A special service of remembrance for Diana, Princess of Wales, will be held in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, next Sunday as part of Ireland's continuing expression of sympathy at the death of the princess. The ecumenical service, to be held at 11.15 a.m., will be led by the Dean of St Patrick's, the Rev Maurice Stewart. The service will be attended by the President, Mrs Robinson. Members of the Government, TDs and members of the Seanad are also expected to attend.
Flags will fly at half mast on all State buildings on Saturday, the day of the Princess of Wales's funeral. A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it was highly unusual for a foreign national to be honoured in this way.
The last time flags were flown at half mast for a foreign national was for Lord Mountbatten in 1979, following his murder by the IRA at Mullaghmore.
The Government will not be represented at the funeral service in Westminster Abbey as invitations will be issued primarily on the basis of close personal association with the princess.
A spokesman for the British Embassy informed the Government that "it was felt that this is more in line with what would have been her own wishes and is in line with the wishes of the royal family and the Spencer family. Some from overseas who knew the princess will be invited to attend. This will be on the basis of personal association".
A spokeswoman for RTE said that the station would be covering the funeral of the princess, but that details had yet to be finalised.
Meanwhile, members of the public continued to sign books of condolences throughout the State yesterday. Thirteen thousand people had signed the book of condolences at the Mansion House, Dublin, up to lunch-time yesterday.
A spokesman for the British Embassy said he was not sure of the number of people who had signed its books of condolences, but he believed the figure ran into thousands. The embassy will close its books of condolences tomorrow at 3 p.m.
A book of condolences will be opened at the head office of South Dublin County Council today until tomorrow evening because the council is twinned with the London Borough of Brent.
The Catholic Church is not holding any special services, although a spokesman said prayers will be offered for Princess Diana and special prayers will be available on the Dublin diocesan web site at http://ireland.iol.ie/
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland will hold a service of remembrance and reflection for the princess, conducted by the Moderator, Dr Sam Hutchinson, at Church House, Belfast, tomorrow at 1 p.m. Dr Hutchinson, said: "The desire for people to pay their respects to Diana, Princess of Wales, has been overwhelming and I felt we should help in whatever way we could to provide some sort of focus for the grief."
The service will take place in Church House, which was visited by the princess in 1992 to mark the re-opening of the building.
Services are to be held tonight lat 8 p.m. in the Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh and on Sunday at 11 a.m. in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, where the Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, will preach. A service will also be held at St Columb's Cathedral, Derry, and at the parish church in Hillsborough.
Members of the nationalist-controlled Cookstown council in Co Tyrone have been criticised for refusing to fly the Union Flag at half-mast as a mark of respect to the late princess. But Sinn Fein and SDLP councillors defended their decision as being in line with the policy of creating a neutral working environment.
Flights to London over the weekend are heavy, but it is not clear if this is specifically due to people wishing to be in London for the funeral.