Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council marked Merchant Navy Day with a commemorative flag-raising ceremony at Lagan Valley Island. The event honoured the vital contributions of merchant seafarers past and present.
This year’s event is especially significant as 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the UK-wide ‘Fly the Red Ensign’ campaign launched to raise awareness of the Merchant Navy’s essential role in national life, both in wartime and peacetime.
Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh, Alderman Amanda Grehan was joined by His Majesty’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant for County Antrim, Colonel Kevin Thomas, elected members, and representatives from local seafaring and veterans' organisations.
The Red Ensign, the official flag of the British Merchant Navy, was raised in solemn tribute to all those who have served and continue to serve across the globe.
Speaking at the event, Mayor Amanda Grehan said: “On behalf of the people of Lisburn & Castlereagh, I want to say thank you to the men and women of the Merchant Navy, who are crucial to our economy and national resilience. From transporting food and fuel in wartime to keeping goods moving in modern-day supply chains, these men and women are often unseen but essential.
"Today, we reflect on their courage , especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice during both world wars and we celebrate those still working in one of the world’s most challenging environments.”
Merchant Navy Day is marked annually on 3 September, chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the UK’s entry into the Second World War. Just hours after the declaration in 1939, the SS Athenia was torpedoed becoming the first British ship lost in the conflict and the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Nearly 15,000 merchant seafarers died in the First World War, and over 40,000 were lost in the Second World War. Among them were individuals as young as 14 and as old as 78, from across the UK and the Commonwealth.
Lisburn & Castlereagh joins local authorities across the UK in raising the Red Ensign each year in a public show of respect and a symbol of support for serving seafarers, veterans, and their families.
The ceremony also featured a message from His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, a minute’s silence, and a closing prayer led by the Mayor’s Chaplain, Mr Graeme Read.