Remembering the late Christopher Ewart-Biggs, British Ambassador to Ireland
Last Thursday marked the 40th anniversary of the assassination of British Ambassador to Ireland, Christopher Ewart-Biggs.
A tree planting ceremony took place today at the British Ambassador’s residence.
On 21 July 1976 Mr Ewart-Biggs and Judith Cooke (aged 26) were killed in the assassination attempt claimed by the Provisional IRA. His driver Brian O’Driscoll and third passenger Brian Cubbon aged 57, survived the attack.
The tree chosen was planted by his daughter, Kate Ewart-Biggs in the presence of the British Ambassador to Ireland, Dominick Chilcott and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan. The tree variety Cornus kousa ‘China Girl’ was chosen by staff of the British Embassy.
Speaking at the event, British ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Dominick Chilcott said:
Today we remember Christopher Ewart-Biggs and his family. It is striking that when disaster struck the Ewart-Biggs family forty years ago, they responded by asking ‘how can we make things better in Ireland and between Ireland and Britain?’ By setting up the Ewart-Biggs memorial prize, they focused their efforts on reconciliation. It is a great tribute to their humanity and tolerance that they created something so positive of this personal tragedy.
See photographs of the ceremony on our Flickr gallery