Battle of the Somme

Irish Government Minister Attends Belfast Somme Commemoration

Pete Baker on July 1, 2012, 10:22 pm

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Having been invited to attend, almost unanimously, by Belfast City Council, an Irish Government Minister has taken part in the Battle of the Somme commemorations at Belfast City Hall for the first time. From the BBC report Soldiers from across Ireland fought side by side in the World War I. As with previous years, Sinn Fein councillors did not attend the main commemoration. [Alan Kelly TD, the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport], who laid …

Belfast City Council to invite Irish Government to Somme Commemoration

Pete Baker on January 4, 2012, 9:35 pm

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Not a bad opening gambit ahead of all those anniversaries. Belfast City Council have agreed to invite the Irish Government to participate in the Somme and Remembrance Sunday commemorations in Belfast [this year?]. But it wasn’t unanimous. From the BBC report SDLP councillor Pat McCarthy proposed the move which was discussed at a city council meeting on Wednesday evening. There was no opposition to the motion. The two main unionist parties, the DUP and the UUP, agreed with the SDLP …