A special bond links France to the people of a small North Longford village according to the French Ambassador to Ireland.
Ambassador Vincent Guérend made the comments as the 225th anniversary of the Historic Battle of Ballinamuck was celebrated in the village.
Thousands of people flooded Ballinamuck over the weekend to commemorate the significant chapter of Irish history and one of the ending points of the 1798 Rebellion.
Advertisement
Attending the events on Saturday, including a re-enactment of the battle itself, Ambassador Guérend praised locals for the warm welcome and the organisers for the scale of their work.
Speaking metres from the site of the famous battle, the Ambassador described his pride in celebrating the bond between the two nations:
