The Mullingar branch of the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE) held their annual Wreath laying ceremony on Sunday, 4 September.
A total of three wreaths were laid by representatives from ONE, the Civil Defence and the United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) at the stone monument situated by the Columb Barracks entrance.
The monument was erected by the Mullingar ONE branch in 1998 to commemorate all deceased members of the organisation as well as deceased members of the Irish Defence Forces.
During the ceremony the St. Brigid’s Pipe Band from the Curragh in Kildare added beautifully to proceedings playing ‘The Last Post’, followed by a lament by a lone piper and finishing with a rousing version of the national anthem.
Speaking to Topic, historian Ruth Illingworth, who was in attendance at the ceremony, said that the present branch was formed in 1985. “The event is always held at the end of August to the start of September and the timing is particularly appropriate this year because we have the 55th anniversary of the Siege of Jadotville coming up and there is going to be a unit citation given to all the men who served in Jadotville. Of course we have a number of them in Mullingar who were also members of ONE such as Tom Gunn.”
“Some of the men here would be descended from some of the men who fought in the First World War and this week marks the 100th anniversary of the battle of Ginchy and Guillemont, part of the Battle of the Somme, where many men from Westmeath served,” she added.
The second part of the ceremony saw attendees march from the barracks to Christ the King Cathedral for Mass at 12.30, during which the pipers paraded down the cathedral aisle and the names of deceased members of the Mullingar ONE were read out.
Afterwards the procession made its way to the Greville Arms hotel where the gathering was provided with light refreshments.
