Member's statement: Castlewellan Peace Maze: 25th Anniversary

Member's statement by Mr Colin McGrath on 2 February 2026.

MLA

Mr Colin McGrath

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

2 February 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Castlewellan Peace Maze: 25th Anniversary

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5356180

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Castlewellan peace maze is a jewel in our tourism offering. It was the brainchild of Michael and Beverley Lear, who approached Eamonn ONeill, formerly of this place, in Castlewellan Regeneration Ltd to make it a reality. I am delighted that they have secured a small pot of funding from the Pathways to Peace project to celebrate the peace maze 25 years on and place on record just how important it is not only for Castlewellan but for our peace process. In the early days after the Good Friday Agreement, people were searching for something tangible to hold on to that said, "Things can be different" and, quite literally, "We can choose a better way", and the peace maze was one of those things. It was planted by children and families from Castlewellan and the surrounding area, was funded by the EU and was shaped by hope rather than certainty in those days. It has become a quiet but powerful symbol of what many people believe peace is: something that grows slowly, is rooted in the community and is shaped over time. What strikes me most today is that those who planted the trees still talk about their involvement in the process. They remember where they stood and what it meant, and they feel connected to it. That tells us something important: peace is not an agreement or an institution; it is all about people. The current project matters because it recognises that truth. It preserves the original artwork, captures oral histories and invites a new generation to reflect on what peace means to them today. Part of that work will involve an art competition for schools in the district about what peace means to them, followed by an art exhibition, so Newry, Mourne and Down schools, and maybe even those further afield, need to be ready. At a time when politics too often feels defined by constant fighting for fighting's sake and point-scoring, as we have seen even today, such projects remind us of our responsibility as a political institution. People need something to hope for, as they did in 1998. They need to see that cooperation is possible, that progress can be made and that peace is something that we tend, not something that we take for granted. I recognise the work of the people on the ground, assisted by the County Down Rural Community Network, to try to take the 25-year-old peace maze to the next stage so that it can be there for future generations — children, young people and communities — to learn about the importance of peace and to maintain the tourism speciality in Castlewellan that puts it on the map.

446 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:18 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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