THE band, bugles, pipes and drums of the
Royal Irish Regiment braved the elements at Lagan Valley Island
on Friday night for what was to be a particularly poignant
`beating retreat' ceremony, likely to be the last of its kind
before the home regiments of the Royal Irish Regiment are stood
down in 2007.
The RIR Band performs
its musical and marching programme at
the Beating Retreat ceremony.
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Torrential rain didn't deter the crowds
however, as spectators gathered to enjoy the musical and
marching programme to honour the men and women who make up the
largest infantry regiment in the British Army. Speaking at the
ceremony, the Mayor Councillor Jonathan Craig commended the
regiment for its contribution to achieving normalisation for
Northern Ireland and afterwards said: "I was delighted that so
many people turned out to see the band of the home Regiment, on
what has been a very enjoyable evening in spite of the weather.
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| The
Regimental dog handler with Mascot Brian Boru VIII
and the buglers of the Royal Irish Regiment Band.
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The Mayor,
Councillor Jonathan Craig and Mayoress Yvonne Craig
present Colonel Mark Campbell with a gift and cheque
for the Benevolent Fund of the Royal Irish Regiment.
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"Naturally we are very disappointed that this
is likely to be that last ceremony of this kind, as Lisburn has
a long association with the Royal Irish Regiment, but we are
very pleased that regular army musicians from the band of the
Royal Irish Regiment will be posted to other bands once it is
disbanded."
Beating retreat is an old custom for the Army
dating back to the 16th Century, when it was known as Watch
Setting.
Over the years the ceremony has been
embellished with the addition of pipers and regimental bands and
today the ceremony takes the form of a musical pageant.
