Gary Gannon
Question:239. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the plans in place to commemorate the centenary of the Defence Forces on 1 October 2024. [27726/23]
View answerTuesday, 13 June 2023
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As you will no doubt be aware, the Defence Organisation plays a highly significant and noteworthy role in many State led commemoration ceremonies.
Defence Forces personnel have been to the forefront of the State’s commemorations of the Decade of Centenaries, which began in 2016 with a large scale military parade throughout Dublin city.
2022 was arguably the most significant year for the Defence Forces marking as it did the centenary of 1922, the year in which the National Army was established. In January 2022 the Defence Forces took part in the State ceremony to mark the Centenary of the Handover of Dublin Castle and in August they contributed significantly to a ceremony in Beál na mBláth, Co. Cork to commemorate the centenary of the death of General Michael Collins. Throughout that year commemorations took place countrywide to mark the Centenary of the handover of Military Installations.
In September 2022, the Military Archives and the Military History of Ireland hosted a 2 day conference examining the Military aspects of the Irish Civil War and in April 2023 the book titled “The Irish Defence Forces 1922 – 2022” by Eoin Kinsella was launched.
Most recently a State Ceremony of reconciliation and remembrance of all those who lost their lives in the Irish Civil War took place on 28 May 2023 at the Garden of Remembrance. On the 30th of July this year there will be a ceremony to rededicate the National Army memorial in Glasnevin cemetery where a plaque will be unveiled to honour the civil war national army dead.
Concerning the commemoration of the centenary of the Defence Forces, a Commemoration Working Group was convened by the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy in 2021 and this continues to put forward recommendations for Óglaigh na hÉireann.
While no plans are in place at this time to commemorate the centenary of the Defence Forces in 2024, I can say that the situation will be kept in review.