Fivemiletown Royal British Legion (RBL) held a concert in Fivemiletown College last Friday, March 10 to launch their new book, ‘Fivemiletown Remembers – 100 Years of Uniform and Service’.
The book tells the history of Fivemiletown RBL and service in the local community. The launch was attended by an large crowd, in excess of 400 people.
Compere for the evening, Iain Lendrum, opened proceedings by welcoming everyone, especially the Lord Lieutenant for Co. Fermanagh, Lord Brookeborough, and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Co. Tyrone, Frances Nolan.
The first act of the evening saw Precentor Kyle Hanlen and Judith Anderson perform two beautiful renditions of ‘There is a higher Throne’ and ‘O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer’.
They were then followed by Irvine Memorial Pipe Band, the current All-Ireland Grade 4B Champions, who performed a medley of traditional marching tunes and jigs.
The third act of the evening was Donna Thompson, from Castlecaulfield – the current music teacher at Fivemiletown College.
She performed a haunting musical version of John McCrae’s classic poem, ‘In Flander’s Field’. This was followed by, ‘He will hold me fast’.
Cavenaleck Pipe Band – one of only six Brian Boru pipe bands in Northern Ireland – entertained the large crowd with a selection of military marches, including a crowd favourite, ‘Killaloe’.
The Murley Band played a number of classic military marches, including ‘The Great Escape’, and finished with the theme to the film ‘Saving Private Ryan’, the haunting tune: ‘Hymn to the Fallen’.
This was accompanied with a slide show of pictures of former and current members of Fivemiletown RBL.
The last seven slides included Private Eva Martin, who taught at Fivemiletown College, and six local RUC men who were murdered during The Troubles.
The evening closed with speeches from Lord Brookeborough and special guest speaker Danny Kinahan, the Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland.
Mark Byers, the author, then thanked everyone who had helped him to compile the book.
The book is for sale in Ballylurgan Hardware, Beatty’s Spar and Fivemiletown Royal British Legion.
Mr. Byers also commissioned an extra 100 books of his previous book, ‘Fivemiletown’s Fallen’, which tells the story of the 72 names recorded on Fivemiletown Community War Memorial.
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