Miriam O'Callaghan to interview survivors of The Troubles in Birr Church
The quilts remember the innocent victims / survivors of 'The Northern Ireland Troubles'
THE RTE presenter Miriam O'Callaghan will interview four survivors of The Troubles in St Brendan's Church of Ireland, Birr, this Wednesday evening August 26.
The general public is warmly invited to this event which will nicely round off a wonderful and powerful exhibition, called “A Tribute to Innocents”, featuring a series of giant quilts on display in the church.
The quilts remember the innocent victims / survivors of 'The Northern Ireland Troubles' across Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and beyond. Across the memorial quilts, innocents are remembered, ordinary yet extraordinary men, women and children from across the community, who were murdered / killed in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and indeed mainland Europe.
Director of the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) Kenny Donaldson told the Tribune that he is pleased to be working with St Brendan's Church of Ireland, Birr and the other Christian denominational churches in facilitating this display of SEFF’s eight Memorial Quilts and two other tapestry pieces over the period Saturday 15th August to 4pm on Wednesday 27th August.
"The key messages of the memorial quilts,” said Kenny, “are: Violence was futile and totally unjustified; Those remembered are wholly innocent; The legacy of those represented will live on amongst those left behind.”
He said that SEFF's doors are open and welcoming to all innocents; whether victimised by republican or loyalist terrorism or through criminal-based actions committed by members of the security forces. He pointed out that SEFF is not defined by constitutional politics or denominational religion - “It’s our values that unite us, expressed in our consistent opposition to violence."
“These quilts,” said Rev Arthur Minion of St Brendan's Church, “give memory to the 3,700+ people who were killed during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. There are some 300 people remembered in these memorial quilts. The aim of them is to remember the people who lost their lives and also to give some recognition to their survivors (who were also victims) – the families themselves.
“We hope the general public will be able to join us for an ecumenical service of remembrance in St Brendan's on Wednesday at 8pm, at which the RTE presenter Miriam O'Callaghan will be here in the Sanctuary of the Church and will interview four people, two from Northern Ireland and two from the Republic of Ireland in the context of these quilts, and will also be remembering their loved ones and the impact their tragic deaths had on their lives subsequently.”
Rev Minion said it will be an ecumenical service and four well known hymns will be sung.
Wednesday will also be the final day of the exhibition, open from 1 to 4pm.