Timothy Gaston welcomes move to address ‘shocking deterioration’ of Lord Craigavon’s tomb

Lord Craigavon’s tomb

TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has welcomed confirmation that Stormont officials will begin work to address what he described as the “shocking deterioration” of Lord Craigavon’s tomb at Parliament Buildings, following questions he raised at the Assembly.

The Grade A listed structure, which marks the final resting place of Northern Ireland’s first Prime Minister, has suffered years of visible neglect despite its architectural and historic significance and its prominent location on the Stormont estate.

Mr Gaston said the failure to maintain the tomb should concern anyone who values Northern Ireland’s history.

“I welcome the news that, following questions from myself, Stormont officials will now begin work to address the shocking deterioration of Lord Craigavon’s tomb. This action is years overdue and it should trouble anyone who cares about the history of Northern Ireland that such neglect was allowed to happen in the first place.”

A Grade A Listed Monument

Lord Craigavon, who served as Northern Ireland’s first Prime Minister from the establishment of the state in 1921 until his death in 1940, is buried alongside his wife on the grounds of Parliament Buildings.

Mr Gaston stressed that the tomb is not merely decorative, but a formally protected historic monument.

“Lord Craigavon’s tomb is not an incidental ornament on the grounds of Parliament Buildings. It is a Grade A listed structure — recognised formally for its architectural and historic significance — and it marks the resting place of the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, the man who led our Province from its birth in 1921 until his death in 1940.”

The inscription on the tomb, he noted, describes Craigavon as “A Great Ulsterman”, a designation he said reflected the view of the original Parliament of Northern Ireland.

“That was no empty flourish. It reflected the view of a Parliament that saw in Craigavon the embodiment of Ulster and Northern Ireland.”

Years of Neglect

Mr Gaston said the Assembly Commission, which is responsible for the upkeep of the Stormont estate, had failed in its duty to protect the monument.

“The Assembly Commission has a clear responsibility to preserve this site. Listed monuments require active care, routine conservation, and, when necessary, specialist restoration.”

Instead, he said, the tomb had been allowed to decay.

“Instead, Craigavon’s tomb was left to weather, erode and decay. The carvings have been blunted by years of exposure without protection. The inscription panels — intended to record for future generations the life and contribution of a foundational figure — have become virtually unreadable. Biological growth has spread across the stone. The overall impression is not of honour but abandonment.”

He questioned how such deterioration could have gone unchallenged for so long.

“How was this allowed to happen?”

Questions Over Responsibility

The TUV MLA said the tomb’s prominent location made the neglect all the more troubling.

“It is not as though the tomb sits in some inaccessible corner of the estate. It is regularly visited. It is passed by staff, members of the public and MLAs of every party. Yet no one in a position of authority raised the alarm.”

He also criticised the Stormont Commission for failing to act, despite its cross-party membership and explicit responsibility for estate management.

“It is astonishing that it fell to a single backbench MLA to ask the most basic questions: Why is this monument deteriorating? Who is responsible for its upkeep? What will be done to restore it?”

According to Mr Gaston, the issue only progressed once he raised formal Assembly Questions.

“The damage was visible. The duty to maintain was clear. But no action was taken until I pressed the issue through Assembly Questions.”

Political Criticism

Mr Gaston linked the issue to what he described as a broader reluctance within Stormont to engage with Unionist heritage.

“The neglect of Lord Craigavon’s tomb is symbolic of a wider problem and the fact that Stormont is scared to associate itself with anything Unionist.”

He questioned why other Unionist parties had not intervened earlier.

“Why the DUP and UUP failed to push for action on this issue in spite of sitting on the Commission is something I feel they need to explain.”

Calls for Restoration and Accountability

While welcoming the commitments outlined in a written response, Mr Gaston said restoration must now be delivered in practice.

“I welcome the commitments now set out in the written answer. They are a necessary step and long overdue. But this cannot be the end of the matter. Restoration must actually happen. Proper conservation planning must be put in place so that this never happens again.”

He added that those in leadership should reflect on how the situation was allowed to develop.

“Those in leadership must reflect on how such dereliction was allowed to occur under their watch.”

Concluding, Mr Gaston said the condition of the tomb raises serious questions about how Northern Ireland treats its own history.

“If we cannot care for the resting place of our first Prime Minister — a man rightly recognised by his peers as ‘A Great Ulsterman’ — then what does that say about how seriously we take our own history?”