President McAleese in Belgium for war commemoration

The president is leading tributes today to the Irish who fell in the First World War.

President McAleese is laying a wreath in Flanders to commemorate the battle for Messines Ridge 90 years ago.

The battle for Messines Ridge was the first time that members of the 16th Irish division who were Southern nationalists and the 36th Ulster division who were Northern unionists fought and died side by side in the war.

Hundreds of Irish including the Nationalist MP Willie Redmond died in taking Messines although thousands of Germans were killed.

The carnage began when landmines were detonated beneath their trenches creating an explosion which it is claimed was heard in Dublin.

Today's ceremonies are taking place at the special Peace Tower built there in 1998 to mark the sacrifices made by all soldiers from Ireland during the First World War.