were when JFK
was assassinated?’ More recently the comment
has been ‘Will you recall where you were the
night Barack Obama was elected?’ There is
one thing about which there is absolutely no doubt
for more than 50,000 citizens of Northern Ireland.
On November 2nd 2008 they were on the streets of
the capital city of this part of the United Kingdom
to welcome home the heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The proud mums, dads, husbands, wives, brothers,
sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents
of those on parade were joined by ordinary people
from across Ulster and beyond standing shoulder
to shoulder seven and eight deep in some places
as they strained and stretched to catch a glimpse
of those on parade.
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Every
lamppost on the Shankill Road was adorned with a
Royal Irish flag bearing the regiment’s motto
– ‘Faugh a ballagh.’ Young men
from the Shankill even spelt out the motto in huge
white sheets on the side of Blackmountain, such
was the intense pride felt across the Shankill.
Over 3,000 copies of the Shankill Mirror poster
with the simple message – If you Care be There
were printed and distributed across Northern Ireland
and in the lead up to the Homecoming Parade 3,000
We support our troops lapel pins were sold by GSCC,
with 1,000 being sold in just over 60 minutes on
the Friday before the parade (the proceeds of the
sale of the lapel pins will be distributed to the
Poppy Appeal and a number of Service charities).
The offices of the Greater Shankill Community Council
and the Shankill Mirror were inundated with calls
from as far away as Holland asking for information
about the parade down to details of the best place
to park cars and buses such was the determination
of people to be there on the day. It took less than
two minutes for the parade to pass any given spot
on the route but at times the police had to plead
with the crowds to move aside to allow the parade
to pass unhindered. In a much appreciated gesture
the senior officers who had previously been taking
the salute, including at least one general and a
brigadier general, moved through the crowds at the
front of the City Hall personally thanking those
in attendance for the reception the troops received.
Speaking immediately after his arrival at the Waterfront
Hall, Lt Col. Ed Freely, commanding officer of 1
Royal Irish had this to say, ‘I think we have
been surprised in a lot of different ways with the
Homecoming we have received. It has been the most
fantastic expression of public support and I am
overwhelmed. It is difficult to capture in words
but this parade has been such an emotional experience,
such a warm, personal expression of support for
the soldiers who are asked to do difficult tasks.
It means that what they have been doing is appreciated
as it is so rarely expressed in such a manner as
has been seen here by the tens of thousands on the
streets of Belfast.’ It is right and proper
that November 2nd 2008 should not be forgotten just
as the fact it was on these same streets of Belfast
the brave men of the 36th Ulster Division marched
to the Somme.
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