Commemoration at Belfast City Hall
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, joined other political representatives in laying wreaths at Belfast City Hall to mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The ceremony took place in the Garden of Remembrance and included a two-minute silence and wreath laying.
Deputy Lord Mayor Hedley Abernethy led the ceremony, which was also attended by Secretary of State Hilary Benn.
The first day of the Battle of the Somme, fought in northern France, remains the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army and one of the most infamous days of World War One. On 1 July 1916, British forces suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 fatalities.
More than 2,000 men from the 36th Ulster Division died in the initial days of the battle, which lasted 141 days. Thousands of men from what is now the Republic of Ireland also fought for the British Army within the 16th Irish Division, which lost about 1,200 men in a single action in September during the Somme.
Overall, the battle resulted in 420,000 British casualties, the cost of advancing the front line by just four and a half miles (7.2 km).
'Emotive anniversary'
Deputy Lord Mayor Hedley Abernethy emphasized the importance of acknowledging the sacrifice of those who died during the battle.
"This is the first time I've laid a wreath at the cenotaph and I actually felt a little bit emotional as I looked up to the cenotaph and acknowledged that sacrifice that these young men gave for me and all of us here on this island," he said.
"At that stage Northern Ireland did not exist, so this is an all island thing and even having dignitaries here from the British government, from the Irish government, makes that much more significant."
The DUP Junior Minister Joanne Bunting described the anniversary as "highly emotive."
"It's immensely important that we as a people continue to remember, because we owe them everything, after the sacrifices that they made and their immense bravery on that fateful day," she said.
'A very poignant day'
Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, laid a wreath at the Ulster Tower, Northern Ireland's National War Memorial in Thiepval, France.
Hundreds gathered in northern France to remember those killed at the Battle of the Somme. Services were held at the Ulster Memorial Tower in Thiepval, dedicated to the soldiers of the 36th Ulster Division, and at the village of Guillemont, where a Celtic Cross commemorates men from the 16th Irish Division.
Princess Anne laid a wreath at the Ulster Tower during the service.
Carole Walker from the Somme Heritage Association described the day as "a very poignant day." Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme, Walker emphasized the importance of remembering the sacrifices made by previous generations for the freedoms enjoyed today.
She noted that around 900 people attended the service at the Ulster Tower.
Lieutenant Colonel Wayne Nickels of the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, was also present in France to mark the anniversary, accompanied by 120 reserve soldiers who participated in the service parade on Wednesday.
Lt Col Nickels highlighted the all-Ireland nature of World War I.
"No home was left untouched by that… back 110 years ago soldiers on the battlefield did not care where you came from, whether you were Catholic, or Protestant, or none," he said.
