An Cosantóir

February 2013

An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.

Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/107373

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8| McKee Officers Club By Comdt George Kerwin (Retd) P ictured at the McKee Officers Club annual lunch, are incoming club president, Col Tom Hodson (Retd), guest speaker Senator Marie Louise O'Donnell and the outgoing president Comdt George Kerwin (Retd). The lunch was held in the Officer's Mess, McKee Bks on Wednesday 14 Nov, following the club's 37th AGM. Of significance for the club was the approval of a proposal to amend the club rules dealing with membership. The amended rule now reads "Membership shall be open to all commissioned officers of the Defence Forces who have served in McKee Barracks, DFHQ or any other Barracks within the Eastern Brigade area". Commenting on the amendment Col Hodson said "the change is necessary to ensure the future of the club and reflects the changes that have occurred in the Defence Forces in recent years in terms of strength and organisation. He continued: I am delighted that we have already received membership applications from retired officers whose units would not have been eligible before the amendment". People interested in joining the club should contact the club secretary Der Conway, Mobile: 0879085510 or email: derconway@yahoo.co.uk O n Sunday 18th November the Tanagh Branch of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women (ONE), in conjunction with Cavan County Council's Peace III Programme, and Northern Ireland's Phoenix Organisation and the Inniskilling Fusiliers, opened a peace garden in Cootehill, Co Cavan. The peace gardens were opened in memory of those who lost their lives in the Great War and in the service of peace with the United Nations. The project, a Peace III 'good relations project', was initiated by the Tanagh Branch of ONE, which has engaged with a wide number of programmes aimed at building peace and reconciliation in the Cavan area. Guest of honour at the Report by Gerry Byrne (Tanagh Branch, ONE) launch was Minister of State at the Dept of Defence, Paul Kehoe TD. The minister welcomed the initiative and paid tribute to the ex-servicemen in Cootehill for their good work, and to the Cavan Peace Partnership for supporting the project. In his speech the minister referenced the appearance of the ex-servicemen on the BBC's 'Songs of Praise' programme broadcast on Remembrance Day from Enniskillen, and also the first Peace III-led initiative, the memorial service 'Forgotten Dead' on 1st July 2012 that recognised those from Cavan who died in World War One. The peace garden project gave the ex-servicemen the opportunity to develop deeper cross-border relations. Oliver Breen, chairman of the Fermanagh Branch of An Cosantóir Feb 2013 www.dfmagazine.ie the Phoenix Project, and chairperson of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, cut the ribbon to officially open the peace garden at the Courthouse, Cootehill, alongside Timmy Murphy, chairman of the Tanagh branch of ONE. The strength of this relationship was visible on the day of the launch with over 60 people attending from across the border, most of whom were ex-servicemen/ women from the British armed forces or PSNI /RUC. With a total of over 200 people who braved the cold weather to attend the official launch of the peace garden, it was considered a successful conclusion to a year of planning.

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