Crowds gathered in Inishowen on Saturday last to unveil a memorial to the HMS Laurentic in Fort Dunree.
The HMS Laurentic sank off the coast of Fanad Head when it was struck by a mine, leading to the loss of over 350 seamen on January 25, 1917.
Following two years of fundraising, The Ulster Canada Initiative welcomed the descendants of the men who died and members of the public to the unveiling and dedication of the Laurentic Monument.
The monument, created by Mark Hill and Mandy Blinco of LUXE, involved a variety of local artists and tradesmen including Artlink, Martha McCulloch, Harry Kerr, Matthew Porter, Signs and Designs, Devlin Memorials and many others.
The artists felt it was essential that the monument relates to the landscape at Dunree.
32 family members made the journey to Donegal for the unveiling, from Arklow, Cork, Tipperary, Liverpool, Staffordshire, Kent, Sussex, Devon and as far away as Australia.
The Canadian Government was represented by Commander Corey Bursey, Canadian Naval Attaché to the High Commission in London, while Petty Officer Stephen Doherty represented the Irish Naval Service.
Commander Corey Bursey
In his speech, Chairman of the Ulster Canada Initiative, Don McNeill, said: “This is a very proud moment for me personally to achieve what we have from a humble beginning in 2006 when myself, John McCarter and seven other like-minded people chipped in and brought a wreath and held a small, simple but poignant commemoration for the over 350 men who perished on the sinking of the Laurentic on January 25, 1917, at the mouth of Lough Swilly.
“But today is not about me! It is about remembering these men from the four corners of the world who died on our shores 102 years ago and their relatives who travelled from far and wide to be here with us today.
“This is your day.”