UNITED NATIONS: Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has laid a wreath and paid tribute to 87 UN peacekeepers from Ireland who “fought and died for the cause of peace” over the last 60 years.
The first Irish peacekeepers deployed in 1958, and Varadkar told a memorial event at UN headquarters Monday that not a single day since then has passed without Irish participation in UN peace force operations.
He said tens of thousands of Irish men and women have worn UN blue helmets and served in dozens of countries over the last 60 years, including Lebanon, Cyprus, the Balkans, East Timor, Liberia and Congo.
He said, “Peacekeeping has become part of our national identity.”
Later Monday, Varadkar will officially launch Ireland’s campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2021-22.
