During Ireland’s six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU, many emergency services personnel and volunteers will now be busier than ever. This year’s National Services Day on Saturday 5 September – with events taking place in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Wexford, Kilkenny, Drogheda, Naas and Galway – will provide the ideal opportunity to pause and recognise their professionalism and commitment.
Celebrating Those Who Serve * Commemorating Those Who Sacrificed * Inspiring Future Generations
“Every nation has those occasions that define its character. For Ireland, the first Saturday of September has increasingly become one of those occasions as communities across the country come together to celebrate National Services Day Ireland,” according to Owen Medland, Board Member of National Services Day.
What started out in 2014 through the vision of retired schoolteacher Seamus O’Neill from the Midlands has become a nationwide movement recognising the people who quietly keep our communities safe every day. Organised by a small voluntary not-for-profit board, the annual event continues to celebrate, commemorate and inspire since the first parade took to the streets of the capital.
Events this year will take place in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Wexford, Kilkenny, Drogheda, Naas and Galway, with Galway introducing a dedicated maritime focus supported by Galway Port Company.
Commemoration remains central to National Services Day. This year, the heads of the frontline agencies and services will be invited to lay wreaths at the National Garden of Remembrance before the Parade of Services proceeds along Dublin’s O’Connell Street to Trinity College, where up to 22 state and voluntary organisations will meet the public through interactive displays on the grounds of Dublin Castle.
“National Services Day is delivered almost entirely through voluntary effort. The Board extends sincere thanks to businesses, member organisations and supporters whose generosity makes the day possible. Recognition belongs equally to career professionals and volunteers, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion, united by service to their communities,” Medland told ‘Emergency Services Ireland’.
Visit the National Services Day website for regional event information and updates, while messages of appreciation can be shared on social media platforms using #NationalServicesDay.
