Kindly Póg Mo Thóin

This is very cool, and I’d like to meet this woman:

Dressed in a knee-length dark blue coat with red trim and matching top hat, Moira Cameron on Monday became the first female Beefeater, or Yeoman Warder, since the corps of Tower guards was founded in 1485. She told The Associated Press the medieval castle is a wonderful place to work.

“You do the job for prestige, and because you meet people every day,” she said. She relishes contact with visitors after 22 years of desk work as an army accountant. . . .

Cameron, 42, started dreaming of a job in the Tower after six years in the army. But back then, she doubted whether she would last the minimum of 22 years’ service required to apply.

The attraction is the “depth of history” in the place, she said.

While there was never any formal ban on female Beefeaters, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said it was only recently that many women, who can now count maternity leave as part of their service in the forces, were notching up as many years as men.

Chief Yeoman Warder John Keohane said the guards had anticipated that a woman would one day join their ranks, and only one or two had expressed reservations.

“She’s been here for two months and been accepted by the community,” said Keohane, very much the traditional image of a bearded Beefeater.

Cameron, who was chosen in December and has been training at the Tower since July, said only one visitor had expressed strong objections to her appointment. She shot back: “I’d like to thank you for dismissing my 22 years of loyal service to Her Majesty’s services.”

And here’s why I want to meet her:

Cameron found the Beefeaters’ distinctive Victorian costume an improvement over the meager provision of plain army uniforms.

“Now I’ve got these wonderful huge pockets,” she said, revealing the pockets beneath her coattails.

“Because of the style of the coat you can’t see whatever it is in my pockets. I’ve got a bottle of water, my phone, my diary.”

Congratulations, Yeoman Warder!