IUNVA memorial receives support from County Council
Síofra Grant
Members of the Mullingar Post 20 United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) gathered at Ballyglass Cemetery last week for the handover of the new flagpoles that now stand on the memorial site.
The memorial site was erected in 2005 and was funded by the local group. Those named on the monument are Mullingar officers who lost their lives on peacekeeping missions for the United Nations in countries such as the Congo, Cyprus, Somalia, Sarajevo, East Timor, Liberia, Haiti, Sweden, Bosnia, Belgium, and areas in the Middle East. The country with the most names is Lebanon.
Several members of the society were present for the handover, and Mullingar chairman Tony Corrigan explained the importance of the new poles. “As the Post 20 Veterans Association Mullingar, we cover the whole of the town and towns surrounding it.
“Part of that is setting up a commemorative area for people that have been lost or families that lose somebody. So we maintain a memorial for all the people killed overseas with the United Nations.”
One of the other members, Paul Carr, explained the story behind the memorial, which carries the names of scores of veterans, including the three men who are buried there. He said that when someone has no family to bury them, they are returned home and buried alongside comrades in the memorial plot.
“As you can see, this is a granite memorial, built and paid for by us. The purpose of today is that we had flagpoles that were going into disrepair and had to be taken down, so we approached the council with a view to replacing them.
“We were very grateful and honoured that not only did they replace them, they took down the old ones and erected the flagpoles for us just in time, as next month we’ll have our annual commemoration.”
The support from the council means a lot to the association, especially since most of the cost of maintaining the memorial comes out of their own pockets. “We have a situation in Ireland, unfortunately, in which a lot of the history of the Defence Forces isn’t in the books. It’s a living history because people are still serving, even though this year now is our last year in Lebanon due to all UN forces being withdrawn.”
In Tony’s view, that withdrawal couldn’t be coming at a worse time. “It’s a pity because it means that there won’t be anybody there to see what’s going on. We built an orphanage out there in Tibnin and we pay out of our own pensions to maintain that orphanage. Unfortunately it was demolished with everything else going on.”
Many of the men in attendance have bore witness to many of the places that have since been reduced to rubble. “I remember years ago, I was in Gaza,” recounted Tony. “It was the most beautiful little town you could ever come across. Now it’s just rubble, there’s nothing left of it.”
Tony voiced the fear he and others have of the peacekeeping operations being pulled back, “when they’re needed most”.
“Obviously, Israel have their own views and America is backing them. And that’s how the UN was forced out of Lebanon, by the five member councils.” Peter Phillips, national chairperson of IUNVA, was also present at Ballyglass and praised the council’s contribution. “The monument we have here in Mullingar, and other monuments around the country are here for the sake of the families, so people can remember.
“Our motto is honouring, caring and cheering, and how do we honour them? By remembering them, and we do.
“It’s not just for the families in this generation but the next generation coming along. You know, there’s a story to be told about you in service that an awful lot of people of Ireland don’t really realise about,
“So, if the families have some place to go and look , there’s your grandad, there’s your great grandad or your great uncle or whatever the case may be. It’s just to remember – that their names are never forgotten.”