BANGOR ENJOYS FRIENDLY INVASION ON ARMED FORCES DAY

Bangor celebrated a friendly invasion over the weekend as the town hosted Northern Ireland’s Armed Forces Day. The family-friendly day of entertainment and festivities, staged by Ards and North Down Borough Council and the Ministry of Defence, attracted thousands of spectators to enjoy a range of themed celebrations, including a parade and interdenominational drumhead service involving hundreds of military personnel and veterans.  The Council and the Northern Ireland military personnel were delighted to welcome the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Mark Lancaster MP, to the event, who joined the 35,000 who enjoyed the celebrations.

The festivities also included spitfire displays, military vehicle displays, tall ships, street theatre and food stalls as well as a toughly fought tug-of-war competition between the Northern Ireland-based reserve units. Musical performances were given by the Irish Guards and the Royal Irish Regiment, which were a real crowd-pleaser.

Armed Forces Day is a chance for the community to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans and cadets. The Northern Ireland Armed Forces community are extremely grateful to Ards and North Down Borough Council for the warm welcome that they received over the weekend and the hard work that went into making the event such a success.