Great turnout for soldiers' parade

Hundreds of people turned out to greet soldiers at a Shropshire barracks as they staged an annual St Patrick's Day parade before their forthcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

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Friends and family of the 500-strong Royal Irish Regiment, based at Clive Barracks, Tern Hill, turned out in force to mark the occasion and celebrate the official opening of the new memorial garden on Saturday.

The regiment is currently preparing for a six-month tour of Helmand Province, to begin in August, but took time out to mark St Patrick's Day in true Royal Irish style.

The celebrations kicked off with a chariot race on homemade vehicles before a traditional service was held on the parade square.

Fiona Freely, the wife of commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Ed Freely, presented each of the officers with a sprig of shamrock to be worn in their headdresses.

The parade was fronted by the regiment's band of pipes and drums and its mascot, Irish wolfhound, Brian Boru.

The 1st Battalion last returned from Afghanistan in 2009. Its role on that occasion had been that of mentoring the Afghan National Army across Helmand.

The solders' courage and bravery was recognised with a string of honours and awards including achieving the accolade of becoming the first unit in history to receive three Conspicuous Gallantry Crosses for one tour of duty.

Lieutenant Colonel Freely said he was pleased to be celebrating not only the parade, but also the official opening of the new memorial garden at the Clive Barracks community centre in Tern Hill.

He said: "The parade is a great day for us all but we are also celebrating the official opening of the Moonbeam Garden which has been opened as a tribute to a soldier who died in Afghanistan.

"Lance Corporal Paul Muirhead died in September 2006 and his best friend Russell Bennett raised £890 to help kick-start a fund for a memorial garden, so without him this would not have been possible. The garden has also been opened as a tribute to other soldiers who have died in action."

The garden was officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire Algernon Heber-Percy.

By Anwen Evans