Memorial unveiled in Lisburn to pay tribute to prison officers killed in the line of duty
A memorial to Northern Ireland prison officers killed in the line of duty has been unveiled in Lisburn.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has now set in stone its dedication to remember the 32 Northern Ireland prison staff killed in the line of duty.
Chairperson of the NI Prison Officers Association, Ivor Dunne said: “This is a very poignant day, the memorial stone in Lisburn is in recognition of the dedication and the professionalism of the members of the Northern Ireland prison service.
“In my mind, it’s the right thing to do, the recognition of our 32 members of staff who gave the ultimate sacrifice for carrying out a professional job.
“People forget about the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
“All they can see is the emergency services and people driving vehicles with blue flashing lights, they forget about the men and women that work behind those grey walls of the prisons.
“The Northern Island Prison Service has been an institution for the last 100 plus years and I’m so proud to be a member.
“I would like to see a similar memorial to prison officers in each of the councils in Northern Ireland, that would be absolutely fantastic.”
The first prison officer in Northern Ireland murdered was Officer R Walker in 1942 with the most recent officer to be killed, Adrian Ismay, who died in March 2016 following a dissident republican bomb attack.
Former prison officer turned DUP local councillor, Allan Ewart, initiated the proposal for the council memorial.
Speaking at the memorial unveiling, Mr Ewart said: “It is both a privilege and a deeply moving responsibility, as a former member of the Prison Service, to stand before you at the unveiling of this memorial.
“We gather not simply to unveil a monument, but to honour the memory of 32 brave men and women who paid the ultimate price in service to Northern Ireland.
“These men and women were fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters and friends.
“They went to work each day to carry out their duties, often in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances, never knowing whether they would return safely home to their loved ones. Tragically, 32 of them never did.”
Mr Ewart added: “For many years, the Prison Service has too often been the forgotten service within Northern Ireland.
“Let this memorial stand as a lasting symbol of courage, duty, loyalty and service.
“Let it also remind us of the sacrifices made by members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and challenge us to ensure that their contribution is never again overlooked.
“We remember our murdered colleagues. We honour their service, their sacrifice and their memory. They will never be forgotten.”
Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland, the Taoiseach has offered a State apology to the family of Brian Stack, a father of three, who was shot in 1983 in Dublin by the IRA after leaving a boxing match.
The shooting left Mr Stack, the chief prison officer at the high-security Portlaoise Prison, paralysed. He died 18 months later, aged 49.
In 2013, the Provisional IRA took responsibility for the killing, the only murder of a prison officer in the State related to the Troubles.