Young people from both sides of the Border left Ireland for Flanders in Belgium last weekend to spend the summer building what will be the first physical memorial to all the Irishmen who died in the first World War, and also a symbol of reconciliation between the two traditions on this island.
The project involves 36 young people and is the brainchild of two men from very different backgrounds: former Fine Gael TD Paddy Harte and Derry loyalist Glen Barr. A site on the outskirts of the village of Messines has already been chosen, and the memorial, a round tower and a peace park, is due to be completed by Armistice Day - November 11th - this year.
The idea for the peace park first came about in 1996 when a group of 60 people took part in the first cross-Border visit to the war cemeteries in the Somme and Flanders.
It is estimated that some 50,000 men - 30,000 Catholics and 20,000 Protestants - died in the war. A memorial commemorating the members of the 36th Ulster Division was erected at Thiepval at the Somme by the then government of Northern Ireland in 1927. Until now, there has been no memorial to the men from the South who died.
Paddy Harte, who led the 1996 trip with Glen Barr, said it was decided then to erect a monument to represent the entire island. "The two communities in Ireland have many things that divide them, but they have one thing that they share, and that is the sadness and grief of what happened in the first World War. It is now recognised as a war that should not have taken place, when young men from both sides were slaughtered. I believe that sadness and grief can be a bridge between both communities," he says.
In 1996, the two men read a peace statement on the steps of the Thiepval memorial, calling on all people living in Ireland to help build a peaceful and tolerant society, and to remember the solidarity and trust that developed between Protestant and Catholic soldiers when they fought side by side in the Trenches. "As Protestants and Catholics, we apologise for the terrible deeds we have done to each other, and ask forgiveness."
For most of the war, regiments from North and South were kept apart. One exception was the attack on Messines Ridge on June 7th, 1917, when men from the 36th Ulster Division and the 16th Irish Division combined, and achieved one of the few military successes of the Entente powers in the war.
This was the reason for choosing a site at Messines, where the local authorities have given approval for the project and agreed to maintain the park. A memorial to New Zealand soldiers is nearby. A round tower was selected for the memorial because the structure is identified with Ireland and is acceptable to both traditions. Four gardens will represent the four provinces, and it will be called the Island Of Ireland Peace Park. It is hoped the park will encourage more people from North and South to visit the area. Funding for the project has come from the Irish and British governments, building societies, banks, insurance companies and private donations.
The 36 young people were selected from full-time work-training schemes around the country, where they were learning skills from construction to landscaping to catering. Aged between 18 and 34, they will help professional tradesmen build the park and tower.
But for them, the project is as much about the process as the result. In groups of 12, they have already completed a number of week-long training courses in Dublin and Belfast, where the emphasis has been on getting to know each other. Even before departure, they were all very enthusiastic about the new friends they've made.
Most of the Southerners had never been to the North before, and there were some false perceptions to be ironed out. Claire Stewart (18) from Magherafelt says she was surprised at the Southerners' lack of knowledge about the North. "I would have expected them to have known a bit more. They seemed to think that we lived differently from them."
Philip O'Brien (32) from Bray says he was struck by the "normality" of life in Belfast. "It's strange it always seemed so far away and it's only two hours from home."
Ronnie Cole (19) from the Waterside in Derry, says he had to explain to Southerners why he didn't feel comfortable going into the main shopping district in his home city, because youths from "the other side" stop and stare at him. Taking part in the project, he adds, "makes you see everybody is really the same, no matter what religion they are".
David Coomey (21) from Clonakilty, says the project could set a good example for politicians. "The peace process would have a good chance of working if they could take a leaf out of our book. We are all getting on fine and I don't see why other people can't do it."
