An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir May 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie 8 | by 2/LT NEIL RICHARDSON, C COY, 6 INF BN FIRST ALL FEMALE RDF COLOUR PARTY O n St Patrick's Day 2015, the first all female RDF colour party took part in the St Patrick's Day parade through Castlebar, Co Mayo. Drawn from personnel from D Coy, 6 Inf bn, the colour party was made up of 2/Lt Lisa Chambers, Sgt Rowena Gillespie and Cpl Geraldine Muldowney. "It was a humbling experience to take part in the first all-female RDF colour party", said 2/Lt Lisa Chambers, "and to march through the streets of Castlebar carrying the National Flag. Also, to be involved in commemorating the contribution of women to the Defence Forces over the years – it has certainly been one of the highlights of my RDF career to date. People were literally chanting Mna na hÉireann as we passed by." 2/Lt Lisa Chambers, from Ballyheane, is a barrister by profession. She joined the RDF in 2003 and was commissioned in 2012. Sgt Rowena Gillespie from Castlebar works in the retail sector and has twenty-two years' service in the RDF – she enlisted in what was then the FCÁ in 1993 when women were first permitted to join – while Cpl Geraldine Muldowney from Rabawn, Swinford has served in the RDF for twelve years to date and is also a barrister. Pictured L/R: Cpl Geraldine Muldowney, 2/Lt Lisa Chambers and Sgt Rowena Gil- lespie (all D Coy, 6 Inf Bn) Fermoy's ww1 links to Guernsey T he Irish Ambassador to the UK, Mr Dan Mulhall, and members of the Defence Forces participated in Guern- sey's 100 year commemoration of their militia men leaving the Channel Islands to come to Fermoy to train for World War 1. Over 250 Guernsey men travelled to Fermoy to join D Coy of the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR), garrisoned in Fermoy, on the 4th March 1915. A Colour Party from 1 Bde Cav Sqn, currently headquartered in Collins Bks, Cork, participated in the commemoration due to their unit's link to Fermoy, having been based there from 1948 to 1998. Ambassador Mulhall noted that one of the important connections between Ireland and Guernsey, other than our membership of the British-Irish Council, was this intriguing historical link between Fermoy and Guernsey and the fact that their men fought side-by-side during WW1. This com- memoration event helped to highlight the historical ties between Ireland and Guernsey and, in particular, the town of Fermoy. About one-third of the Guernsey members of the RIR died on the Western Front during WW1. The survivors were keen to retain their regimental links and after the war set up the Guernsey Sporting Club, which still exists. Flag Party: Lt Eoin Carrol, Sgt Marcus Aherne and Sgt Martin Ormonde at St Peters Port, Guernsey. Photo: Peter Frank- land/ Comdt Pat O'Connor, 1 Cav Sqn

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