Plaque marks death of soldier during Troubles

Plaque marks death of soldier during Troubles

6 April 2016

A PLAQUE has been unveiled the mark the murder of a young soldier in Castlewellan 30 years ago.
Twenty year-old rifleman David Alan Mulley, from Sunderland, had arrived in the province with the Royal Green Jackets just four days earlier when he was killed in a bomb blast as he crouched in the doorway of a derelict pub in Lower Square
Blown into the street by the force of the blast, RFN Mulley died instantly on March 18, 1986, when the IRA detonated the bomb by remove control as an army patrol moved through Castlewellan.
To mark his death members of Castlewellan Victoria Development Association (CVDA) organised a moving ceremony which included an Act of Remembrance led by CDVA vice-chairman Kenneth Cromie which included the two minutes silence which was preceded by the sounding of the Last Post by bugler Andrew Carlisle. 
The plaque was unveiled by Steve Belam, a former colleague of Mr Mulley and a wreath was laid at the new memorial plaque by another of his ex-colleagues, rifleman Dave Murray, a section commander with the Royal Green Jackets.
Mr Murray explained to the assembled gathering that RFN Mulley had been serving overseas when the call came for his Regiment to go to Northern Ireland and naturally enough he had mixed emotions although at the same time he was excited as it was an operational tour. 
The young man had never expressed any opinions about the people or place he just wanted to do his job as a soldier and protect the community, explained Mr Murray.
David Mulley’s sister, Linda Hall, was unable to attend the event however she wrote to the organisers thanking them for their thoughtfulness and in her letter she gave some background information of her late brother’s short life and explained how he had joined the army in an effort to better himself. 
The organisers say they were overwhelmed by the large attendance of the local community and former colleagues who came to remember RFN Mulley’s 30th anniversary and during the evening a collection was taken up in aid of the children’s intensive care unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, England which had been nominated by the family.