(L-R) David Huddleston PRONI, Esther Bloch with Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, author Csilla Toldy and Keith Beattle from the Northern Ireland War Memorial at an event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons today spoke at an event at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) as part of the Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 programme.
The event, which was organised by PRONI and the Northern Ireland War Memorial (NIWM), looked at the journey of the late Walter Sekules, a Holocaust survivor from Austria whose family moved to Kilkeel shortly after the war.
Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons said:
“The story of the Sekules family is one of immense hope after unimaginable adversity. The Sekules family thrived in Northern Ireland, establishing a successful business and calling Kilkeel their home for decades.
“This year’s theme of Holocaust Memorial Day is 'For A Better Future' and to achieve that, we must learn from the past. This year is the 80th anniversary of the end of Second World War and the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a poignant reminder of the millions who lost their lives during the conflict.
“We all have a responsibility for ensuring that the crimes of genocide and persecution will never be repeated. We want to embrace a future where people do not suffer prejudice or persecution because of their faith, their ethnicity, the colour of their skin or their community background.”
Author Csilla Toldy shared the story of her illustrated children’s book, Enemy Alien – Walter’s Journey Through Adversity. Esther Bloch, Walter’s sister joined Csilla for the talk, taking the audience through their family life from the Soviet detention camp in Kazakhstan to Kilkeel.
The Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place each year on 27 January and is organized by The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. It encourages remembrance in a world scarred by prejudice and persecution. A programme of events to support HMD takes place in January.
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