Ceremony today to mark National Day of Commemoration

The annual National Day of Commemoration Ceremony will be held in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham this morning.

The ceremony honours all those Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations and other international organisations in the service of peace.

It occurs on the Sunday nearest 11 July, the anniversary of the date in 1921 that a truce was signed ending the Irish War of Independence.

The military and religious ceremonies are held in the presence of the President, the Taoiseach and other members of the Government of Ireland, members of the Oireachtas, the Council of State, the Diplomatic Corps, the Judiciary, relatives of 1916 leaders, next-of-kin of those who died on service with the UN, Northern Ireland representatives and a wide cross-section of the community, including ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen.

The ceremony will include the raising of the National Flag, wreath laying and the observance of a minute's silence.

Similar ceremonies will take place throughout Ireland as part of the annual National Day of Commemoration programme.