Plans revealed for 1916 Easter Rising memorial in Magherafelt

Magherafelt town centre in Co Derry,, which presently does not have any public memorials, could now be in line for two after republicans revealed plans to build a 1916 monument.

The Co Derry and Antrim Republican Graves Association has submitted proposals to erect a life-sized granite statue of Easter Rising leader, Padraig Pearse reading from the proclamation just meters from a proposed war memorial at Broad Street in the town.

The planning application states t the group want to erect the memorial ‘to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising and those who died fighting for the Irish Freedom.’

Planning proposals also include two flag holders and lighting.

Last month, the Royal British Legion (RBL) submitted plans to erect a memorial on the same street to ‘commemorate World War I and World War II’s dead.’

In an earlier submission, members of RBL said that they had lodged the application as ‘Magherafelt is the only town which does not have a war memorial.’

Photo shows the proposed design for the 1916 Easter Rising memorial