The community project bears the name Private Billy Kedian in memory of the local soldier who died 25 years ago while serving on a peacekeeping deployment in Lebanon.
A local fundraising group constructed a memorial in honour of Pte Kedian on the outskirts of Ballyhaunis in May of this year.
When he was murdered in Lebanon in 1999, he was only 21 years old.
Séamus Gannon and Larry Carty, two retired army veterans who were Pte Kedian's coworkers, were instrumental in starting this effort.
I grew up 8 miles from Ballyhaunis in Mayo, so this wonderful community initiative is particularly poignant & important. Named in honour of local soldier Private Billy Kedian who lost his life on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon 25 years ago. #Communityhttps://t.co/WXKYpUeziw
— Pippa Hackett (@pippa_hackett) September 21, 2024
Billy's family was flown by a locally owned helicopter not far from the location of the helipad where the air ambulance would be stationed.
The initiative is expected to cost €2 million, and the organisers are asking their local officials to support it.
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