Irish
Memorial
Ulster Tower
Ulster Tower Irish Memorial
- 1stjuly 1916
- 36thUlster Division
- 1921construction of the tower
July 1st
On July 1, 1916, the men of the 36th Ulster Division went on the march at 7:30 am. The operational sector stretched from the edge of Thiepval Wood to the village of Hamel. The division managed to advance and seize a key German position known as the “Redoute des Souabes”. The division reached the northernmost point of the Bapaume road. But faced with the German counter-attack, the division was forced to withdraw. It was the only unit to reach its objective on July 1.
But the Irish soldiers came under fire from the rolling barrage of British artillery and German machine guns, whose crews had just emerged from the underground shelters of the Redoute des Souabes. Over 5,000 men (around 1 in 4) were killed, wounded, missing or taken prisoner.
Tour of Belfast
or Tour Hélène
A memorial now stands on the spot where the Ulster men fought and died. The Ulster Tower is also known as the Belfast Tower or Helen’s Tower. It is a copy of a tower in Clandeboyne Park in Ireland, where theUlster Division trained.
Erected in 1921 thanks to public subscription, this Gothic troubadour-style tower commemorates the soldiers of the Ulster battalions who fought here, particularly on July 1, 1916. In the park, a plaque was affixed by the Royal Irish Rangers in memory of the soldiers of the 36th Division (Ireland). But also in memory of the 9 soldiers awarded the Victoria Cross (highest British military distinction).
At the far end of the park, a gate gives access to the small memorial to the Irish of theInstitution of Orange, inaugurated in 1994.
Take a coffee break at the visitor center!
July 1st ceremony
July 1 marks the start of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. Today, it is a key date in the Somme.
Every year, thousands of visitors gather to commemorate the men who fell in the battle of 1916. Take part in these moving ceremonies when you visit the Somme.
Where to eat?
– Le Cottage Geneviève et Auguste at Thiepval
Tel: 06 77 74 88 97
– Hotel-Restaurant La Basilique in Albert
Tel: 03 22 75 04 71
– Auberge de la Vallée d’Ancre in Authuille
Tel: 03 22 75 15 18
Where to sleep?
– Ibis Hotel in Albert
Tel: 03 22 75 52 52
– Hotel-Restaurant La Basilique in Albert
Tel: 03 22 75 04 71
