The Irish Divisions at Messines Ridge
No visitor to Messines will leave without noticing the considerable Irish presence in the town.
An Irish Peace Tower was inaugurated by King Albert II of Belgium, Queen Elizabeth of the UK and President Mary McAleese of Ireland some years ago and its quiet park and engraved stones attract a number of visitors.
During the Battle for Messines Ridge in 1917, the 16th Irish Division (southern and largely Catholic) and the 36th Ulster Division (northern and largely Protestant) fought side by side at Wytschaete, about three kilometres from Messines. It was the only time the two divisions went into battle together. The Tower commemorates this fact and those who lost their lives there.
Its construction was financed by the British and Irish governments together with private sponsorship. The inauguration was also the first public event undertaken jointly by a British monarch and a president of Ireland.
The tower formed part of a concept by "A Journey for Reconciliation Trust" established by two Irishmen, and since then an International School for Peace Studies, which provides courses for young people from both Irish communities, has been operating in part of the town's community hall. In 2005, the Trust opened a "Peace Village" - a hostel with 128 beds and a range of facilities. The hostel is close to the Messines Ridge Cemetery and open to all nationalities.
Footnote: The Royal Irish Regiment was part of the 16th Irish Division at Wytschaete in 1917. Its 18th Battalion had served in New Zealand from 1861 to 1870, making the RIR the only Irish regiment to do so.
Disbanded prior to the establishment of the Irish Free State in the early 1920s, the regimental colours showed both New Zealand and Messines among its battle honours. Despite a long history the regiment made just one alliance - with what is now the Wellington, West Coast and Taranaki Regiment, which also fought at Messines in 1917.
In 1870, when the Royal Irish Regiment left New Zealand for India, a number of its soldiers bought their discharge on arrival in Sydney and returned with their families to live in New Zealand.