Boer War Monument

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Naturalistic bronze memorial statue of c.1905 by Sydney March, situated on the East side of the City Hall. A formal granite base of four steps carries a battered plinth capped with arch-topped rectangular bronze plaques on each elevation. At each corner between the bronze plaques stand smaller figures of angels, two armed with swords,one with a trumpet and one mourning. Standing on a roughly-hewn granite boulder is a bronze statue of a soldier in topee and puttees with bayonet at the ready. The front plaque carries a Hibernian harp, the other sides record the names of members of the Royal Irish Rifles killed in the Boer War. A subsidiary tablet on the W face records names from associated regiments, the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment and 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment (1793-1881) and the Royal Ulster Rifles (1921-1968). Approximately 5.5m high. The memorial is enclosed by modern iron railings.

Setting

The memorial is surrounded by modern railings and set on grass lawns. One of a number of memorials in the grounds surrounding the City Hall (HB26/50/001A) and erected shortly after it (HB26/50/001B and HB26/50/001D-001J). Many of the buildings around Donegall Square are also similar in date, contributing to the context of this structure.

Pedestal, Granite.
Statue, Bronze

Historical information

Commemorating the soldiers of the Royal Irish Rifles killed during the Boer War of 1899-1902, this monument was unveiled in 1905 and executed by Sydney March and Elkington and Co. of London.

Unveiled by Lord Grenfell, commander of the Forces in Ireland, on 6th October 1905, this was the first war memorial and one of the original monuments in place, prior to the completion of the City Hall in 1906 (HB26/50/001A). The memorial was first located in the central north-east corner of the grounds, in line with the statue of Queen Victoria (HB26/50/001I) and surrounded by a circular lawn and path. However, with the addition of the Cenotaph and Garden of Remembrance (HB26/50/001D), the grounds were altered during the 1920s and the Boer Memorial was relocated to the centre of the eastern side of the City Hall (Patton). Now enclosed within a semi-circular lawn, it remains at this location. Cleaning and repair work was carried out on the memorial in 1992-93 (HB File).

Built as a memorial to those men who died or were wounded in action during the Boer War in South Africa, the 8ft bronze statue depicts a soldier holding a rifle with bayonet attached (Wylie). Beneath is a block of ‘roughly-hewn’ granite, which surmounts a tapering and stepped base of smooth stone. This pedestal is surrounded on all four sides by decorative bronze panels, which depict a harp and shamrock, with the motto “Who Shall Separate Us?” inscribed in Latin. At the four corners are the winged figures of ‘War’, ‘Death’, ‘Victory’ and ‘Fame’, while another plaque beneath, lists the names of those commemorated (Wylie, Patton).

The statue was the work of the accomplished English sculptor Sydney March, whose works included a number of other War Memorials around the world. The monument was designed and constructed by the decorative metal workers Elkington and Company, who were based both in London and Birmingham (DIA).

References:

Primary Sources

1. National Library of Ireland, EAS_0441 “City Hall Belfast” The Eason Photographic Collection (1900-1940)
http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/EAS_0441
2. HB File (HB26/50/001 C)

Secondary Sources

1. Larmour, P “Belfast City Hall- An Architectural History” UAHS (2010)
2. McIntosh, Gillian “Belfast City Hall One Hundred Years” Belfast City Council (2006)
3. Patton, Marcus “Central Belfast- An Historical Gazetteer” UAHS, Belfast (1993)
4. www.dia.ie - Dictionary of Irish Architects online
5. Wylie, Fred “Boer War- Detailed Information” (2007) http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Antrim/BelfastBoer.html

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest
V. Authorship

Evaluation

A naturalistic bronze memorial statue of c.1905 by Sydney March, situated on the E side of the City Hall, and forming one of an important group of high quality memorials (HB26/50/001B-J) that complement the main building and each other. The work of March included a number of other War Memorials around the world. Of significance as a memorial to those members of the Irish regiments killed in battle in one of the major conflicts of the late Nineteenth century.

General comments

Formerly HB26/50/003