An Cosantóir

8| POST 27 HONOURS SAINT JOHN BOSCO O by Michael Thompson n the 26th February, Post 27 Portlaoise of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) was proud to provide a Guard of Honour (GoH) for the relic of Saint John Bosco. The Italian saint canonised in 1934, was making his way around the world for preparation of his 200th anniversary in 2015. The GoH lined up outside the church of St. Peter and Paul in Portlaoise at 14.30hrs to salute the relic and casket of Don Bosco into the church. We then led the procession with the flag party and GoH forming up on both sides of the casket. Later that evening we went back to the church to honour the saint at 19.30hrs for night mass, we again led the procession with the flag party and GoH led the priest to the altar and also during the offering of the host and wine. We had 19 members of Post 27 at the church for the mass; Patrick Canning with the National Flag, Myles Carroll with the UN Flag and Tommy Breen carried the Post Flag. Members who marched beside the casket were James Bastik, Richard Reid, John Molly, Cyril Henry, Michael Coyle, Christopher Maher, Archie Raeside, Patrick Harding, Patrick Murray, Emmet Bourke, with James Shields as co-ordinator and Joseph McEvoy the parade marshal. The stewards were; Tommy Flanagan, Tony Harrington, Conny Dunne and James Hutchinson. www.iunvapost27.ie UN VETERANS VISIT BOSTON – FOR ST PATRICK'S DAY M report by Patrick Canning (Post 27) embers from IUNVA Post 30 and Post 27 travelled to the US to take part in this year's St Patrick's Day celebrations. We arrived on Friday the 15th and attended a reception in the Moakley Courthouse in Boston, and then on Saturday 16th March we were invited to a change of command ceremony in the Suffolk College of Law in Boston by Capt Fitzpatrick from the Judge Advocate General Office. On Sunday 17th March members of Post 30 (Galway) and Post 27 (Portlaoise) met in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel Boston to march in the St Patrick's Day parade. With the weather at -5° so we kept moving as we waited 1hr 45mins until we joined the parade. Our uniforms and medals were visible so that people lining the roads could see them. The Parade went through downtown Boston; it was approx 4 miles long and it took 3hrs to complete. Our partners were also on the Parade carrying a Galway banner. The feeling was amazing as we were cheered by the crowds as we paraded by. An Cosantóir May 2013 www.dfmagazine.ie Everyone from our group completed the parade journey. On Tuesday 19th March, all the members from Post 27 jumped on a bus and headed to New York for the day. They were: Jim Bastic, Charles Mott, Paul Kearney, Gerald McDonald, Christopher Delahunt, Seamus Kelly, Patrick Canning, Mary Dowling Mott, Veronique Canning and Bridget Coughlan. It was snowing in Boston when we left and it took us 4hrs to get to the Big Apple. Our first visit was to the UN HQ, then to the amazing Time Square. We then visited 'Ground Zero', the symbol of the 9/11 disaster. This was a sombre place to be, a bronze plate 9x3 meters is in place to remember the police officers, firemen and rescuers who lost their lives on that terrible day. They are in the process of building 4 new structures, as well as a memorial to all the people who lost their lives in the twin towers. We finally visited the Statue of Liberty from Battery Place, as we did not have enough time to travel to Staten Island. The trip overall was great and it was well worth the visit.

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