First World War.com - The Western Front Today

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The Western Front Today - Island of Ireland
Updated - Sunday, 25 August, 2002

Named the 'Island of Ireland Peace Park' this memorial was constructed to honour the joint dead of north and south Ireland.

Up to 250,000 men from north and south Ireland served in the First World War, coming together during the Messines offensive in 1917. Up to 50,000 died during the war.

The Peace Park is relatively new and still under construction, and is due to be completed in stages.

The tower which forms the core of the Peace Park is called a Round Tower and was chosen as the design given their prevalence in the Irish countryside dating back many centuries, and which have no political or religious connotations.

As such the Round Tower is taken as a symbol of Ireland, north and south.

	Film Footage of Island of Ireland
	1,159kb, 27 seconds, Windows Media .WMV format

References:
Before Endeavours Fade, Rose E.B. Coombs, After the Battle 1994
Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide - Ypres Salient, Leo Cooper 2000

British losses on the first day of the Somme offensive still stand as the heaviest in British military history: 41,000 wounded, 19,000 dead.