AQO 2261/22-27 Oral question to the Minister for Communities
To ask the Minister for Communities, in light of the Narrow Water Bridge project, whether he has given any consideration to the development of Narrow Water Castle.
Asked by Andrew McMurray MLA on 19 June 2025
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 19 June 2025
- Answer due by
- 30 June 2025
- Answered
- 30 June 202511 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for Communities
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 30 June 2025. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Mr Lyons
There are no plans for the further development of Narrow Water castle at this time.
Mr McMurray
Minister, given the castle's location and potential, particularly once the Narrow Water bridge project is finished, will you consider working with Executive colleagues and the Shared Island unit to look at the development of the site?
Mr Lyons
I am always happy to look at options that are available to us so that we can improve the site. However, the Member will be aware of the significant pressure that the historic environment division (HED) is under. I have significantly increased the budget for capital projects this year, but there are a lot of works in line. Of course, I am more than happy to discuss the matter further with the Member.
Ms Forsythe
Does the Minister agree that it is important to ensure that any work at Narrow Water castle is sensitive to the memory of the 18 British soldiers who were brutally killed there by the IRA in an ambush on 27 August 1979, which was one of the IRA's deadliest murderous attacks?
Mr Lyons
The Member is absolutely right: we should be sensitive to that. Unfortunately, there are far too many people who are insensitive to what took place there and will not even allow a simple memorial to stand there. I assure her that we will do everything that we can to make sure that any development in that area is sensitive to the memory of those who were murdered at that location.