ULSTER RAMBLES WITH DAVID Another story in this magazine tells about a friend of mine from the ‘South’ and his experience with the bombing of Nelson’s Pillar. I had told him about one of my experiences in the ‘North’. It was about Walker’s Pillar in Derry, or Londonderry, if you prefer it. For the sake of simplicity here, I will call it Derry and apologies to those who would prefer the longer version. ‘Why don’t you write about it in your Ulster Rambler’s Column,’ he said. ‘Good idea,’ I replied. ‘I will.’ Walker’s Pillar was built in 182628. It was 96 feet tall with the statue of the Rev. George Walker surmounted 20 feet tall at the top. It had an internal spiral staircase of 105 steps (some people said there were 110 steps but who is counting?) allowing access to a viewing platform on top. It was built as a memorial and a tribute to Rev. George Walker who was born in 1645 and died at the battle of the Boyne in 1690. He was the rector of Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, who came to Derry prior to the Siege of 1688-89. He was quickly appointed co-governor, along with Major Baker, and inspired the blockaded citizens to endure much hardship during the Siege. The foundation stone of the monument - which stood on the central western bastion known as Royal Bastion - was laid on
The news recently has been dominated by one topic. I made myself promise I would ignore it as it was going to be covered extensively everywhere else. I was going to describe how those folks in Ulster were ignoring the social distancing rules and numbers rule when they attended wakes and funerals. Thank goodness I found another item to talk about thanks to my editor.
December 18, 1826, by the city’s Mayor, Major Richard Young. The column itself was completed in August 1828 at a total cost of £4,200, including £100 for the statue. The inscriptions, in marble tablets, on the four sides of the base, as well as including the names of the Siege heroes, also included the following inscription: “This monument was erected to perpetuate the memory of Rev. George Walker who, aided by the garrison and brave inhabitants of this city, most gallantly defended through a protracted siege, from the 7th December 1688 to the 1st August following, against an arbitrary and bigoted monarch, heading an army of upwards of 20,000 men, many of whom were foreign mercenaries, and by such valiant conduct in numerous sorties and by patiently enduring extreme privations and sufferings, successfully resisted the besiegers and preserved for their posterity the blessings of civil and religious liberty.” The column was surmounted by a square platform with a railing, and there stood the statue. In its right hand a bible and with its left hand extended and pointing down river towards the Boom, the breaking of which heralded the end of the Siege in 1689. Originally, the left hand held a sword, but during a night of storm in the early part of the 20th century the sword was blown down. Well, that’s what I was told anyway and I was not around then to know otherwise. The pillar was liked by unionists but was regarded by the city’s Catholic majority as one of the tangible examples of unionist and Protestant ascendancy. More than a few events were recorded as ‘both sides’ used the monument to further their cause. (Nothing seems to have changed much in this regard over the last three hundred years!) For example, in 1951, at Easter, as the sun rose, an Irish Tricolour was seen flying from the monument, directly beside Walker. There was consternation in Orange circles and police and members of the Apprentice Boys eventually got inside the pillar (the door lock had been broken and replaced with another) and hurriedly removed the “offending” flag. Nobody was ever charged with the “crime” but it was widely
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