Princess Anne visited Co Fermanagh on Thursday to mark the 85th anniversary of the Air Training Corps and pay respects at Commonwealth war graves. The princess’s visit tied remembrance to a present-day display of RAF Air Cadets activity, with a flypast by a Royal Air Force Poseidon from No. 201 Squadron closing one part of the programme.
At St Tighernach’s Church of Ireland and Sacred Heart Church in Irvinestown, she paid respects at the graves of 86 airmen who died in the Second World War. She was also told about the lives and service of those commemorated at the sites, bringing the anniversary beyond ceremony and into the practical work of keeping that history visible.
Irvinestown remembrance and Castle Archdale
Princess Anne planted an Irish yew tree during a visit to the Castle Archdale Museum and heard music played by the Ballyreagh Silver Band. She also met young people from the RAF Air Cadets, which placed the anniversary in the hands of the next generation rather than leaving it only in the past.
At Castle Archdale, she met relatives of former Women’s Auxiliary Air Force personnel who served there. She also heard about the station’s wartime contribution to maritime patrol and anti-submarine operations, a reminder that the site’s heritage runs through military service, family memory, and the cadet organisation’s current work.
Chris Hodges and the cadets
Wing Commander Chris Hodges, OC of the RAF Cadets in Northern Ireland, said it was a “great privilege” to have the princess there for the anniversary. He also said, “We are particularly pleased with the progress our new unit in Enniskillen has made in the last 18 months,” a detail that puts the focus on how the organisation is building outward while it marks its past.
Air Marshal Sean Reynolds said the Air Cadet Organisation in Northern Ireland are celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Air Training Corps in Fermanagh. He said RAF Air Cadets have played an important role over their history in contributing to the RAF, promoting the RAF’s values, and developing young people to become good citizens, and he said the celebration was fitting recognition of adult volunteers without whom the Air Cadet Organisation would not exist.
Fermanagh’s military memory
The visit linked wartime sacrifice with current RAF capabilities, because Princess Anne viewed exhibits showcasing the RAF’s current capabilities before observing the Poseidon flypast. That mix gave the day a dual meaning: it honoured the dead at Irvinestown while also presenting the modern service and cadet network that now carries the same institutional memory.
Sean Reynolds said, “It is appropriate that we are able to celebrate this today, in both Irvinestown and Castle Archdale, recognising its history, achievements and continued contribution to young people, the Royal Air Force and communities in Northern Ireland.” For readers in Co Fermanagh, the practical outcome is straightforward: the 85th anniversary was marked as a public act of remembrance, but the unit’s message was just as much about recruitment, volunteer support, and the new progress being made in Enniskillen.
