Ireland honours its war dead

IRELAND’S war dead were remembered amid prayers for peace, justice and strong political leadership during the annual National Day of Commemoration service yesterday.

Relatives and comrades of fallen soldiers and civilian victims of conflict joined with President Mary McAleese, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and 1,200 other guests at the multi-denominational religious and military ceremony in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin.

Mrs McAleese laid a wreath at the permanent plaque erected in the courtyard which honours all the Irish who have died in past wars or on service with the United Nations and a minute’s silence was observed before a ceremonial raising of the tricolour from half mast.

Representatives from the main religions took part including the Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, the Church of Ireland, the Greek Orthodox Church and the Jewish and Islamic communities.

Each in turn lead an act of commemoration through a prayer or reading reflecting their own religious tradition, but sharing the theme of remembrance for those lost and hope for peace in the future.

The National Day of Commemoration has been held annually since 1986 and is scheduled on the Sunday nearest to July 11, the date of the signing of the truce in the war of independence in 1921.

The President received a military escort from Áras an Uachtaráin and a uniformed guard of honour greeted the arrival of the Taoiseach.