Rememberance Sunday

[Eddie Bosano-Andrews]

Thought you might like to see this article from the Irish Independent on events in the Republic yesterday:

Family and comrades honour 88 who gave lives with UN

THE families and comrades of 88 Irish peacekeepers killed overseas gathered solemnly in Dublin yesterday to remember the men who died while serving with the UN.

More than 100 veterans from the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps stood in formation and saluted the slain members of the Defence Forces, the Garda Siochana and civilians who died while serving in UN peacekeeping missions around the world since 1958.

Their bereaved families fought back tears as members of the McKee Barracks pipe and bugle band played the 'Piper's Lament' and 'The Last Post' and dignitaries and loved ones laid poppy and floral wreaths before a memorial stone bearing the names of the former friends and colleagues as well as husbands, fathers, brothers, sons and grandfathers who gave up their lives for Ireland.

In a special ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the UN and the 45th anniversary of the massacre of eight Irish soldiers by tribesmen in the Congo on November 8, 1960, they stood for a minute's silence in front of the UN Memorial Garden in Arbour Hill, north Dublin as a show of respect for those who died while serving in Lebanon, Cyprus, Bosnia, East Timor, Liberia, the Congo and the Middle East.

Among the mourners was Mary Burke of Kilmainham. She has been attending the annual wreath-laying ceremony with her family ever since her 20-year-old son Peter was killed while serving as an army peacekeeper in Lebanon in 1982.

While yesterday's ceremony drew the largest gathering to date of about 200 since the Irish UN Veterans Association (IUNVA) held its first commemoration in 1989, she would like to see similar events held throughout the country.

"They're only starting to lay the wreaths and have memorial gardens now to remember our dead," she said.

She has visited the IUNVA's memorial gardens in Tipperary and Mullingar as well as Lebanon and fully backs the association's dream to eventually have a memorial site for slain UN soldiers and peacekeepers in every garrison town in Ireland.

Meanwhile, President Mary McAleese yesterday attended an ecumenical service of remembrance and reconciliation at St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Dublin. A wreath was laid on her behalf following the annual service to remember those who died during the two world wars as well as Ireland's peace keeping duties.

Alison Bray

[Desmond7]

I'm led to understand that the Irish Lebanon Vets marched down the Shankill road in Belfast on Sunday behind a tricolour .... and were clapped almost every inch of the way.

Maybe others know more?

[markinbelfast]

They had the Irish tricolour incoporated into the design on the back of their jackets...the flag they carried was the tree design of Lebanon.On their left their campaign medals..on their right medals such as ww1/ww2 no doubt won by relatives....will post the photos later