Gibraltar award reflects special link with Ballymena

The unique connection between Ballymena and Gibraltar will be underlined through a new school’s award for local students.

The annual ‘History of Gibraltar’ award is sponsored by the Friends of Gibraltar Heritage Society and will be open to all primary and secondary schools in the Ballymena area.

Two members of the Trust – Colonel Julian Lyne-Pirkis and Commodore Richard Lord, both of whom served in Gibraltar during their service careers – visited Ballymena recently to launch the award at the Braid.

They also visited two local primary schools, St. Colmcille’s Primary and Broughshane Primary to talk to pupils about the Gibraltar evacuees and the Award.

The visitors were shown the remains of Dunaird evacuee camp outside Broughshane and the grave of former Gibraltar Governor, Sir George White, by council officials. They were also shown around the Braid Museum.

The two representatives were welcomed to the Mayor’s Parlour by Alderman Beth Adger MBE, who also hosted the launch of the award at the Atrium in the afternoon.

The award will be an annual event, with a cash prize for the winner, and will have a different theme each year.

It was announced at the launch that the theme for this year would be “Evacuation and Evacuees” and this could be a written, digital, or art project.

One of the Society Trustees will come to Ballymena to present the awards at the end of the school year.

Local schools were invited to the launch and further details will also be circulated, with information also available from the Civic Events Co-ordinator, Dr. David Hume who can be contacted at david.hume@midandeastantrim.gov.uk