I attended the Armistice Day Commerations on the 11th November in Ieper and Messines, Belgium on the 90th anniversary of the Armistice, which ended the first World War, being signed.

I laid a wreath at the Island of Ireland Peace Park, Messines in commemoration of WicklowMen who died in the Great War. The Mayors of Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Kerry and some Northern Ireland Councils also laid wreaths. Bands from Cork and Tipperary and a choir from Tipperary provided music at this ceremony.

President Mary McAlese and Queen Elizabeth opened the Peace Park a decade ago.‘10’s of thousands of Irishmen, Catholic and Protestant, from the South and North died in that war and it is important that their sacrifice is remembered and recognised. Until recently it was not adequately recognised in the South. Also I believe it is useful to the Northern Ireland Peace process that this recognition is shown by society in the Republic’.