Britain's Princess Royal has met Irish war veterans to help publicise a scheme that funds commemorative trips to battlefields in continental Europe and beyond.
Princess Anne formally launched the Irish part of the "Heroes Return" initiative during a visit to Leopardstown Park Hospital in south Dublin yesterday.
The British lottery-funded scheme allows veterans, their spouses, and carers where necessary, to visit battlefields or commemoration ceremonies in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
The princess presented the Royal British Legion (Republic of Ireland branch) with a symbolic cheque for €8,865, representing funding already made to 12 Irish veterans who attended D-Day ceremonies earlier this year.
Thanking the princess for her support, the chairman of the Republic of Ireland branch, Mr Frank Robinson MBE, also praised the British embassy for helping to ensure that the scheme was extended here.
He added: "There is now a growing acceptance in this country of the honourable part played by those of our men and women who served in the British forces during the second World War, and we are grateful for that understanding." Elsewhere, Princess Anne visited the Festina Lente centre, a special training facility in Bray, Co Wicklow, touring the equestrian centre and formally opening a new garden.
Earlier, she was given a tour of campus facilities at the University of Limerick, where she viewed the college's collection of rare books and manuscripts.
A former Olympic equestrian competitor, Princess Anne was particularly interested in a briefing on the university's equine science programme.
Accompanied by the British Ambassador, Mr Stewart Eldon, she also paid a courtesy visit to the Mayor of Limerick, Mr Michael Hourigan, at City Hall, where she was received warmly despite calls from local republican groups to boycott the visit.