Ireland invited to Armistice Day event in London

Ireland has been invited to participate in this year's annual Armistice Day remembrance ceremony at the cenotaph in London by laying a wreath.

It is believed the Government has accepted the invitation and that Ireland's Ambassador to Britain, Dan Mulhall, will lay a wreath on Sunday, November 9th – the Sunday closest to Armistice Day, which is on November 11th. It will be the first time that Ireland has participated in the ceremony in this way.

The purpose of laying the wreath will be to recognise, at the principal annual act of remembrance for members of the British armed services who have died in the course of duty, the sacrifice of Irish men and women who have served in various branches of the British armed forces, mainly the army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

A statement last night from the British foreign office, said that the invitation would be delivered to Mr Mulhall today by Andrew Murrison MP, the prime minister’s special representative for the centenary commemoration of the first World War and parliamentary under-secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

In reply to the invitation, Mr Mulhall said: “I am pleased to accept the invitation of the UK Government to lay a wreath in memory of the 50,000 Irish who died in World War One.”

Irish involvement

More than 200,000 Irish men volunteered to serve in the British army during the first World War, coming from what was then pre-partition Ireland. Many joined Irish-based regiments but others enlisted in regiments rooted in England, Scotland, Wales and other parts of what was then the British empire, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

For that reason, the precise number of casualties is unknown, with official estimates varying between 35,000 and 50,000 but some recent researchers say they believe the figures are significantly higher.