A service of remembrance has taken place in Dublin to mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and recognising all of those who lost their lives in WWI and WWII.
More than 125 wreaths were laid during the Ceremony of Remembrance, which took place at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Dublin.
The all-Ireland service was organised by the Royal British Legion’s Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland districts.
Around 3,500 Irish men died in the Battle of the Somme, which took place from 1 July to 18 November in 1916.
More than three million people fought in the battle and there were more than one million casualties between each side.
Estimates of the number of Irish men who died in both World Wars range between 40,000 around 60,000.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron, the Lord Mayor of Belfast Róis-Máire Donnelly, Minister of State Robert Troy and Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive Emma Little-Pengelly laid wreaths as part of the ceremony.
The service took place at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens
Brigadier General Stephen Ryan represented the Commander in Chief of the Irish Defence Forces and Assistant Garda Commissioner Catharina Gunne represented An Garda Síochána.
Guests also included the British Ambassador Kara Owen, Canadian Ambassador Dennis King, German Ambassador David Gill, Ambassador of the Czech Republic Pavel Vošalik, Ambassador of Greece Georgios Stilianopoulos and Ambassador of Georgia Sophie Katsarava.
People gathered for the Ceremony of Remembrance in Dublin
For the Chairmen of both the Republic of Ireland District and Northern Ireland Districts of Royal British Legion, this annual all-Ireland service has a personal resonance.
“I have family members who fought in the first world war, some of them were lost and also in the second world war, I had an uncle who served in the second world war but he survived it,” Royal British Legion District Chairman in the Republic of Ireland Paul Stephenson said.
He also served in the British Royal Naval Service from 1970 to 1979.
His counterpart from the Northern Ireland District Colin Ward wore his great grandfather’s medals at the event.
“My own great grandfather fought and died at the Battle of the Somme on the first of July, he was one of many Irish men, didn’t matter what religion they had or who they were, they fought and died together, and it’s only right that we should be here today to commemorate those men who fought and died, the 10th and the 16th Irish Division, the 36th Ulster Division, they stood side by side in various battles,” Mr Ward said.
James Kearns, 83, spent many years as the doorman in Brown Thomas on Grafton Street, but when he was a younger man he served in the British Army and in the Irish Army Reserve, and medals from his service in both were pinned to his lapel this afternoon.
“I joined the British Army when I was I was just 19, and I served with the Irish Guards for 16 years and three months.
“I then returned to Ireland, my wife, myself, and family, and I’d hoped to join the Irish Army but I was just over the age so I joined the Irish Army Reserve.
“They had full-time service with the Reserve, so I served three and a half years there,” Mr Kearns said.
He said that he is “proud to have served” and that he values days like today where he can “meet old comrades… and keep in touch with them.”
Chairperson of the Island of Ireland World War One Relatives Group, Sabina Purcell, said relatives on both sides of her family were part of the allied forces during WW1.
“I had a paternal grandfather who came home after four and a half years, and I had a maternal grandaunt who was a nurse, and she came home as well,” Ms Purcell said.
The ceremony spanned more than an hour and a half.
Members of Scouting Ireland were on hand to distribute glasses of water and suncream.
The music was by Band 2 Brigade of the Irish Defence Forces, Band of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment and The Brook Singers.