Deputy Mayor of Dublin welcomes Friends of the 36th

The Friends of the 36th Ulster Division, Carrickfergus Association, travelled south of the border earlier this month. The trip was made possible by funding from the Community Relations Council, while Carrickfergus Community Forum community support project arranged and organised the initiative.

Noel Jordan, Friends of the 36th, stated: “The group visited a number of different venues including; The Bank of Ireland where we were able to view tapestries depicting the Battle of the Boyne and the Siege of Derry which have been on display since 1730.

“We were then taken to Dublin’s Mansion House where we were welcomed by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin who showed us round.

“He showed us the mayoral chain of office of Dublin which was presented to the Lord Mayor by King William III and whose image is on the chain, which is still used to the present day. 

“We were privileged to present the Deputy Lord Mayor with a plaque of Carrickfergus that had been given to us by the Mayor, Billy Ashe. The group was amazed at the influence the British and Unionist tradition has had not just in Dublin but in the Republic of Ireland.”

The itinerary also took in Dublin Castle, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Islandbridge War Memorial Gardens, St Stephen’s Green, St Michan’s Church and vaults where the church is over 900 years old.

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