The Princess Royal took part in acts of remembrance at the war graves of airmen from World War Two in neighbouring churches in Irvinestown, Northern Ireland, on July 23.

Clergy from the Church of Ireland, the Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian and Methodist churches led the worship together. The services are held every year at the Derryvullen North Church (Church of Ireland) and the Sacred Heart Church (Roman Catholic), where 84 airmen who died on active service in the Second World War are buried. These airmen had served in the forces of Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and were both Protestant and Roman Catholic, from different nations and faith traditions who served together, died together and now lie together.

Alongside the clergy, youth groups from across the community also take an active part in the parade and service and the Royal British Legion and ex-service associations share in the proceedings.

In the context of Ireland's history of conflict and sectarianism, this unified annual observance is an important symbol of local communities and traditions working together. 

In a joint news release, the clergy from the four churches described the visit by the Princess Royal as 'an honour the town received not as a single church or a single tradition, but as one community' and that it 'brings wider recognition to what Irvinestown does every year. It places the attention of others on a community that remembers its war dead together, Protestant and Roman Catholic, at the same graves, in the same service, on the same day'.

The joint news release was issued by Canon (Father) Kevin Duffy of the Roman Catholic Church, the Revd Gunther Andrich of the Presbyterian Church, Mr Jonathan Simpson of the Methodist Church and the Ven Paul Thompson of the Church of Ireland. 

'Our hope is that the impact of this visit will be to affirm the shared remembrance and strengthen our resolve to continue it — to tend these graves, to tell the story of those who lie here, and to pass that duty to the young people of today, so that the men buried among us are never forgotten and the freedoms they secured are always valued.'

Speaking in a film made by BBC Newsline, the Ven Paul Thompson, Archdeacon of Clogher, said that 'the way we remember together... reflects the way we work in Irvinestown in many ways. We are very much one community.'

Father Kevin Duffy said: 'Our cemeteries are side-by-side and we're one people.... We know that as one people we share the common ground of remembering our loved ones.' 

The leaders of the four churches in Irvinestown hold a short service at the Cross of Sacrifice.

On the same trip, the Princess Royal also visited Castle Archdale on Lower Lough Erne, one of three wartime Royal Air Force stations on and around the lough, and the base from which flying boats operated during the Battle of the Atlantic, the campaign in which the airmen buried in Irvinestown died.

In their joint statement, local clergy said:

'These graves hold young men who served together and died together', the clergy of the four churches said together in the statement. 'We honour them best by remembering them together, as one community, and by handing that remembrance to our children, so that no name, and no sacrifice, is ever lost.'

'Our hope for this commemoration attended by Princess Royal is that it deepens the bond between us and entrusts to those growing up today the special responsibility of honouring all who made the ultimate sacrifice, and of ensuring they are never forgotten.'

More information

See the joint statement from four churches in Ireland. 

See a short video about the visit of the Princess Royal to Northern Ireland.

Learn more about the nineteenth meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Belfast and their pilgrimage of peace and reconciliation in Derry/Londonderry.