A LOCAL councillor is urging parents to make their children aware of the importance of and respect of memorial gardens.
It comes after an increase in the number of young people climbing in and around the structure of a memorial garden on the Shaws Road.
Sinn Féin councillor Áine McCabe is calling on parents to have a chat with their children about the importance and respect for these memorial gardens and to treat them as they would if they were visiting a cemetery.
"The families and comrades of those memorialised in the Shaws Road garden created this space as a quiet place of reflection to help them heal from the loss of their loved ones and to commemorate and pay tribute to their lives and legacy," she said.
"Children are naturally curious and it is better to engage with them on the importance of the garden.
"Parents and adults who may see children in the garden should not chastise them, but politely ask them not to play in it.
"We recognise that these children mean no harm, they are simply taking in each moment of life and living it to the fullest.
"Those who are remembered in this memorial garden died so that our children of today didn’t have to live as we did.
"As Bobby Sands said, 'our revenge will be the laughter of our children'."
Sean Lennon, Chair of the Commemoration Committee, added: “I fully support the comments of Áine.
"This is a memorial to everyone who died at the hands of the British Army, RUC and loyalist murder gangs and as such should be treated with the greatest of respect.”
