Thousands of Hand Stitched Poppies Transform Co. Armagh Church for Remembrance Sunday

Almost 8,000 poppies on display in Richhill

The display of poppies at St Matthew's Church
Author: Rhiannon MuisePublished 8th Nov 2025

St Matthew's Church in Richhill, Co. Armagh has brought the community together to hand stitch poppies, decorating the exterior and interior of the church.

The planning took a year to complete, ensuring the displays were ready for the church's festival weekend, 'No Greater Love.'

The weekend entails performances from the church choir, tea and coffee mornings, and special remembrance services.

Speaking to the main organiser of the weekend, Linda Pillow, she said, "Well, we had an idea of having a festival for remembrance in the church.

"And so letters went out to all the churches and the communities asking, would they help us knit our poppies?

"We asked the community if they had any stories to tell, and would they be prepared to make a display board?

"That is exactly what they did.

"Bringing the community together means really drawing people into our church and making it a very welcoming place. Most importantly, to share and respect remembrance."

The atmosphere of the church was friendly and had a real sense of community spirit. Reverend Canon, Gary McMurray of St Matthew's said: "We've already been inundated with people.

"We've had people here from Larne, Antrim, Carrickfergus and Cookstown.

"People are coming from far and wide to see this and to share the respect of remembrance.

"So we'd love to welcome more people as well."

Remembrance Sunday services take place on Tuesday 11 November across Northern Ireland.

Hear the latest news on Cool FM on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app. You can also follow us on X and TikTok, just search CoolFMNews