As one Dun Laoghaire Harbour commemoration is completed at the refurbished baths, another town memorial to name all those who were on-board the torpedoed RMS Leinster on Dublin Bay remains long overdue, says campaigner Joe Ryan
This will be the 103rd anniversary of the sinking of this vital link to the rest of the World during WW1. Since 2016 I have been trying to have a site allocated for a Memorial to name all who were on-board RMS Leinster that fateful day, just a month before the armistice on 11/11/1918. Others, including Des Branigan, who owned the wreck until its 100th anniversary, when it became State property, have endeavoured to commemorate all the names on a Memorial.
There has been a Memorial to RMS Titanic in Belfast since 1923, but for the 100th anniversary in 2012, it was added to with a wall containing all the names of those on board.
Similarly, there are Memorials to RMS Lusitania, but in 2015 a Garden and Memorial naming all those on-board was opened at the Old Head of Kinsale 100 years after it was sunk.
The RMS Leinster departed from the Carlisle Pier on its final voyage on the 10th October 1918
All we request is that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) allocates a site to our committee, and we will do the fundraising. There are many organisations and companies associated with RMS Leinster, still in existence, which we can approach for donations. We can't start this work until we have a site.
The Titanic Memorial Garden Belfast City Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
In 2019, I was joined by two RMS Leinster 100th Anniversary Committee members, Richard Cruise, Chairman and David Cotter, Treasurer, to form our Memorial Committee. Ours is a small, focused committee with just one aim, to have the Memorial built.
(Above and below) RMS Leinster Wreath laying in 2020. The RMS Leinster Memorial Committee member Richard Cruise was laying the wreath in 2020 in a social distanced small gathering that included local TDs and Councillors. The RMS Leinster Memorial Committee say hopefully more people can attend this year if pandemic rules allow it.
We have huge backing from relatives of those who were lost or survived the tragedy, from politicians, businessmen, organisations and people who have no association with the tragedy but feel it should be properly commemorated.
We have made submissions to the Harbour Plan, the County Plan and the Heritage Plan and await their deliberations. A local Councillor has a motion requesting DLRCC to allocate a site that is taking time to be heard.
DLRCC has owned the site we are requesting since 03/10/18 but have steadfastly refused to engage with us even at the behest of many local Ministers, TDs and Councillors.
We remain hopeful that the Council will engage with us. Even though we can't start fundraising, we have had generous pledges from several people and organisations.
European funding was available, but the Council did not seek it. We have said that we will not commence building until all the funds plus contingency is in the Bank. Apart from allocating the site, we are not asking DLRCC to contribute any further, but we have made submissions to Heritage and Arts Departments of DLRCC for local initiative funds of €5,000 to run a competition to design the Memorial which should be organised by DLRCC, being the owner of the site. If that funding is not forthcoming, we will fundraise for it too but still feel that DLRCC should organise the competition.
• RMS Leinster Memorial Committee will lay a wreath at the anchor donated by Des Branigan at 10:00 on 10/10/2021.
