Castle wall collapse ‘could have killed’
Thursday, 16 October 2008
The devastation at the old town walls in Antrim may be irreparable, it has been claimed.
ANTRIM'S historic castle walls were a 'ticking time bomb' which could have collapsed at any time, killing or maiming anyone caught in the lethal landslide, it was claimed last night.
The 400-year-old stone wall, which famously still wore the pock-marked scars from the Battle of Antrim in 1798, came crashing to the ground at around 7pm on Saturday.
The local landmark, a nationally important archaeological site, had suffered some subsidence in recent years but experts believed that it had been sufficiently shored up during the lengthy and expensive restoration back in 2003.
But as a 40-foot stretch thundered down in a cloud of dust it became clear that this was a disaster waiting to happen - and horrified local reps readily admit that it was a 'minor miracle' no-one was injured.
Taxi driver Margaret Hegarty had a narrow escape as tons of masonry crashed onto Market Square without warning.
“I heard this big bang and all this rubble came over the car," she said. "I thought a lorry had crashed into the wall."
Councillor Pam Lewis said her shock on hearing the news was only heightened by the realisation that it could have happened 'at any moment'.
“It is a mercy that no one was killed or seriously injured following the collapse of the wall," she said.
“Given its close proximity to the war memorial just imagine what could have happened if this had taken place when a service was being held and many more people about.
“An investigation will now have to take place as to why this happened and immediate work to restore this historic part of Antrim's history so that it is there for years to come."
The Council, along with officials from the Environmental Heritage Service, carried out a provisional examination on Monday which concluded that the situation was 'grave'.
Deputy Mayor Adrian Watson was briefed on the condition of the wall and it confirmed his worst fears - that it may be beyond repair.
“It appears that the wall has moved substantially and what little remains is in a very precarious state," he said.
“The bottom line is that while it has stood for 400-odd years, there's a very real chance that parts of it won't see out the week. The sad irony is that this happened just days after the Council agreed a £2 million investment package for the old courthouse and Market Square.
“This Borough has been blessed with many historical riches, and the walls were one of the jewels in the crown, but the hard truth is that if they can't be made safe the rest might have to come down.
“At the moment we can't get heavy lifting equipment into the area in case it starts another collapse, so the clean-up operation could take some time. That's unfortunate with Remembrance Day just four weeks away, but at this stage we don't even know if the Cenotaph is stable."
Former Councillor Paul Michael, press officer for the Antrim Branch of the Royal British Legion, confirmed that an emergency meeting will be held to draw up 'plan B' if Market Square remains off limits for the annual march in memory of the Borough's war dead.
“It's early days yet, but I know there are a number of options being considered. Obviously there is the old cenotaph, but that's actually been decommissioned and is no longer considered a war memorial. Even the plaques have been removed and put up at Belmont Cemetery.
