To the Brave Lads of Ulster: Remembering the 36th Division at the Somme

On this solemn Remembrance Day, let us turn our thoughts to those brave lads who gave their all on fields far from home, the green hills of Ireland, and the shores of our beloved Ulster. It was a hundred years ago, but the courage and sacrifice of the 36th (Ulster) Division remain as clear as the sound of a drum. The men of Ulster answered the call, leaving behind their families, friends, and the comforts of home, to march into the heart of a battle that history would mark as one of the fiercest and most tragic of all—the Battle of the Somme.

Ah, the Somme. What words can do justice to the horrors those men faced? The mud, the endless barbed wire, the cacophony of guns tearing through the air day and night—it’s almost impossible for us to grasp. Yet they went forward, our Ulster boys. Proud and steadfast, they rose from the trenches on that fateful July morning in 1916, moving forward in tight ranks. It was said that they charged with the thunder of drums in their ears and the tune of “The Sash My Father Wore” echoing in their hearts, bringing the spirit of home with them. But it was into a hail of gunfire they went, and by nightfall, the division had been decimated.

The losses were staggering. Out of those thousands who marched forward, so many did not return. Fathers, sons, brothers, friends—the fabric of entire communities was torn apart in those brutal hours. Their names are etched in memorials across Ulster, in quiet churches and on old stone walls, a reminder of those who went forward with courage only to find eternity. It is said that the 36th Division gained ground that day, one of the few divisions to push forward and hold their line in a battle where victory was a bitter prize. Their bravery became legend, a tale told with pride and sorrow through the generations.

So tonight, as we gather and remember, let’s raise a glass to those lads who paid the highest price for the love of their country, their friends, and their families. We take the whiskey in our hands and lift it high, as our fathers did before us, in honor of the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division. We give thanks for their bravery, and we acknowledge their loss, for they did not fall in vain. They fell with courage and honor, and they hold a place forever in our hearts.

To each of them, we say: “You are not forgotten. Your sacrifice endures, and we hold you close in our memory and in our prayers.” Here’s to the lads of the 36th, to their courage, to their strength, and to their unbreakable spirit. May we honor them, not just today but always, with each Remembrance Day that passes. Sláinte! May their souls rest in peace, and may their bravery light our way. We’ll not see their like again, but we’ll carry their memory forward as a precious torch. For they were Ulster’s finest, and they belong now to the ages.