TANAISTE PAYS TRIBUTE TO 300 IRISH TROOPS

Harris attends 'poignant' ceremony before Leb mission

- BY EOIN SHORTISS and GRAINNE NI AODHA

A CEREMONY held before the deployment of more than 300 Irish peacekeepers to south Lebanon was “poignant”, ahead of the mission, the Tanaiste said.

Three hundred and sixty-two Irish soldiers are to be deployed to the area from next week, as part of a peacekeeping mission of which Ireland has been a part for decades. These include 30 peacekeepers from Cork, minister of state Jerry Buttimer has confirmed.