Leaders honour Ireland's military heroes

President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern joined hundreds of people today at a service for Irish soldiers who died in war or on peacekeeping duty with the United Nations.

At the commemoration service in hot sunshine in the courtyard of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, ex-servicemen and women from across the island of Ireland, serving regiments, senior politicians and members of the public gathered to remember the nation’s war dead.

The Taoiseach told the congregation that it was fitting they remembered all of the Irishmen and women who had died on active service.

Prayers were led by leaders of the Catholic, Orthodox, Church of Ireland and Presbyterian churches and by the Chief Rabbi of Ireland Doctor Yaakov Pearlman and Muslim cleric Doctor Ali Qirbi.

The Archbishop of Dublin Doctor Diamuid Martin said the congregation was gathered to honour all the Irishmen and women who had given their lives in war or for the UN.

“We pray also for peace, for a future where enmity, injustice and division are healed and needless suffering is ended,” he said.

He also led the congregation in prayers for the victims of last Thursday’s bomb attacks in London.

Doctor Ali Qirbi recited an Islamic prayer calling for faith, peace, safety and security to prevail in the world.

“Help the world shun war and destruction and guide the leaders and chiefs to what is beneficial to all human beings,” he said.

The President laid a wreath at the commemorative plaques, which was followed by a minute’s silence and sounding of the Last Post.

The national flag was then raised from half to full mast and the congregation sang the National Anthem which was followed by an air corps flyby.

Following the service, Michael Thompson, a member of the UN Veterans Association, from Portlaoise, who served in Kosovo and Lebanon, said: “It’s very moving, honouring all our ex-defence service people that have served overseas in the cause of peace.”

Colonel Leo Callow of the Royal Irish Regiment, who is from Dublin but based in Northern Ireland, said it was a great honour to attend the service. “This is a real brotherhood in arms,” he said.

Roy Walker, regimental secretary of the Royal Ulster Rifles and the Royal Irish Rangers, had travelled down from Belfast for today’s service.

He said it meant an awful lot to him to attend the commemoration and said it was terribly important to honour all the Irish servicemen and women, including many who had fought in his own regiment.