RAF Centenary Service takes place in Belfast Cathedral
Belfast Cathedral was packed for a Service of Choral Evensong celebrating the centenary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) on Sunday April 29. The RAF is the world’s oldest independent Air Force.
To mark this milestone, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, was joined at the service by his counterpart from the Irish Air Corps, Brigadier General Sean Clancy.
The service recognised the historic links between the formation of the RAF and the formation of Ireland’s National Army Air Service, now the Irish Air Corps. Ireland made a significant contribution to the development of the Royal Air Force from the days before the First World War when the Royal Flying Corps made the first ever crossing over a stretch of water, the Irish Sea, in 1913.
In his words of welcome, the Dean of Belfast, the Very Revd Stephen Forde, said that the presence of both Air Chief Marshall Sir Stephen Hillier and Brigadier General Sean Clancy, was of particular significance ‘because those pioneer aviators of the RAF in the final months of the First World War included those drawn from across the whole island of Ireland, as we shall be reminded later with the reading of WB Yeats’ poem, ‘An Irish Airman foresees his death.’”
Dean Forde told guests: “While today is a day to look back with pride over 100 years of courage, daring and innovation across the history of the RAF, this is also a day to look forward with those of you who are today’s Air Cadets, and whose vision is for the RAF’s future.”
Other special guests at the service included the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast, Mrs Fionnuala Jay–O’Boyle, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council, Councillor Sonia Copeland, Lord Lieutenants from across Northern Ireland, Shailesh Vara MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, representing Her Majesty’s Government, and four Northern Ireland MPs.