Annual commemoration to remember sacrifice of NI Prison Service personnel

The 32 NI Prison Service (NIPS) personnel murdered by terrorists since 1942 were commemorated during a small service of remembrance at Hydebank Wood in Belfast on Friday.

Among those laying wreaths were Justice Minister Naomi Long and NIPS director general Ronnie Armour.

The first name on the memorial stone at Hydebank is Officer R Walker (1942) and the last Senior Officer Adrian Ismay who was murdered in March 2016. Wreaths were also laid by representatives of the bereaved widows and the Prison Officers’ Association.

Mrs Long said: “The annual memorial service is an important event in the Prison Service calendar. It is a time to remember all Prison Service staff killed while serving the community. It is a time to reflect on the contribution they made, and also a time to remember their families. Sadly the widows and close relatives of Prison Service staff who lost their lives in the line of duty are unable to attend today, but it is important we remember them all. They carry their great suffering, pain and loss with dignity.”