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 1826- 28. 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

believed to be the work of a leading Derry republican; no rocket science involved in deducing that one! In 1973 the monument was blown up. The IRA unit which planted the bomb is believed to have done so under the noses of strict British Army security. Ten minutes before the blast, a warning was phoned to the police that there was a bomb in Magazine Street and it was probably during the panic caused by this diversionary tactic that the bombers completed their escapade. Most of the community had no regrets that the monument had gone but they did hope that other items of common heritage and Irish history (like the city walls) would not be attacked in the same destructive way. So, what happened? The Walker Memorial Plinth Photo: © CAIN Project The statue was devastated by a 100 pound bomb detonated just a few minutes after midnight on August 27, 1973. The explosion ripped the pillar from its base and left only a seven foot stump standing. Cloaked in a dusty tarpaulin, the nine foot tall statue of Rev. George Walker, minus one arm, lay beside the shattered remains of the ninety-six foot high pillar from which it had looked down triumphantly on Derry’s largely nationalist and republican Bogside for will be installed on the Plinth in September. The artist himself said he was delighted to have his work chosen as the Plinth Commissions project for 2020. Well why wouldn’t he? I am sure he is getting well paid for his services. “My idea is to work with the community to mark this strange time we have all experienced and harness the people power of socially distanced activity to make this public sculpture,” he said. 145 years. The project, a collaboration between Derry’s Void When it became evident that the pillar had been felled, hundreds of people took to the streets to collect pieces of debris as souvenirs, or so I was told. I never really saw the point of this although I have to admit I bought a piece of the Berlin wall thirty years after it Gallery, the Apprentice Boys of Derry and Friends of Derry’s walls, is being financed (I am not sure why) by the Irish government’s Department of Foreign Affairs. In support of this project Void Gallery curator Mary Cremin claims the following: had been removed. Well, there was a lot of wall! • the project aims to reclaim the space for public use; Today what is left is called The Walker Memorial • two histories of Derry, namely the Siege of 1689, Plinth; quite an unusual sight as you can see in the and the modern era troubles, come together at the photograph above, compared to what is was like pre plinth; 1973, opposite. • it will bring the plinth into the more contemporary; It is actually a well preserved, fenced in, statue-less • it is very much responding to the Covid-19 crisis; plinth which was totally refurbished in 2013. • it’s going to be a sign of hope symbolised by the Apparently and ironically, only Walker’s head survived hyacinth flower; the attack and is, I am led to believe, on display in the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall Museum. The area of the walls where the plinth stands, the Royal Bastion, reopened to the public for the first time in 2019; 46 years after most of it was demolished. I suppose you could say nearly another generation later. Amazingly, since I began this article, more developments have happened and more information has emerged concerning it. A sculpture to mark the Covid-19 pandemic (apologies here as I vowed not to mention this) is to be unveiled as part of an arts • it’s a sign of renewal. While I do not agree with all of these claims, they at least head towards a more settled future for the Province. Typical of Ulster in giving us the news in small segments, I have just learned about a second commission; a piece by artist David Beattie, will take over the plinth in 2021. You are bound to sensibly ask what they mean by a ‘piece’ and what they mean by ‘take over’. project aiming to depoliticise this contentious space. In true Ulster fashion I will end up by saying, ‘I Artist Alan Phelan’s sculpture of a hyacinth flower wouldn’t have a clue!’ will be made with the help of the local community. It May we all look forward to happier times ahead.