The Mayo Peace Park committee are holding a special unveiling and commemoration day in the Mayo Peace Park, Garden of Remembrance, at 12 noon on this Saturday the 1st of July 2023 and is inviting any Americans who are living in County Mayo or the surrounding areas to come along. Officers and Members of the various American Legion Veteran Posts around Ireland will be in attendance.
The wonderfully talented Mayo born Musician & Singer Julianne Hennelly, will perform during the ceremony and chairpersons of the local authority and municipal district areas in Mayo are also expected to attend.
Special guests on the occasion will include: Retired American Army Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Fr Frank O’Grady; Captain Noel Carey, Irish United Nations Peacekeeper and Jadotville Veteran; Mr David Gibson-Brabazon, President of the Midlands Counties and Kildare Branch of the Royal British Legion in the Republic of Ireland; Mr Mike Walsh and his wife Maureen. Mike was the architect who prepared the initial drawings and plans for the park.
Veterans will include officers and members from the ONE, IUNVA, UNIFIL, the Connaught Rangers Association, the Irish Guards and all the other associations, members and veterans are expected to be in attendance. The Chairman and Standard Bearer from the Midlands and Kildare Branch of the RBL Mr Donal Flynn, Mr Dermot O’Connor and Mr Chris Raynor will be in attendance.
Two founder members of the Mayo Peace Park, Mr John Basquiile and Martin Coyle, are travelling from Tipperary and from London to attend.
The address will be given by Commander Ron Howko, American Veterans Legion in Ireland, followed by a Blessing of the Memorials with American Army Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Fr Frank O’Grady and Canon Andrea Wills of the Church of Ireland.
Following this, an Unveiling of the new American World War One Memorial will be carried out by Commander Ron Howko, Michelle Armstrong and the American Legionaries and Veterans.
The Unveiling of the Congressional Medal of Honour and Victoria Cross Memorial will be carried out by Mary Higgins, Lt Colonel Frank O’Grady, David Gibson-Brabazon, Michael Feeney MBE, Captain Michael Walsh and Captain Noel Carey.
Wreath Layings will follow, in remembrance of the Mayo born American soldiers who are commemorated in the park; of 175 Mayo born soldiers who died in the Battle of the Somme which started on the 1st of July 1916; and of all the Irish soldiers, sailors, airmen and civilians who died in all wars at home and abroad
MC for the ceremony is Captain Donal Buckley and the piper is Mr Pat Conlon.
