VE DAY 8th May 2020
In advance of VE Day Mrs Alison Millar, Lord-Lieutenant of County Londonderry said
As Lord- Lieutenant of the County of Londonderry I join with our Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in marking the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day this Friday the 8th of May.
The estimates indicate that over 50 million people died worldwide in what remains the most deadly of all military conflicts.
There will be a National Moment of Remembrance of 2 minutes Silence at 11am on Friday and during that I will reflect upon those deaths,upon those that were maimed physically and mentally and upon the service that the people of Northern Ireland gave during the Second World War . My late father, an ordinary Ulsterman,served in the RAF as a Flight Lieutenant and survived the War. His log book indicates he was actually flying on the eve of VE Day.
The War did not finish on VE Day – it finished on the 2nd September 1945 upon the surrender of Japan and many more were to be maimed and die. Friday will be a day for us all to reflect upon our shared past, present and future.
Her Majesty The Queen addressed the Nation and Commonwealth at 9pm on VE Day. She is one of a few surviving men and women who served during the War. Her remarks will be hugely significant not only because of her own military service in the conflict but because of the current Global Covid 19 Emergency we are all facing.
HOW CAN THE LIEUTENANCY HELP YOU?
- Arranging for the Lord-Lieutenant or one of her Deputy Lieutenants to visit your organisation as a means of acknowledging the work being done.
- Following a visit by the Lord-Lieutenant, or a Deputy Lieutenant, suggesting how the organisation might be included in the programme of a member of the Royal Family visiting the County.
- Advising on procedures and nominations for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise or the Elizabeth Cross.
- Advising on how any member of the public can nominate a worthy individual, a friend or colleague for a National Honour; offering advice on the completion of the forms and supporting the honors nomination when referred back to the Lord- Lieutenant for comment.
- Celebrating and encouraging volunteering, community service and the work of youth organisations and employment initiatives across the County.
- Helping to promote your organisation, where deemed appropriate, in media releases or speeches to assist with recognition of an organisation’s work.
- Accepting suggestions (by early January each year) for the attendance at Royal Garden Parties of individuals deserving recognition.
- If you think that we can assist, please contact us and please visit our FAQ page.
Around County Londonderry
The area of the Lieutenancy corresponds with the physical boundaries of the County but excludes the County Borough of the City of Londonderry which is a separate Lieutenancy.
The Lieutenancy area has a population of approximately 160,000 and an area of about 800 square miles. The County of Londonderry is one of contrasting landscapes, with the Sperrin Mountains dominating the southern reaches. To the east and west, the lands fall into the rich agricultural areas of the valleys of the Rivers Bann, Roe, Faughan and Foyle respectively with the town of Limavady at the heart of the richest agricultural land.
To the south east, the County extends as far as the shore of Lough Neagh, the largest stretch of inland water in the British Isles. The north is distinguished by the grandeur of the cliffs, shoreline and beaches, of the Atlantic Coast and the magnificent ruins of Downhill Castle and of Mussenden Temple, which clings to the cliff edge.
The rail journey from Londonderry to Coleraine is renowned for its scenic beauty and has been travelled twice by Her Majesty the Queen. Inland can be found the two oldest deciduous forests in the country at Ness Wood and Banagher Wood, the former of which boasts the highest waterfall in Northern Ireland and the latter some magnificent Irish Oaks.
Agriculture and quarrying, tourism and recreation, manufacturing and technological research and development are core to the economy of the County.
The University of Ulster, which is located at four sites across the province, has its administrative headquarters and a major teaching and research campus in Coleraine, the largest town in the Lieutenancy area. The Coleraine campus houses the world-leading School of Biomedical Sciences, the Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE) and the Biomedical Sciences Research Institute.
There is much pride that Seamus Heaney MRIA, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 1995 and described as ‘the greatest poet of our age’, grew up in Bellaghy in the South of the County and is buried there in St. Mary’s Graveyard. In Autumn 2016 the new Heaney HomePlace was opened and is drawing visitors from far and wide including His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales.
The Lieutenancy of the County of Londonderry was created in 1831 by His Majesty King William IV to represent the Monarch and to uphold the dignity of the Monarchy in the County. The current Lord-Lieutenant is Mrs Alison Millar who was appointed in 2018.
