Groups plead for rethink on council plan

COMMUNITY groups have urged a council to reverse its decision to honour a Coleraine-born slave owner, branding it an “affront” to people of African descent.

A total of 18 groups representing people of African descent have written a letter to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

They include organisations such as Belfast Multicultural Association, United Against Racism — Belfast and the North West Migrants Forum.

The letter follows a vote on Tuesday by the council’s leisure and development committee to honour Hercules Mulligan in future heritage trails.

Born in 1740, he was a spy during the American War of Independence and was hailed by George Washington as “an astounding patriot”.

However, records show he also owned a slave despite having helped set up an anti-slavery society.

Objections have since been lodged with the council against the plan.

The letter said the council’s decision represents an attitude in society “that consistently finds justification to turn a blind eye to the issue of slavery”.

It said: “Hercules Mulligan subscribed to and practised the ideology of holding people in enslavement.

“Portraying him as a hero when he was still a slave owner five years after he helped set up the New York Manumission Society is glorifying slavery and that is disgraceful.

“It is also worth noting that one of the men enslaved by Hercules was Cato who carried out much of the spy work Hercules was immortalised for.”