30th Anniversary Memorial Parade and Service Honours Victims of Shankill Road Bombing
In a poignant commemoration, the Shankill Somme Association marked the 30th anniversary of the tragic Shankill Road bombing on Saturday, October 21, 2023.
Hundreds of participants and spectators gathered to pay their respects to the nine innocent men, women, and children who lost their lives in a devastating IRA bomb attack on October 23, 1993.
The club Chairman of the Shankill Somme Association, Noel Leggett, played a significant role in the ceremony by joining in during the wreath-laying service at the site of the former Frizzell’s Fish Shop, which has since been converted into a Credit Union.
The location holds painful memories for the community, as it was where the bomb detonated, causing devastation and loss of life on a busy Saturday afternoon three decades ago.
The parade, comprising members of the Shankill Somme Association, Loyal Orders, political representatives, local community groups, and children from various football clubs, set off from a poignant starting point on Shankill Road.
It then made its way up the historic thoroughfare, with hundreds of onlookers lining the streets to pay their respects.
A lone piper played a mournful tune that resonated through the air as wreaths and floral tributes were laid at the site.
The crowd observed a minute of silence, a poignant reminder of the pain and suffering caused by the bomb blast that shook the Shankill community to its core.
The Shankill Road bombing was just one in a series of tragic incidents that marred the history of this resilient community.
The scars of the past are still felt deeply, and this annual memorial service serves as a solemn reminder of the need for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
The 30th-anniversary memorial parade and service highlighted the resilience and unity of the Shankill community.
As they came together to remember and honor the victims of the 1993 bombing, they also sent a powerful message of hope and determination to build a brighter future, free from the violence and division of the past.