A new statue has been placed in the Forever Young Memorial Garden on Westland Street in Derry’s Bogside neighbourhood. The sculpture, unveiled at a ceremony on Saturday, shows a young boy and girl.

The work was designed to recognise the suffering of children during the conflict, not only those who died but also those who were left traumatised by events they witnessed or by the loss of family members.

The garden itself opened four years ago and already contains a memorial stone. That stone lists the names of 18 children and teenagers aged 16 and under who lost their lives in Derry between June 1970 and January 1990.

The names include Bernadette McCool (9), her sister Carol Ann (4), Damien Harkin (8), Annette McGavigan (14), and Manus Deery (15), among others.

Speakers at the event included Helen Deery, who was instrumental in developing the memorial; veteran civil rights activist Eamonn McCann; and local priest Father Shaun Doherty.

The statue was modelled on two local children, Bella Masterson and Ciaran McGreavy, according to a relative who attended.