Officers Leanne and Kirsty at centre of historic ceremony
TWO YOUNG Defence Forces members from Wexford were at the centre of a historic ceremony in Dublin Castle.
Lieutenant Kirsty Moran (19) from Tomhaggard and Lieutenant Leanne Nolan (27) from The Ballagh were among 77 new army officers commissioned for the army.
The commissioning ceremony, attended by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Paul Kehoe, represented the single largest intake of cadets in the history of the State.
Kirsty and Leanne were also among the largest cohort of women (17), to be commissioned from one cadet class. The young Wexford cadets were joined at the ceremony by their proud families. And after she received her commission, Leanne celebrated with her 10 month old twin nieces, Elsie and Ailbhe.
Leanne is the daughter of John and Anne Nolan and sister to Darren and Adam.
Nineteen-year-old Kirsty is one of the youngest members of the 94th cadet class. She is very involved in music and has conducted The Cadets Choir at Lourdes, Arbour Hill and other military events. She has served in the Defence Forces since 2014 as part of the 7 th Battalion in Cathal Brugha Barracks.
Speaking about Kirsty and Leanne’s commissioning, Minister Kehoe said it was extremely proud day for the cadets and their families.
‘Kirsty and Leanne have shared in not one but two pieces of history’, Minister Kehoe said.
‘Not only were they part of the largest single intake of cadets since the foundation of the State, but they were also part of a special group of 17 female Defence Force members to be commissioned’.
Sixty-seven of the new officers will serve in the Irish Army, while one of those commissioned will serve in the Air Corps.
Nine of the commissioned cadets are Maltese and will serve in the Armed Forces of Malta.
This was the first time that a commissioning ceremony was held outside of the Defence Forces Training Centre in the Curragh Camp. It was also the first attended by the Taoiseach since he took up office.