Parade coincides with exhibition on Limerick’s role in Ireland’s Military Heritage
Hundreds of former army personnel will be in Limerick this Sunday (11 September 2016) to take part in the international Veterans’ Day Parade through the streets of the city.
Ex-servicemen and women will march in uniform representing various international organisations including the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women, the Royal British Legion, Royal Naval Association, the Veterans of Ireland Association, Irish United Nations Veterans Association, the American Legion and the French Foreign Legion of Ireland. Retired members of An Garda Siochana, Fire and Emergency Services along with other uniformed bodies have been invited to participate in the event.
The event will begin at the Council Offices in Merchant’s Quay at 12.00pm with the official opening by the Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon of a fascinating exhibition on Limerick’s role in Ireland’s military heritage.
The parade will then depart from Merchant’s Quay at 1.00pm and march to the ONE Monument and War Memorial in Pery Square, where a wreath-laying ceremony will take place.
The parade and exhibition have been organised by the Patrick Sarsfield Branch of Oglaigh Naisiunta na hEireann – The Organisation Of National Ex-Servicemen and Women, with the co-operation of Limerick City and County Council.
Mayor Kieran O’Hanlon said: “I’m particularly pleased that this event is being held in 2016, a very special year in which we commemerated the centenary of both the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme. Limerick has one of the oldest and greatest military traditions in Ireland. Since the Treaty of Limerick in 1691, thousands of Limerick men have fought and died in armies all over the world, from the frozen wastes of Russia to the baking plains of South Africa.”
“Limerick’s proud military tradition continues to the present. Since 1946, Sarsfield Barracks, Limerick, has been the headquarters of the 12th Infantry Battalion. Soldiers from the 12th Battalion have served all over the world with the United Nations, including the Congo, Cyprus, Lebanon and Chad,” he added.
The exhibition will remain open in Merchant’s Quay until Tuesday 13 September 2016.