Lance Corporal Malone joined the Irish Guards in 1997

The mother of the only Irishman killed in the Iraq conflict has used a St Patrick's Day visit to his regiment by the Princess Royal to condemn the war.

May Malone was speaking as Princess Anne presented the shamrock to the Irish Guards in Bessbrook, County Armagh.

Lance Corporal Ian Malone, 28, from Dublin, was killed by sniper fire in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on 6 April last year.

During Wednesday's ceremony, Mrs Malone presented a cap badge to the regiment in honour of her son and the other Irish Guard killed in the war.

Piper Christopher Muzvuru, 20, from Gweru, Zimbabwe was killed along with Mr Malone while on operations in Iraq.

Mrs Malone said she tried not to feel bitter about the death of her son, but felt the war was "totally unnecessary".

Since the war has ended so many have died, I think it was totally unnecessary May Malone Soldier's mother

She added: "I don't think the war should ever have happened. It was not necessary. There was no need for the war at all.

"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."

However, she said it was a "great honour" to have been invited to the ceremony and to meet her son's colleagues, some of whom she said, visited her in Dublin when they were in the Irish capital.

"He was very proud of the regiment and he enjoyed every moment of it and he made great friends," she said.

Mr Malone joined the Irish Guards in 1997 and served in the United Kingdom, Poland, Oman, Canada, Kosovo and Germany.

Princess Anne with Irish Guards Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Knaggs

He was also a member of the regimental pipe band.

His mother presented the regimental pipe major Rod Allan with a cap star, to be known as the Basra Star, before the parade got under way.

It had been specially commissioned by the Lance Corporals' Mess in memory of both men.

After the ceremony, the Princess Royal had lunch with the officers and men of the Irish Guards.

In presenting the shamrock to the regiment, Princess Anne took over a family tradition which her grandmother, the Queen Mother, carried out every year from 1965 until her death.

Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Knaggs said it was a great honour to have the princess continue in her grandmother's footsteps.

He said the regiment was a big family and it had been a great honour to have the Queen Mother present them with shamrock each year.

After lunching with the regiment, the Princess was due to return to England.