Message to Members
The 14th Annual General Meeting of the Military Heritage of Ireland Trust (CLG) will take place in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin, on Tuesday, 27th May 2014, commencing at 1430 hrs.
On the occasion of the Annual General Meeting, the Brigadier-General Paul Pakenham (Retd), Chairman, circulated the following letter to all members of the Trust.
Introduction
Fully understanding the diversity of Irish military service worldwide, the Military Heritage of Ireland Trust CLG, supports the widest understanding and appreciation of Irish military heritage and encourages research of the Irish soldier in military history.
At the outset, as Chairman may I extend a sincere welcome to all of our new members to the Trust and especially our new Directors Mr John Deering and Rear-Admiral Mark Mellett DSM.
I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the leadership of our former Chairman Brigadier- General Jim Saunderson (Retd) who remains a Director, and to sincerely thank Mr Mark Scott for his valuable contribution as a Director over the years.
May I also convey my personnel appreciation to all Directors and Members for their continuous commitment to the Trust. As you are aware, all members of the Trust, including its Directors, Company Secretary and Legal Advisor, are volunteers.
In the same vein, I would like to acknowledge the support the Trust receives from the Department of Defence, the National Museum of Ireland and the Defence Forces – Óglaigh na hÉireann.
As a Company limited by guarantee, the Trust implements the provisions of appropriate legislation, including the Companies Acts 1963 to 1999, and the Trust’s Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Annual Audited accounts for 2013 will be formally presented at the 14th Annual General Meeting on the 27 May, and will be made available to the Revenue Commissioners on request. As a voluntary body, the Trust is not engaged in commercial activities.
From the Trust’s perspective, the last twelve months have been very active, resulting in measurable outputs. An insight into the Trust’s activities is provided below.
Room of Reflection
The Trust’s Directors are actively exploring the feasibility of establishing a Room of Reflection, reflecting Ireland’s shared military heritage, in a suitable location, subject to appropriate permission and the availability of finances to support the project.
In February 2014, as part of Phase 1 of the project, the Directors formally appointed Mr Ruairi O’Cuív as the Project Consultant. Having provided Mr O’Cuív with planning guidance, the Trust requested him to develop an outline concept for consideration by the Directors.
Following the approval of an outline concept, it is envisaged that the process will advance to Phase 2, with the development of a comprehensive Business Plan, including aspects such as the location, design, displays, finance, sponsorship, time-line and maintenance of the project.
Subject to the approval of the appropriate authorities, Phase 3 of the project envisages procurement of the necessary finance, the development of the selected site and the installation of suitable galleries reflecting our shared history and heritage
Decade of Centenaries
In the context of the Decade of Centenaries, the Trust retains liaison with the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, the Expert Advisory Group, and other appropriate Government Departments, agencies and organisations.
Following on from its successful Seminar in December 2012, the Trust maintains its momentum of supporting the Decade of Centenaries concept by identifying appropriate activities, which it will sponsor, commensurate with the Trust’s objectives.
The Military Heritage of Ireland Trust was represented at the recent consultation meeting, hosted by the Expert Advisory Group, in Dublin on 28 April.
The Trust remains proactive in ensuring that it is represented at appropriate annual commemorations associated with the Decade of Centenaries.
In addition, in the unlikely event that the commemoration of a particular military event is not being considered at local or national level, the Trust will make a submission to the appropriate authorities.
Military Heritage Annual Award
In advancing military heritage, the Trust promotes the study of Irish military history, in particular, the study of Irish men and women in the profession of arms both at home and overseas, irrespective of the Theatre of Operations, National Flag or Regimental Colour.
In this context, the Trust offers a prize titled the Military Heritage Annual Award. The funding for this award was kindly donated by Mr A.W.B. Vincent. Mr Vincent has requested that the Award Scheme commemorate the late Major Charlie Trainor MM who died in 2009.
