Two of Donegal’s most prominent councilors are working on a proposal to erect a memorial to Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was killed by the IRA thirty years ago this week.
The Mayor of Donegal, Cllr. Brendan Byrne, and veteran councilor, Sean McEniff , are working on a plan to commemorate Mountbatten and the three other victims who died on August 27, 1979.
Lord Mountbatten was killed 30 years ago along with his grandson, 14-year old Nicholas Knatchbull, Fermanagh teenager, 15-year old Paul Maxwell and 83-year old Baroness Bradbourne after a 50 pound bomb exploded on Mountbatten's fishing boat, the Shadow V.
"Thirty years have passed and this country has undergone a massive transformation for the better. It is now time to move forward,” Cllr. Brendan Byrne told the Donegal Democrat.
"I feel that it is now time that, as a people, we do something to commemorate what was a travesty of history with the murder of these innocent people like so many others on both sides."
Cllr. Sean McEniff, who was one of the first on the scene at Mullaghmore thirty years ago, said, “I remember the day as if it was just yesterday-it was a terrible day for Ireland.
"Ironically, this tragedy brought about dialogue between the Irish and British authorities and was a prelude to the Peace process. It is also quite ironic that Lord Mountbatten was a firm believer that the re-unification of Ireland was inevitable in the long term.
"This is an incident in our history that needs closure."
Sinn Fein councilor, Padraig MacLochlainn stressed that any commemorative feature should be all-inclusive.
“If Donegal Co. Council is to consider this proposal, the Sinn Fein grouping in the Council would be mindful that well over 3,000 people from all sides lost their lives in the conflict.
“It would be wrong to erect a monument in relation to any one incident-it should be for all those who lost their lives if the objective is to achieve peace and reconciliation.”
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