New Sheffield war memorial plan to feature famous poem written by city 11-year-old
The poem Me Brother Dan has already inspired a play performed at the Crucible Theatre
A moving poem by a Sheffield school student about the First World War will be featured on a memorial stone in Weston Park.
The poem Me Brother Dan has already inspired a play performed at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. It has been read at remembrance events across the UK and internationally, including at the Menin Gate war memorial in Belgium.
Me Brother Dan was written in 2016 by Molly Meleady-Hanley, who attended Westbourne School in Broomhill, as an 11-year-old. Her poem won a competition run by World War One commemoration project Never Such Innocence that attracted more than 7,000 entries worldwide.
Written in Sheffield dialect, the poem tells the story of a young girl, Lizzie, watching her brother leave for the war that he would never return from, and the effect that his death has on her family.
Copies of the work were carried by serving personnel to the centenary commemorations of the Battle of the Somme and were laid on every Commonwealth soldier’s grave.
The Sheffield City Battalion, known as the Sheffield Pals, suffered 248 casualties on the first day of the battle in France on July 1, 1916.
Sheffield City Council’s charity trustee committee yesterday (September 7) agreed to allow a memorial stone with Molly’s poem carved on it to be placed in Weston Park on Western Bank.
It will be sited near the York and Lancaster Regiment World War One memorial.
The committee made the decision on behalf of the council as sole trustee of the charitable trust that owns the park.
Councillor Denise Fox has been working with a fundraising campaign coordinated by the Royal British Legion Frecheville, with support from Royal British Legion Hallam.
The campaign has been supported by Never Such Innocence, the Sheffield Pals Cemetery, Sheffield veterans and serving armed forces personnel.
Fundraising will cover the cost of maintaining the memorial for the first five years.
Coun Fox said: “It is something that will bring it home to children. That’s why I pursued this because it’s a fitting tribute that children can relate to.”
She would like to see a child lay a wreath at the memorial every Remembrance Day at the same time as adults lay wreaths at the main war memorial in the park.
Coun Mike Chaplin said: “We’re all very happy to see this go forward. I’d like to thank Coun Denise Fox for all the work that she’s done to get us to this point, as well as parks and countryside officers.
“I think it’s a really lovely thing to do.”
Deputy chair Coun Mark Whittaker said he had been worried that the positioning might detract from the regiment memorial but has now been “completely persuaded” this was not the case.
Coun Richard Williams said: “I think’s a wonderful joint activity bringing together today’s generation with past generations.”
Coun Matt Smith congratulated Coun Fox and added: “I don’t think we value it enough or mention it enough.”
Coun Fox read out the poem at the end of the meeting.