Gathering remembers victims of all wars

The president, Mrs McAleese, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, were among a large gathering at a ceremony to mark the National Day of Commemoration in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham in Dublin yesterday.

It was held to remember "all those Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations".

Also present at yesterday's ceremony in Dublin were members of the Government, the Council of State and the diplomatic corps; TDs and senators, representatives of the churches as well as the Muslim and the Jewish faiths; and relatives of those who had died while in service with the United Nations.

Music was provided by the Army No 1 band and contralto Bernadette Greevy.

The ceremony took place in the RHK quadrangle. The religious element began when, at the invitation of the Taoiseach, the Rev Thomas Kingston, chairman of the Dublin District of the Methodist Church, led the attendance in prayer.

This was followed by a rendition of the hymn An tAiseiri. The Rev Jim Carson of the Presbyterian Church then led a litany of reconciliation.

The Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Rabbi Gavin Broder, read from the Book of Micah, and Skeikh Hussein Halawa, Imam of the Islamic Cultural Centre, read from the Holy Quran.

Dr Jim Moriarty, Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, led the attendance in a prayer before the retired Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Donald Caird, read in Irish from the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, verses 1217, concerning "greater love than this no man hath, than `a thabharfadh a anam ar son a chairde'."

The hymn Lord of all Hopeful- ness followed, with further prayers from Mr Kingston and Bishop Moriarty. The religious part of the ceremony concluded with the hymn, Holy God we praise thy name, and a blessing from all the clergy led by the Rev Jim Carson.

At this point the Army cadet guard of honour reversed arms and the Taoiseach invited the President to lay a wreath in honour of all Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or in service with the United Nations.

The wreath-laying ceremony was followed by one minute's silence, after which the Army No 1 band played The Last Post. Then the national flag was raised to full mast and the national anthem was played before the President was escorted from the quadrangle, followed by the Taoiseach, members of the Government, the Council of State, and the officiating clergy.

Members of the Cabinet present included the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey, the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Cowen, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, and the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith.

Also there was the Attorney General and European Commissioner-designate, Mr David Byrne.

The Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise, Mr Joe Jacob, the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Mr Chris Flood, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Mr Dan Wallace, and the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Mr Ned O'Keefe, were also in attendance.

Council of State representatives present included the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Hamilton, the retired chief justice, Mr Justice Finlay, the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Mr Brian Mullooly, Dr Ruth Curtis, Ms Christina Carney-Flynn, and Mr Gordon Brett.

The former minister for defence, Mr Sean Barrett TD, represented Fine Gael while the Labour Party was represented by Mr Proinsias De Rossa TD, MEP.

Other public representatives present included Mr Brian Lenihan TD, Mr Conor Lenihan TD, Ms Liz McManus TD, the Fianna Fail chairman, Dr Rory O'Hanlon TD, Senator Joe Costello, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ms Mary Freehill.

The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, and the Army Chief of Staff, Lieut General David Stapleton, were also present, as was Ms Justice McGuinness of the High Court.