Battle against tide sees all wreaths at Cenotaph restored

Less than an hour after hearing about the desecration of Newry Cenotaph this morning local people took action into their own hands and climbed down into the soft muddy bed of the river and restored them to their former location one by one.

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All of the wreaths and a poppy display had been thrown in to the nearby Clanrye River overnight.

Local photographer Mark Pearce borrowed a ladder from a local business in Canal Street and the group of half a dozen set to work in a battle against the tide.

They retrieved the wreaths one by one and literally just managed to rescue the last one before the tide came in. Another ten minutes and the wreaths would have been swept away up river.

The wreaths and poppy display were put back in their original place on the Cenotaph, muddy and wet but virtually undamaged.