The competition cohort encompasses a range of students including 1st to 3rd Year undergraduates, Final Year undergraduates, postgraduate students undertaking a Full-time or Part-time MA course, and postgraduate students engaged in the NUIM Masters Degree in Leadership, Management and Defence Studies.
The winner of the 2013 award was Mr Matthew McGinty, a MA student of the National University of Ireland Galway. His paper was titled, “O’Neill, O’Donnell and the Nine Year War”. The Trust has submitted the winning paper for publication to History Ireland and the Defence Forces Review 2014. Mr McGinty will be presented with his award at the Annual General Meeting, scheduled for 27 May.
Web Site
During its February meeting, the Trust’s Directors endorsed the concept for the redesign of our Web Site including a modified site map. The construction process is currently underway. With the installation of a Content Management System, the reconstructed site’s capabilities will be enhanced, permitting the editing, managing and storing of relevant information, and the tailoring of the Web Site for the Trust’s specific needs.
When launched later in 2014, the redesigned Web Site will include a user friendly search engine facility and will maximise the usage of social media assets.
In the interim, the Directors have approved the content of the Web Site’s About Us Section which now includes the Trust’s vision, the revised mission, our objectives, and a list of activities supporting the prescribed objectives.
In addition, the Directors approved a revised Projects Section for the Web Site which covers projects such as the Military Heritage Annual Award, Decade of Centenaries, Room of Reflection, Military Service Information, Publications and the Soldiers and Chiefs Exhibition. Work on revising the Research Section is ongoing.
The Directors are grateful of the voluntary support provided by the sites webmaster, Sergeant Michael Burke, Defence Forces CIS Corps.
You can follow the Trust’s activities on the recently opened twitter account, the tag is @militaryheritag
Military Service Information
Through its Web Site and Contact information, the Trust actively assists families, researchers and students throughout Ireland and worldwide world, to access information on the military service of relatives, friends and individuals.
For example, during 2013, a considerable number of queries were received from Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, on a vast range of issues such as Irish soldiers in Iraq in 1932, Prisoners of War, 37th and 65th Regiments’ service in Ireland, Irish Volunteers, National Army, a Great Grandfather who served in Tipperary in 1831 and a Grandfather who served in Mullingar Barracks in 1888.
Activities
Since the 2013 Annual General Meeting, the activities of the Trust included: Directors’ Meetings; liaising with museums, veterans associations and regimental associations; launching “Irish Brigades Abroad ” (The History Press Ireland), written by Stephen McGarry; and participating in lectures and seminars.
The Trust had an active involvement in the National Day of Commemoration in July 2013, and hosted a lunch in the Master’s Quarters of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, for Northern Ireland attendees, which is funded by the Department of An Taoiseach.
The Trust was represented at events such as National Day of Commemoration, Wreath Laying Service at National War Memorial Gardens, Ecumenical Service of Remembrance at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, launch of the Digitisation of the Irish Memorial Records, the Irish Volunteers Commemoration, launch of the Military Service Pension Collection, and the Easter Sunday Commemoration.
Finally, the Trust is providing support and advice to UTV in producing a programme on World War 1, titled “The Orange and Green”, and has engaged with RTE concerning the production of a documentary about World War 1.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Trust’s Directors are currently focussing on the establishment of a Room of Reflection, active involvement in the Decade of Centenaries, enhancing partnerships with stakeholders such as Museums and Regimental Associations, increasing student’s involvement in the Military Heritage Annual Award, consolidating membership, and through a redesigned Web Site, promulgate the latest news and lists of events, and further develop the support provided for research.
I look forward to working with all Directors, our Company Secretary and Legal Adviser, in further advancing the Trust’s objectives in order to promote and preserve Ireland’s unique military heritage for future generations.
Finally, I will welcome the opportunity of engaging with members of the Trust during the 14th Annual General Meeting, scheduled for 27 May, at 1430 hours, in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks Dublin.
