An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir October 2014 www.dfmagazine.ie 8 | By JIM MC ENEANEy, ChAIRMAN MIChAEL MC NEELA BRANCh ONE PhoToS By SGT DOC DOhERTy, 27 INF BN 27 INF BN ANNUAL CHARITY EVENT O n 3rd September 2014, the 27 Inf Bn once again put their best foot forward for local charities in Dundalk, by running a 46km relay marathon over the Cooley Mountains in aid of the Réalt na Mara National School and Centre for Autism and the organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women (oNE). They started off from Aiken Bks at 0930hrs heading up the Cooley Mountains to the RTE Mast on Claremont Cairn, where they were met by a group of children and teachers from the Réalt na Mara School. A school pennant was handed over to the runners and the children released balloons to mark the occasion. From there they returned to Dundalk via Edentobber, old Newry Rd to the Tain Bridge in Dundalk where they formed up as a block for the final leg up to the Railt na Mara School, with all the pupils and teachers clapping them in to finish. Lt Col Mark Hearns (OC 27 Inf Bn) was on hand to meet the runners and to accept a plaque to commemorate the annual charity event on behalf of the battalion from School Principal Phil Mc Caul and Jim Mc Eneaney of ONE. Lt Col Hearns then presented a cheque for €3,000 to Principal Phil Mc Caul and ONE CEO Ollie O'Connor, to be divided between both charities. World War 1 Commemoration By BSC DUFFy MoNuMENT PhoTo By SGT KARL ByRNE (PR BRANCh) O n 31st August 2014 an interdenominational memorial service was organised by the '1914-18 War Mountmellick Research Group' and Post 27, of the Irish united Nations Veterans Association (IuNVA) and held in St Joseph's Church Mountmellick, Co Laois. During the service the names of fallen WWI soldiers from the Greater Mount- mellick Area were read out, with honours rendered by the dipping of the standards and playing of the 'Last Post'. The '1914-18 War Mountmellick Research Group' was set up to research and commemorate the significant involvement of Mountmellick's men in the First World War. Their major aim was that those who served in this terrible war would now be, "written into the heritage of the town" - a heritage largely ignored or culturally suppressed, as in so many other parts of young Ireland. There were many Veteran Associations' present, along with members of the Reserve Defence Force, most notable were: the Royal British Legion (RBL) Republic of Ireland District, represented by their President, Maj Gen David O'Morchoe (retd) CB CBE with their district standard borne by Noel Cullen. The Limerick Branch RBL was represented by Vice-President, Brian Duffy and their standard borne by Kevin Milligan. IUNVA was represented by Vice President, William Gilbert and the reconstituted Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association was repre- sented by Niall Leinster and their standard paraded by Capt Séamus Greene. The heritage group are also curating a wonder- ful exhibition of WWI memorabilia, much of which has local connec- tions, and they thank all for their contributions, large or small.

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