THE COMBINED Irish Regiments Association held its annual Commemorative Parade and Remembrance Service at the Cenotaph in London last weekend.
The annual event honours the memory of Irish soldiers who have fought in British regiments over the centuries and those who still serve as United Nations peacekeepers today.
An emotive gathering, held on Sunday, June 15, saw the friends and family of those lost men and women come together in central London to pay their respects.
Among them retired member of the Irish defence forces, and current Chairman of the Military Heritage of Ireland Trust, Brig Gen Paul Pakenham was a special guest.
He laid a wreath at the Cenotaph before addressing the Parade.
“Mindful of the need to honour and respect the courage and loyalty of men and women who served and continue to serve in Irish Regiments, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said, “and recognising the role of their supporting families, let us continue to honour and commemorate those soldiers in an inclusive and respectful manner, and preserve their unique military heritage for future generations.”
Cathy Barnicle, representing the Irish Embassy in London, was also in attendance and laid a wreath on the day.
Included in the Irish regiments remembered at the Cenotaph were those disbanded following the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, namely the Connaught Rangers, the Royal Munster Fusiliers, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, the Princes of Wales’s Leinster Regiment, the Royal Irish Regiment and the South Irish Horse.
Each year the parade is held on a Sunday in June to mark the disbandment, made on June 12, 1922 at Windsor Castle, where King George V received the colours of the five regiments and a regimental engraving on behalf of The South Irish Horse.
During the course of his recent State Visit to Britain, President Higgins viewed these colours at Windsor Castle.
An Honour Guard was provided at the Cenotaph by the Royal Irish Regiment on Sunday.
Music by the Band of the Royal Yeomanry, the Pipes and Drums of the London Irish and the Buglers of the Royal Fusiliers provided a poignant backdrop to the parade, remembrance service and the wreath laying cemetery.
Photos by Malcolm McNally
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