Sinn Féin Mayor Attends Armistice Service

Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has become the first Lord Mayor of Belfast to attend the Armistice Day commemorations at City Hall.

A silence was observed at 11:00 this morning to mark the end of the First World war.

The Mayor is the first of his party to attend an Armistice Day service, as Sinn Féin have boycotted events in the past due to their stance on the British military.

Mr Ó Muilleoir told UTV he intended to represent all people in Belfast, and that his appearance today was a symbol of that commitment.

The ceremony follows yesterday's Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph at Belfast City Hall.

First Minister Peter Robinson and Irish Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore were among the dignitaries paying tribute to those who have died in conflict.

In Enniskillen, Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny joined Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers for a national day of remembrance in the town.

Remembrance Day holds a particular resonance for the people of Enniskillen, as twenty-six years ago 11 people were killed and over 60 injured in an IRA bomb that was carried out at the town's War Memorial during a Remembrance service.

The DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson is Chairman of the Northern Ireland WW1 Centenary Commemorations Committee.

He said: "2014 is fast approaching and with it the centenary of a war that undoubtedly shaped the history of the island of Ireland for the remainder of the 20th Century.

"It was on the narrow ground of battlefields such as the Somme and Messines where the fate of modern day Ireland was determined; the blood sacrifice that bought separation for Ulster and a free state for the rest of the island. This is our shared history, yet it's narrative has hitherto divided us.

"As Chairman of the WW1 Centenary Committee in Northern Ireland I want to see all of these courageous people commemorated. Whether they were Ulster Protestants serving with the Royal Irish Rifles, the Inniskillings or the Royal Irish Fusiliers surging through the German lines beyond Thiepval Wood or Ulster Catholics in the uniform of the Connaught Rangers with their co-religionists from Munster and Leinster battling their way through the mud of Messines, all are worthy of our deepest respect and remembrance."

Alliance Chief Whip Stewart Dickson said: "We must never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice in two world wars and other conflicts. We should all respect the courage of those who fought and died in different battlefields around the world.

"I am pleased to see the on-going interest in the Republic of Ireland of these commemorations with the attendance of two Irish Ministers at Remembrance Day events in Belfast and Enniskillen last year.

"As we approach the centenary of the start of World War One, I hope that we will see a growth in interest amongst our young people of the sacrifices that were made for the freedoms that they enjoy today."

(IT/CD)