15 August 2020

VJ Day events held across Northern Ireland

15 August 2020

Commemorative events have taken place at several locations across Northern Ireland to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day.

At Belfast City Hall, a two-minute silence was held during a socially distanced memorial event at the Cenotaph to mark the end of the Second World War.

In Co Fermanagh, a piper played in front of Enniskillen Castle at dawn ahead of a scheduled service in the grounds of Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.

Six Second World War veterans were invited to the event, including 100-year-old Burma Star recipient Thomas McBrien.

The service involved a flypast by a US Navy aircraft.

VJ Belfast2

A piper also played outside Hillsborough Castle early on Saturday morning.

A beacon was due to be lit in Lisburn on Saturday evening.

In Belfast, Lord Mayor Frank McCoubrey laid a wreath at the Cenotaph after the Last Post was played by a bugler.

The commemoration was held ahead of a planned flyby over the city by the Red Arrows on Saturday afternoon.

After the short service at City Hall, Mr McCoubrey said it was frustrating that health restrictions had prevented the occasion being marked with a major event, but said it was important to avoid mass gatherings.

“It’s the 75th anniversary of the official end of World War Two, it was very solemn,” he said.

“We’re in difficult times at the moment and there wasn’t very many people here but I think it was very, very important that we came out and remembered those who sacrificed their lives to give us our freedom.

“I’ve no doubt with the importance of the day if it hadn’t been for the position we are in at the moment with Covid, there would have been far more people here today from across the city.”

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