The families of 83 members of the Defence Forces who died on UN peacekeeping duties were yesterday presented with Dag Hammarskjöld medals in recognition of their sacrifice.
The presentation to 82 of the families was in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin, by the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith. At a separate ceremony in New York, the family of the last Irish soldier to die, Private Peadar Ó Flaithearta, received a medal from the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan. Private Ó Flaithearta, from Co Galway, died last year in East Timor in a tragic accident.
The UN medal is named after a Swedish statesman, Mr Dag Hammarskjöld, who was secretary general of the UN from 1953-1961.
Mr Smith said at Cathal Brugha Barracks that Irish people were "immensely proud" of the contribution of peacekeepers.
"Today we discharge a debt of honour to the memory of these brave men who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our name. It is a small but significant acknowledgement by a grateful nation."
The ceremony in Dublin also marked the awarding of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda Medal to 37 living members of the Defence Forces. "This honour marks a contribution of real substance to the international response to a saga of almost unspeakable savagery," said Mr Smith. "The recipients, all of whom volunteered for service in very difficult circumstances, worked to relieve the distress of thousands of Rwandan refugees in Zaire during 1994."
Mr Smith said the transfer to regional states of the command of UN-mandated missions contained no threat to Irish military neutrality. However, he added: "This change has implications for the manner in which these operations are organised and structured, and must cause us to optimise our capacity to integrate with command structures of other nations and regional organisations."