Agenda item

            The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Somme Association enquiring if the Council would wish to be represented on the 2009 Pilgrimage to the Somme, France from 28th June till 2nd July, 2009.  The Pilgrimage, to mark the 93rd Anniversary of the Battle, would follow the route taken by the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) Divisions during their service in the First World War.  Services of Commemoration would be held at both Thiepval and Guillemont, in addition to attendance at the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate, Ypres. 

            In addition, an invitation to attend “A Journey of Remembering” to Flanders from 6th till 8th March to hold a ceremony to honour Irish people who had lost their lives in the War had been received from the Project Director of that organisation.  The visit would include a Remembrance Ceremony at the Menin Gate, Ypres, based on the Last Post Ceremony which had been held at the Monument every evening at 8.00 p.m. since 1927, but would involve only people from both the North and South of Ireland.  The following day an Inter-denominational Service would take place in the local Cathedral and Irish Clergy from all the main churches would officiate.

            In previous years on the Anniversary of the Battle, the Committee had authorised the attendance on the Somme tour of a representative of each of the Party Groupings on the Council.  Members who had attended had found the event informative and worthwhile in that several of the ceremonial occasions had been attended by many other dignitaries and officials, which afforded an opportunity for contacts to be made and relations to be developed on a range of topics and for the profile and image of Belfast to be promoted.

            In October, 2007, the Committee had approved the attendance of an All-Party Deputation at a Pathfinding Conference in Ypres, which had been organised by the Journey of Remembering organisation and, whilst those who had attended had found the event worthwhile, it had been felt that it had duplicated the event which had been held by the Somme Association.

            It was pointed out that the Somme Pilgrimage Tour coincided with the Council’s own Somme Remembrance Ceremony as well as the monthly meeting of the Council on 1st July and, accordingly, Members who attended the Pilgrimage would be unable to be in attendance at those events.

            The Committee agreed, given the fact that the Council held its own Somme Remembrance Service, that Services are held nationwide on Remembrance Sunday to remember all those who had suffered and died in conflict in the service of their country, that Members normally attended the Somme Pilgrimage to recognise the sacrifice of the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) Divisions and in view of the current economic downturn and the associated financial implications, to approve attendance on the Somme Tour only of a representative of each of the Party Groupings on the Council and the Chief Executive (or his nominee) and authorised the payment of the appropriate travelling and subsistence allowances in connection therewith.