President sends letter to local Tipperary committee in celebration of 25-year anniversary

Durlas Eile Eliogarty Memorial Committee recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

As a gesture of acknowledgement of their achievement, the committee received a letter of Recognition and Appreciation from President Michael D Higgins to commemorate the anniversary.

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St Mary's International Garden of Remembrance is the first and only one of its kind in Ireland.

It is twinned with the Irish United Nations memorial garden in Tibnin, South Lebanon.

The committee says it was a great honour to get recognition for all their work over the last 25 years in peace, remembrance, and reconciliation.

They say their work and ceremonies in St Mary's over the years have been very successful.

The many new friends from all over Ireland and overseas who have supported the committee has gone from strength to strength.

They wish to thank Dr Martin and Joe Ann Semple, the Republic of Korea Embassy, and their main sponsors.

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They also wish to thank the many people who have supported them in their church gate collection, which they say has been a great help to us to maintain a very high standard in St Mary’s International Garden of Remembrance.

If you would like to join or be a sponsor, the committee says you would be most welcome.

St Mary’s is a very special garden of remembrance, where people come to pay their respects to all who have died in all wars in the service of peace at home and overseas, those who have died by terrorist authorities, those who have died in the fight for Irish Independence, etc.

In his letter to the committee, President Higgins wrote: "Mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, may I extend my warmest greetings to all in the Dúrlas Éile Eliogarty Memorial Committee in Thurles as you mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of St Mary’s International Garden of Remembrance. Traoslaím libh.

"Since the Garden of Remembrance, along with a series of memorials , first opened in 2000 to honour the 72 men from Thurles who died in the World War I of 1914 to 1918, St Mary’s has stood as a fitting tribute to those whose lives were given in the pursuit of peace, justice and freedom.

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"The gardens also honours, among others, the members of the Irish Defence Forces who lost their lives in service to UN peacekeeping missions, men and women who took part in the fight for Irish independence, and the members of An Garda Síochána who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

"St Mary’s Garden of Remembrance should not be seen as only a tribute to the fallen but also a call to all of us who work tirelessly for a world where war is no longer seen as inevitable, where diplomacy and co-operation replace violence, destruction and fear of the ‘Other’.

"Ethical remembrance calls on us not only to honour the past but also to shape a better future, one rooted in justice, solidarity, and respect for human dignity.

"At a time when we witness so much suffering caused by war and conflict across the world, the importance of reaffirming our commitment to the principles of peace and reconciliation is ever more urgent, values that are now needed more than ever.

"As President of Ireland, may I commend all those who have cared for this memorial over the years and those who will continue to ensure that the stories of the fallen remain alive in the collective consciousness of their community.

"May this Garden of Remembrance continue to stand as a place of reflection, a source of solace for families and loved ones, and a lasting reminder of the profound cost of war and the necessity of peace.

"Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha dílse.

"Mo bhuíochas libh as bhúr n-iarrachtaí is gach beannacht do’n todchaí."