Happy Birthday Ma’am

Northern Ireland has been playing its part in celebrations to mark the official  birthday of Her Majesty The Queen, with Army Reserve officers and soldiers from 206 (Ulster) Battery, Royal Artillery firing the traditional 21 Gun Royal Salute at Hillsborough Castle. The occasion, celebrating Her Majesty’s 88th birthday, was mirrored with similar events in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, and with the Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace. 

Historically the firing of a cannon as a Salute indicated the friendly intent of an empty chamber and Gun Salutes were fired, both on land and at sea, as a sign of respect and welcome.   Today Gun Salutes mark special – usually Royal – occasions and in Northern Ireland the honour rests with the reservists of ‘The battery’ drawn from Army Reserve Units in Coleraine and Newtownards.

All guns blazing, in stunning sunshine, the Hillsborough Birthday salute was a resounding success, also providing an opportunity for the Reserve Forces & Cadets Association Northern Ireland and SaBRE, the organisation which links the country’s Reservists with employers, to give the business community an update on the role of Reservists.

Athene Gordon of SaBRE (Supporting Britain’s Employers & Reservists) Northern Ireland, said, “The pageant of the Royal Salute provides an exciting illustration of the high professional standards which are synonymous with Reserve service.  The occasion provided a superb platform for us to engage with a broad range of employers from across the public and private sectors, updating them on recent developments and also thanking them for their ongoing support.”