A crowd gathered together in Wexford for a poignant ceremony to remember the lives of soldiers lost while serving the United Nations.
The Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) held its annual commemoration at the UN Peace Memorial in Enniscorthy’s Orchard Peace Park last week.
The UN memorial ceremony in Enniscorthy honours Irish service personnel who died while serving on United Nations Peacekeeping missions around the world.
The ceremony commemorates all Irish military, An Garda Síochána, and civilian personnel who lost their lives in international peacekeeping operations since 1958, which includes conflict in Congo, Cyprus, Lebanon, Somalia, and the Middle East.
The event was attended by local representatives Cllr Pat Kehoe, Cllr Aidan Brown, and Cllr John O’Rourke, as well as members of An Garda Síochána including Superintendent David O’Sullivan and Inspector Colm Matthews.
On the day Archdeacon Mark Hayden recited a prayer and wreaths were laid by Mick Keegan, Superintendent O’Sullivan and Joe Larkin.
The roll of honour was read by Jim Gilbert and Frank Shelly, before he raised the tricolour and Anthony Nolan played Amhrán na bhFiann and The Last Post to round out the ceremony.