Tribute to murdered officers

Wreaths were laid at the dedication ceremony

More than 800 service men and women murdered during the Northern Ireland Troubles have been remembered at a special service in England.

The Ulster Ash Grove, which is part of a national memorial in Staffordshire, is a permanent "living" tribute to members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the armed forces and prison officers killed in the last 33 years.

Relatives of those who died attended a dedication ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum, near Lichfield, on Tuesday which was conducted by senior figures from the four main churches in the province.

The centre-piece of the memorial is a three-metre tall pillar of Mourne Granite, surrounded by six boulders taken from the six counties in Northern Ireland and arranged to symbolise a map of the province.

The pillar is inscribed with the words: "In grateful memory to the men and women of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC, the Armed Forces and other organisations in service of the Crown, who laid down their lives in the cause of peace in Northern Ireland 1969-2001."

It's a type of immortality to be remembered by the people who knew you Ina Lennox UDR widow

During the service, trees were planted, wreaths were laid and 33 doves were released, one to represent each year of the Troubles.

Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Robin Eames told those gathered that the "fragile plant of peace" was beginning to appear in the province.

"It is a fragile plant but it is slowly becoming a reality," he said. "And the lives that we recall here this afternoon have made that happening a real possibility.

"Let that thinking dominate our memories, a symbol of genuine hope for the future."

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy, Security Minister Jane Kennedy and the general officer commanding the Army in the province, Lieutenant General Philip Trousdell, attended the ceremony.

Representatives of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Prison Service were also present.

Ceremony was held at national memorial in Staffordshire

Mr Murphy said it was a significant day.

"It's about gratitude, thanking all the families of the people who have perished in Northern Ireland who served the armed forces, the police and prison service," he said.

"We are here to commemorate all those thousands of people who helped to keep Northern Ireland a relatively peaceful and stable place for nearly 30 years.

"Without them, we would not have had the Good Friday Agreement."

The band of the Royal Irish Regiment accompanied the service, which included a two-minute silence.

One widow who travelled to the ceremony was Ina Lennox, whose husband Bobby, a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, was shot dead in the 1970s.

Seven types of tree

Speaking beforehand, she said the tribute meant a lot to her.

"It means he has been remembered by his friends. It's a type of immortality to be remembered by the people who knew you," she said.

"It is a reminder that the UDR existed."

Seven varieties of ash trees, all common to Ireland, have been planted in the Ulster Ash Grove.

The Ministry of Defence has planted 719 trees in the grove, each one representing the life of a soldier killed during the troubles.

A total of 29 trees have been planted in memory of the same number of officers in the Northern Ireland Prison Service who were killed since the start of the violence.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has planted 38 trees, each one representing a former RUC sub-division.

More than 50,000 trees have been planted in the National Memorial Arboretum since work began on the 150-acre site in 1997.