General Sir James Stuart Steele’s role will be the focus of events on June 5 at Ballycarry, while the following day ‘Paddy the Pigeon’s contribution will be highlighted in Carnlough. Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne will all host events, including the lighting of beacons, as part of council’s Normandy 80 commemorations.
The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna, said: “Council is hosting a number of events to bring people together to mark this historic anniversary and we hope as many as possible will take part in the commemorations.
“Had the Normandy Landings been a failure there is little doubt that the war would have gone on far longer, with greater losses and possibly with different outcomes. We can all be grateful for the courage and sacrifice displayed by those thousands of young men who went onto the beaches, Normandy or were flown in on gliders.
“They came from across the United Kingdom, Canada and from the United States - protecting the values that we still hold dear, and which were in danger of being lost forever.”
Here are seven official events to look out for in Mid and East Antrim June 5-6.
1. Normandy 80
During the Second World War, Prime Minister Winston Churchill described Northern Ireland as being pivotal in ensuring "the light which now shines so strongly throughout the world would have been quenched”. Three small council beacons will be lit - Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne - after 9pm on June 6 as a symbolic reminder of the overall role which Northern Ireland played during the war years - including in the Normandy Landings. Photo: Presseye
2. Normandy 80
Mid and East Antrim commemorations will commence on 5 June at Ballycarry, birthplace of one of the planners of the Landings ,General Sir James Stuart Steele, who also signed the Mobilization Order which took the nation to war in 1939. The village primary school and community group will be participating in an event at the amenity green at 9.30am which is also open to the public. Photo: Submitted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
3. Normandy 80
On 6 June at 9.15am ‘Paddy the Pigeon’ who was born and trained in Carnlough and loaned to the RAF during the war, will be remembered. Paddy was the first pigeon to bring back a message to an RAF base in England following the landings and he was awarded the Dickin Medal - the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. Paddy returned safely from the war and lived the rest of his life in the village. His memorial plaque at Carnlough Harbour will be the focus of the commemoration which will include the two village primary schools and community representatives. Photo: Submitted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
4. Normandy 80
Civic service and wreath laying at Larne War Memorial Gardens on June 6 at 6.45pm highlighting the role Larne and her seafarers played in the Normandy Landings. Local clergy will conduct the service. Photo: Google