The mother of a Dublin-born soldier who died while serving in Iraq with the Irish Guards used a St Patrick's Day visit to the regiment in South Armagh by the Princess Royal to condemn the war.
Mrs May Malone was invited to the regimental celebrations at Bessbrook today where Princess Anne presented shamrock to members of the First Battalion, Irish Guards, who are currently serving on the border.
Her son, Lance Corporal Ian Malone (28), was killed by a sniper outside Basra on April 6th last year, along with Zimbabwean colleague Piper Christopher Muzvuru, 20.
Mrs Malone, who traveled from her home in Dublin for the Border ceremony and religious service, said she tried not to feel bitter about the death of her son - the only Irishman to die during the war.
But she said: "I don't think the war should ever have happened. It was not necessary. There was no need for the war at all."
Speaking at the military base as the ceremony got under way, she added: "I was fairly bitter but you cannot go through life being bitter because Ian wouldn't have wanted that - my son was a proud man and very proud to be in the Irish Guards so for his sake I try not to be bitter.
"Since the war has ended so many have died, I think it was totally unnecessary," she added.
Despite her feelings about the war she said it was a "great honour" to have been invited and to meet her son's colleagues, some of whom she said, visited her in Dublin.
"He was very proud of the regiment and he enjoyed every moment of it and he made great friends."
Fighting back her grief, she said it had been "a very hard and very tough year" since he died.