Organised by the Ballycastle branch of the Royal British Legion, along with local branches representing the Army, the Royal Air Force, and the Royal Navy Royal Nay Reserve, the event reinforced Rathlin’s long-standing maritime and military heritage.
The service was led by The Reverend Patrick Barton, of Ballintoy, Dunseverick, and Rathlin Parish Church, who delivered a heartfelt sermon reflecting on the themes of sacrifice, memory, and community.
Among those attending were Alderman Richard Stewart, Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, and Councillor Dawn Huggins, the veterans’ representative on the Council, both offering civic support and paying tribute alongside the Royal British Legion veterans.
In the adjacent graveyard at St Thomas’, more than ten wreaths were laid.
These memorials honoured both identified and unknown servicemen, including sailors who tragically lost their lives at sea.
The ceremony embraced the full breadth of military service — Army, RAF, and Royal Navy — uniting different branches in a shared moment of reflection.
A particularly poignant moment followed as participants journeyed back towards Ballycastle aboard the Rathlin ferry.
The ferry made a stop at the site of HMS Drake, and Royal Navy Officer Barry McWilliams laid a wreath in the waters nearby — a deeply symbolic gesture to commemorate the sailors lost from that ship.
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At the going down of the sun we will remember them Adrian Millar trumpet and Eric Wilson standard bearer during the Act of rememberance in Rathlin Island on Sunday Photo: PICTURE KEVIN MCAULEY/MCAULEY MULTIMEDIA