Battle of the Somme 1er juillet 1916 (≈ 1916)
The murderous engagement of the 36th Irish Division.
1921
Construction of the tower
Construction of the tower 1921 (≈ 1921)
Built by public subscription after the war.
14 septembre 2016
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 14 septembre 2016 (≈ 2016)
Official protection by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Ulster Tower (Box Z 36): Registration by Order of 14 September 2016
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character named in the sources
The source texts do not cite any specific individuals.
Origin and history
The Tower of Ulster, also known as the Tower of Belfast or Helen Tower, is a British memorial located in Thiepval, Somme. It honours the soldiers of Northern Ireland who fell during the First World War, including those of the 36th Irish Division, which was decimated on 1 July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. More than 5,500 men were lost in a few hours, forcing the division to withdraw the next day. This monument, built in 1921 thanks to a public subscription, is a replica of a neogothic tower of Clandeboye Park, near Belfast, where the division had trained.
The Ulster Tower is dedicated to the memory of the Ulster battalions (Royal Irish Fusiliers, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Irish Rifles) and bears an engraved dedication: "Memorial dedicated to the 36th Ulster Division and to the other Ulster men who served during the Great War (1914-1918)". Nearby is the Connaught Military Cemetery, established in 1916, where 1,286 British soldiers lie, 642 of whom are unidentified. This place commemorates the fierce fighting for Thiepval, taken and resumed between July 1916 and August 1918.
Ranked historic monument by decree of 14 September 2016, the Ulster Tower symbolizes the sacrifice of Irish soldiers in one of the most deadly battles of the First World War. Its neo-Gothic architecture and location on the former battlefield make it a major memory site of the Somme Memorial Circuit. The bodies buried in the adjacent cemetery come from small scattered cemeteries, grouped after the war to preserve their collective memory.
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