Ebrington barracks memorial 'not ruled out' - Ilex

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View of opening of Ebrington Square taken from the Peace Bridge
Image caption,

Ebrington Square - which was once an Army barracks - opened on Tuesday

The chief executive of the urban regeneration company responsible for the former Ebrington barracks site has said a memorial has not been ruled out.

Ebrington Square, which was constructed on the Army's former parade ground in Londonderry, opened on Tuesday.

Aideen McGinley from Ilex said the company was "in discussions with people about what's fitting on the site".

She said she could not comment further "because funding and other matters haven't been resolved".

Donal Dunne's father was a civilian worker at the barracks who was killed by an Official IRA bomb in 1974.

He said that while Ebrington Square looked "spectacular", he would like to see some sort of memorial.

"I would like a plaque or maybe a small garden to mark those service people, whether military or civilian, who have lost their lives.

"Even a small tree planted in a garden would be sufficient, it doesn't have to be elaborate.

"I know they're looking towards a whole new horizon, but I think a token such a tree would be fitting."

Terry Wright, the chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party in Foyle, has backed calls for a memorial.

Aideen McGinley said that one of the projects Ilex was engaged in was the creation of a shared space in Ebrington.

"I think what a memorial is about is people sharing their stories and understanding those stories.

"On the site at Ebrington, we want to interpret the site and tell its story, and as we develop the site over the years that's what we will be doing."

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