A new memorial quilt honouring more than 70 civilians and members of the security forces who died during the Troubles and in recent years will be unveiled in Belfast this Sunday.
Remembering lost lives from the 1970s to the shooting of writer Lyra McKee in 2019, the event will take place in St Anne’s Cathedral at 3.30pm.
Organised by the victims’ group, the South East Fermanagh Foundation, the Memorial Quilt for the East Region is the seventh in a series which now commemorates nearly 500 lives.
Taking part in the service with reflections, readings and prayers will be the families of Jackie Gibson, Seamus Gilmore, Paddy Wilson, Maynard Crawford, Eric Brown, Lyra McKee, Michael Malone. David Johnston and the Herron family.
SEFF Director Kenny Donaldson said a uniting theme of the families was a rejection of political violence.
"This project remembers innocents from right across the community and who were impacted by all forms of violence over the years of 'The Troubles' right up to more recent years,” he said.
“The quilt unifies 70 plus families who share a common values system; that violence was never justified in the furtherance of or defence of a political objective.
“Those remembered include security forces (police and army), prison service personnel, civilians from across the community and of all ages, from 17-months to 87-years and it includes those impacted by all forms of terrorism and wider violence."
Mr Donaldson said the quilt was developed by volunteers within SEFF under the guidance of facilitator Sonia Johnston.
“The quilt seeks to humanise those being remembered who may be said to be ordinary people but who were actually extraordinary to those who they were known to best,” he said.
“It is aptly titled, 'The SEFF Family Remembers' seeks to bring a level of recognition to those who previously were not acknowledged, who haven’t had political or resource-based focus."
Previous quilts in the series have been entitled: Your Legacy Lives On, A Patchwork of Innocents, Uniting Innocent Victims, Terrorism knows No Borders, Brougher Mountain Innocents Remembered and Through Remembering, We Build Bridges.
Mr Donaldson said the inspiration for the new addition came from a common feeling among families that they had been forgotten.
Following the service on Sunday, all of the quilts will be on public display in St Anne's Cathedral for two weeks.
A full list of the names included on the new quilt can be found below.
A full list of those being honoured on the new memorial quilt from the South East Fermanagh Foundation. 1/2
A full list of those being honoured on the new memorial quilt from the South East Fermanagh Foundation. 1/2
