Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has reportedly removed the memorial plaque associated with ex-Prince Andrew’s 2009 visit to Lisburn. The plaque marked the planting of a yew tree for the city’s 400th anniversary. Now, a councillor who once argued for restoring the marker has changed course. Plus, his party claims he plans to take it away for good. This decision thus ends a public debate over a small plaque in Northern Ireland and a few lines of text.
Ex-Prince Andrew plaque left locals ‘deeply uneasy,’ to be removed permanently — report
GB News reported that SDLP councillor Pat Catney initially pushed for the return of ex-Prince Andrew’s memorial plaque. They said the city should not change the record of what happened. In correspondence with council officials, Catney reportedly wrote, “In my view, the original plaque should be reinstated as it was first presented.”
When council officials asked councillors for ideas on how to recognise the tree while also acknowledging sensitivities, Catney stressed that the visit mattered historically. They highlighted that the event “formed part of the city’s history at that time.” He added, “I believe it is important that we do not attempt to alter or rewrite that historical record after the fact.”
Notably, however, the SDLP later took a different line. An SDLP spokesman confirmed to GB News that Catney has since “clarified his position.” He claimed that he “believes the plaque should be permanently removed.”
Meanwhile, Alliance Party councillor Claire Kemp challenged Catney’s earlier stance. In that, GB News reported that she said residents had expressed “deep unease at anything honouring Andrew Mountbatten.”
Furthermore, the SDLP spokesman added that the party had opposed any tributes related to Andrew for some time. They said, “Our thoughts are with all the victims of Epstein and those associated with him.” Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council reportedly confirmed that the mount came out during a site tidy-up and that officials have no plans to replace it.
