This afternoon, as High Sheriff of Belfast, I had great pleasure in presenting Medals, Shield and Cup to the winners, Caerphilly, (Welsh Caerffilli) and runners-up Young Munster, at the Malone Under 13 International Festival of Rugby at Malone RFC , Gibson Park, Belfast. I was met and welcomed by Malone President Colin Morrison and Organiser Barry Leacock.

The Inaugural Festival took place in 2004, and involved Under 12 groups. Teams from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland (North and South) took part. The Festival ran until 2009 for the Under 12 group until in 2010 the IRFU imposed new regulations on clubs in Ireland, which made medals and trophies for Under 12's and below no longer an option.

Colin showed me a photograph of Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne, a revised edition of whose whose story by Patrick Marrinan I edited and published under my Pretani Press imprint in 1983 . Blair Mayne played for and captained Malone RFC 1st XV 1939/40 before he went to war. Beside the photograph was a Memorial Tablet listing all those from the Club who died in that war as well as those, including Blair himself, who also served.

This tournament is particularly important in starting friendships among young Rugby players throughout the British Isles. It serves as a reminder of the underlying strength and resilience of the ordinary people of our society who will not be hampered by notions of a false sense of patriotism which is destructive rather than fulfilling our need for a better world, free from violence, suspicion and fear.