BY MARK McKELVEY
AN OMAGH councillor is appealing to the local community to lodge objections to a recent planning application by the Ministry of Defence seeking to move a memorial from St Lucia Barracks in Omagh to the Inniskillings Museum in Enniskillen.
UUP Cllr Ross Hussey has reacted with fury to the applicaiton which would relocate the memorial to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The ornate plaque commemorates those killed in action between 1858 and 1908. He poined out that the MOD wants to take the memorial from its "rightful place" a year short of its 100th anniversary.
The MOD applicaiton to to relocate the memorial from Omagh to Enniskillen states as its reason, "To ensure the security and preservation of the memorial seem appropriate, especially as the memorial would return to the Regiment's historic birthplace, close to the regimental museum, Enniskillen Castle."
Responding to this, Cllr Hussey declared, "It is quite clear that the author of this particular application is not fully conversant with the history of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers or there proud association with Omagh and St Lucia Barracks which was the regimental depot and home to the regiment from the mid 1800s.
"For well over 150 years, this regiment had a proud association with Omagh. Many of the names commemorated within this stone still have family connections with the town of Omagh and surrounding villages and to remove it from Omagh would be an act of desecration.
"I also believe that the attempt to remove the stone which is within the confines of the listed buildings of St Lucia Barracks could cause irreparable damage to the actual structure."
No decision has yet been made about the future of St Lucia Barracks, however Cllr Hussey believes that the site would be a perfect home for the new local authority when it is formed following RPA and also a Regimental Museum highlighting the garrison status of Omagh which he feels would not be complete without reference to the Inniskillings.
Cllr Hussey is calling not only for the general public but also for cross-party council support to secure the heritage of this important monument.
"If this memorial is removed, it will not come back to Omagh," said Cllr Hussey. "Some time ago I attempted with my party colleagues to have this memorial made the property of Omagh District Council so that the council could take ownership and be responsible for the maintenance of this piece of Omagh's history.
"Unfortunately Sinn Féin, the largest party in Omagh, did not support the motion and they also said they did not believe that this monument would be removed from Omagh. Now is their opportunity to act with the Unionist community and support a motion that Omagh District Council do not want to see this memorial removed from Omagh and further they support the retention of this monument in its present location," said Cllr Hussey.
"I would appeal to the people of Omagh and district who have any associations with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers to now take the opportunity to submit a letter of objection to the Divisional Planning Manager, County Hall, Omagh, to highlight their concerns at any attempt to remove this artefact from this the County Town of Tyrone.
"The planning application references to be quoted are 2007/0935F and 2007/0936LB. If action is not taken now a large section of the history of this town will be given away – let us see this memorial stone celebrate its 100th anniversary in St Lucia Barracks where it was dedicated in 1908," said the Omagh Town representative.
