PHOTOS Limerick unites for National Services Day 2023

National Services Day 2023 in Limerick, Saturday, September 2nd, 2023. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Limerick honoured its heroes of the National Services this September 1 as everyone came to support the people who serve in various roles across the country

National Services Day 2023 took place on September 1 to honour the dedicated men and women who serve in various roles across the nation.

In 2018, the first weekend of September was designated National Services Day as a way to recognise and thank frontline staff for their commitment to the people in times of need.

The weather matched the spirits of the people of Limerick who came out to show their support when hundreds of frontline staff marched from Barrington Street, making its way through the city to Matthew Bridge, Rutland Street.

Limerick Fire and Rescue, An Garda Síochána, Irish Red Cross, Limerick Suicide Watch, Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention, and The Irish Coast Guard were just few of the services taking part in the display on Saturday as hundreds lined the streets to cheer them on.

Speaking about the day, Limerick Fire and Rescue said, “A big turnout of services and people watching National Services Day parade today. A big thank you to Sean Horgan of the National Ambulance Service and his fellow volunteers who worked behind the scenes to ensure today went off successfully.”

Other front-line services marked their pride and gave thanks on social media, with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) saying, “To mark #NationalServicesDay, we wanted to thank our brilliant crews across #Ireland and our colleagues in the various emergency services we work with. Our volunteers are ready to drop everything to rescue those in need. Today we say #ThankYou.”

Every day, the frontline, emergency and security personnel of Ireland work tirelessly to keep the citizens of the State safe – often in challenging circumstances. Despite this, the average person rarely gets to meet the people doing this work outside the working environment and the frontline, emergency and security services rarely are provided with the opportunity to thank the public for their support and assistance.

National Services Day works to provide the public with opportunities to help foster better relationships to show the services appreciation for the support of the public and thank them for their continuing support.

At some point in their life every Irish person has been helped by frontline, emergency and security service staff. The National Services Day has created a much-needed focal point for the frontline, emergency and security services to acknowledge their appreciation to the public.

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Pictures: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick