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Legal advice sought after unionists block Easter Rising stone in Carnlough

The Easter Rising memorial stone removed from Carnlough. Picture by Hugh Russell
The Easter Rising memorial stone removed from Carnlough. Picture by Hugh Russell The Easter Rising memorial stone removed from Carnlough. Picture by Hugh Russell

LEGAL advice is being sought over unionists blocking efforts to reinstate an Easter Rising memorial in a Co Antrim village, a Sinn Féin councillor has said.

The original 3ft stone in Carnlough was removed in June 2016 in the dead of night by council workers after being erected on its land without permission.

A year ago the council began an extensive consultation exercise – including letters to all 563 households – asking whether the memorial should return.

It is understood around 75 per cent of responses expressed support for some sort of replacement memorial.

A cross-party equality working group recommended further dialogue around submitting a revised proposal, and it was put to a full meeting of the majority-unionist council on Monday night.

However, a DUP proposal not to proceed was backed by 26 votes to four, with three abstentions.

There were heated exchanges in the Mid and East Antrim council chamber as the matter was debated and eventually voted down.

Sinn Féin councillor Patrice Hardy said she was "speechless", while her party colleague James McKeown branded it an "atrocious decision".

"It sets back community relations. It's a real step in the wrong direction," Mr McKeown said.

He said the applicant would be seeking legal advice, adding: "It looks like it's going to go down the way of court proceedings."

Inscribed with the dates 1916 and 2016, the memorial was erected to commemorate the centenary of the Dublin rebellion against British rule.

It was removed overnight in June last year amid criticism from unionists who branded it "provocative".

The consultation exercise cost at least £1,000 on letters and public notices, but the further cost of recruiting an academic to help with the process has not been disclosed. The removal of the memorial itself cost £750.

Council mayor Paul Reid said the decision not to proceed any further with the application for the proposed memorial was "made in line with the policy framework".

A Mid and East Antrim council spokesman said the application for a new memorial was "considered under the Commemorations and Memorials Framework".

"All comments and information gathered through the consultation process have been collated and presented to the equality working group by the independent expert," he added.