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02/07/2003
Trimble welcomes Somme grant
The Northern Ireland Office has awarded a grant of £385,000 to the Somme Association to help pay for a small plot of land in France to commemorate those who died in the World War 1 battle.
The 36th Ulster Division used Thiepval Wood, which is close to the site of the Battle of Somme, as it prepared for the start of the 1916 Somme Offensive.
The announcement was today welcomed by Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, who, along with the Somme Association, has made representations to Government about the possibility of buying the Wood.
Mr Trimble was informed of the grant in a letter from Secretary of State Paul Murphy.
In a statement Mr Trimble said: "Thiepval Wood, as many will know, holds special significance for Northern Ireland. This was the place that the 36th Ulster Division gathered before going into battle.
"On the day that we remember those who fell at the Somme, it is a fitting tribute to the courageous men of the 36th Ulster Division that the Somme Association, who do so much to preserve the memory, actions and sacrifices of soldiers from Ulster at the Battle of the Somme, should be given a grant to maintain this important site. I hope that in years to come it will be possible for people to visit the Wood, particularly the relatives of those who fell in that tragic conflict."
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure are currently working with the Somme Association to ensure that all of the necessary arrangements are in place to enable the payment of the grant to the Somme Association as soon as possible.
More than a million soldiers from the British Empire, France and Germany were killed in the battle which took place between July and November 1916.
(MB)
The 36th Ulster Division used Thiepval Wood, which is close to the site of the Battle of Somme, as it prepared for the start of the 1916 Somme Offensive.
The announcement was today welcomed by Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, who, along with the Somme Association, has made representations to Government about the possibility of buying the Wood.
Mr Trimble was informed of the grant in a letter from Secretary of State Paul Murphy.
In a statement Mr Trimble said: "Thiepval Wood, as many will know, holds special significance for Northern Ireland. This was the place that the 36th Ulster Division gathered before going into battle.
"On the day that we remember those who fell at the Somme, it is a fitting tribute to the courageous men of the 36th Ulster Division that the Somme Association, who do so much to preserve the memory, actions and sacrifices of soldiers from Ulster at the Battle of the Somme, should be given a grant to maintain this important site. I hope that in years to come it will be possible for people to visit the Wood, particularly the relatives of those who fell in that tragic conflict."
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure are currently working with the Somme Association to ensure that all of the necessary arrangements are in place to enable the payment of the grant to the Somme Association as soon as possible.
More than a million soldiers from the British Empire, France and Germany were killed in the battle which took place between July and November 1916.
(MB)
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