ST. DONARD’S PARISH CHURCH, Belfast.

Sir James Craig, Bart., M.P., unveiled on Sunday evening [June 5, 1921] in St. Donard’s’s Parish Church, Belfast, a war memorial tablet erected in memory in members of the congregation who had fallen in the great war and in recognition of those who had volunteered for service. The tablet and a memorial bell, commemorating the service of the members of the congregation in the war were dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Down and Connor and Dromore (The Right Rev. C. T. E. Grierson, D.D.), who preached on the occasion. The service was conducted by the rector, Rev. A. Moore, B.A., C.F., assisted by the curate, Rev. R. A. Mollan, B.A.

The secretaries of the movement were-Major C. Blakiston-Houston, Messrs Robert Kerr, and Robert Dunn, and the treasurer, Mr. P. G. Hall. The tablet occupies a position on the rear wall of the church, and is of brass, engraved by Mr. H. Maguire, Belfast. It bears the name of 238 of the members of the congregation who volunteered, and of 36 who made the supreme sacrifice. At the top of the tablet is the inscription “To the glory of God and in grateful memory of the following parishioners, who gave their lives for their King and country in the Great War, 1914-1918.” Beneath appears the following names: – (see above).

Underneath are the words “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life as friends” (John xv 13). The names of those who served also appear on the tablet.

The service was largely attended, and Sir James Craig was accompanied by Lady Craig, while several of the new members of Parliament were also present, including Sir Dawson Bates, (who was accompanied by Lady its), Captain Herbert Dixon, M.P., (accompanied by Mrs. Dixon), and Alderman James A. Duff.

At the entrance there was a guard of honour composed of members of the Church Lads’ Brigade under Captain George Chiplin, and Boy Scouts of the 20^th Troop, under Assistant Scoutmaster John Craig, assisted by Mr. J. Watson.

Sir James and Lady Craig on arriving ere met with the general salute, sounded by the buglers and conducted by the churchwardens-Messrs. S. Parkinson and H. Smyth-to the seats specially reserved for them.

After the reading of the lessons and prayer the choir sang the anthem “What are these?”  (Rev. vii., 13), following which Sir James was conducted by the churchwardens, and followed by the officiating clergy, to the portion of the church where the memorial tablet has been placed.

Sir James unveiled the tablet at the request of the Bishop, and said he would like on that solemn occasion and expressed the hope that the names that were engraved there and on many other tablets throughout Ulster would also for all time be engraved on their hearts, and that they, taking a lesson by what those heroes did, would go forward with all courage to face whatever the future might hold for them.

The names of the fallen were then read by Mr. Robert Kerr.

The Bishop having dedicated the tablet in due form at the request of Mr. Parkinson, and subsequently the memorial bell at the request of Mr. Smyth, offered prayer. The bell was then tolled, and the “Last Post” was sounded by buglers supplied by the 20^th Belfast Troop Boy Scouts Prize Bugle Band. The impressive ceremony concluded with the singing of a verse of the National Anthem.

By preaching from the text, “By these things men live” (Isaiah xxxviii., 16), the Bishop said they were taking part in a very notable service: that was the ninth festival of the dedication of that church. On the 26^th of the month the parish would come of age, first having had an iron church and then nine years ago that beautiful house of worship was erected. Therefore that day had been chosen as a day upon which there was to be the dedication of the memorial to the brave men of that congregation. Were their reminds not full of the thought of the momentous event in their history and in the history of the province-the fact of the opening of the new Parliament for Northern Ireland? They had been called upon in all the churches to offer to Almighty God that day their special prayers. It had been done in that congregation, and he believed it had been done in every Protestant congregation throughout the province. God’s blessing had been asked to rest on the new Prime Minister, upon every member of the government, and upon every elected member of their parliament. They wanted to see their Parliament laying the foundations of their future life in righteousness. That evening had there not also been a solemn service of the dedication of the memorial tablet, with the names engraved there of the splendid men who gave their lives with God, for King, and country. Two hundred and thirty eight volunteers from that congregation, and 36 paid the supreme sacrifice. What were the great things in life, the majestic things? Told them that in the heroes of the war they would find those great majestic things embodied. First they would find duty faithfully done. These men asked what was very duty, and obedient to the call upon them volunteered, and in obedience to duty, when it so befell, they died. Let each one of them take a lesson from those heroes and follow in their footsteps. He coupled self-sacrifice with love, and greater love hath no man than this, “that a man lay down his life for his friends.” He asked them where would they been during the long years of trying warfare, where the mourners that evening who saw on that tablet the name of some loved one, where would they be if it were not for the belief in the existence, above everything and over everything, of a God whose name and nature was love? They thought of the departed as resting in the sunlight of God’s countenance. This stood on the Rock of Ages. So it was and so it would be with Ulster’s Parliament. It would be founded on religion. He had the supreme conviction that the deepest force in the life of Ulster’s community was relation. They might differ as regards the form in which they expressed their religion, and might tell the differences of worship of different Churches-would to God that they were one, and he believed that they were moving towards a wise and liberal unity-but what he told them this as his firm conviction that beneath all the differences of their religion the strongest force in Ulster was its religion, and the Parliament he believed this start on that. He believed it would be actuated by religious principles, and he believed that it would be built on God and justice and righteousness and righteous tolerance. They had been told that in the present Parliament there would be a prayer as there was in Westminster. He asked them everyone, both in their prayers at that time, and all through their life, knowing that their lot was cast in Ulster, knowing that they had a responsibility as members of the community, that they would in their daily prayers petition that God would guide their legislators so that they might have, and please God would have, a peaceful and prosperous Ulster. He pictures an Ulster with happy homes, with peaceful content, and no discord, with troubles and disagreements settled in brotherly love through the Spirit of Christ. He pictured it all, and he saw no reason why it should not be. It would be so if the whole community perpetually upheld the hands of their legislators by earnest, and constant prayer.

An offertory in aid of the new organ fund was then taken, and the benediction having been pronounced by the Bishop, reveille was sounded, and the service came to a close. The following acted as special collectors was sent subscriptions: – Mr. H. M. Pollock, D.L., M.P., Sir Robert Ewart, Bart.; Sir Crawford M’Cullagh, M.P.; Captain Herbert Dixon, M.P.; Sir Dawson Bates, M.P.; Sir Frederick Montgomery, M.V.O.; Mr. Harold V. Coates, J.P.; Mr. R. H. H. Baird, J.P.; Mr. S. A. Robinson, Mr. T. Moles, M.P.; Councillor W. J. Magowan, Mr. William Abernethy, Mr. John Quee, Mr. Williamson (Victoria Street), Mr. R. J. Barr, Dr. William Gibson, J.P.; Mr. J. H. Stanfield, Alderman Joseph Davidson, J.P., High Sheriff; Alderman James A. Duff, J.P., M.P.; Mr. R. I. Calwell, C.E.; Captain John Barry, Mr. W. J. Brown, and Mr. A. J. W. Shaw.

At the morning service, which was also largely attended, special preacher was the Dean of Connor.

 Belfast News-Letter June 7, 1921.