The recent State Visit to Ireland by Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia and Chief Scout of Australia, provided an important opportunity to reflect on the longstanding ties between Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War.
As part of her visit to Dublin, Her Excellency visited Grangegorman Military Cemetery, where she paid tribute to the Australian and New Zealand service personnel who lie at rest in Ireland. The visit formed part of the Governor-General’s official programme, which specifically included a visit to Grangegorman to honour the ten Anzac service personnel buried there.
Remembering the fallen
The solemn ceremony at Grangegorman was held to honour seven Australian soldiers and three New Zealand soldiers who died during the First World War and whose final resting place is in Ireland.
The Governor-General’s presence was particularly significant. Ms Mostyn has served as Australia’s Governor-General since 2024 and, in April 2025, was formally invested as Chief Scout of Australia.
The ceremony brought together representatives from Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
The Ambassadors of Australia and New Zealand were in attendance, alongside senior representatives of the Irish State, including the Deputy Garda Commissioner and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces.
Scouts play their part
An especially significant element of the ceremony was the involvement of ten Scouts from 9th/10th Dublin, Aughrim Street, together with Scouts from 4th/5th/129th/190th Dublin, Navan Road, who were invited to support the event and played an important role in helping with the ceremony.
Their participation brought a distinctly intergenerational dimension to the occasion.
For the Scouts, the occasion provided a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the principles of service, respect, duty and remembrance that lie at the heart of Scouting.
The significance of their involvement was further emphasised by their connection with Her Excellency in her role as Chief Scout of Australia. Scouter Oscar Carroll Klingner presented Ms Mostyn with a commemorative plaque as a memento of her visit. She said she would display it in her office as a reminder of her visit to Ireland and her connection with Irish Scouting.
At the conclusion of the event, the ten Scouts were presented with an Australian Scouts National neckerchief as a special recognition of their contribution and support.
The presentation was a memorable gesture, symbolising the friendship between Australian and Irish Scouting and recognising the important role that young people can play in preserving the memory of those who served.
The presence of the Scouts was perhaps one of the most fitting aspects of the ceremony.
For the ten Dublin Scouts, standing among the graves of Australian and New Zealand servicemen, supporting an international commemorative ceremony and meeting the Chief Scout of Australia was an experience they are unlikely to forget.
Their involvement also highlighted the strong links that continue to exist between Irish and Australian Scouting — links founded on friendship, service and a shared belief in developing young people who contribute positively to their communities.
For Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, the ceremony at Grangegorman was a quiet but significant expression of shared history, friendship and respect.
