The ambassadors of the eight countries that took part in the Battle of the Somme will join the President, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Taoiseach and other dignitaries at the official commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the battle at the National War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge in Dublin on Saturday.
The commemoration is part of a programme of events planned by the Government to reflect the shared history and shared experiences of the people of Ireland from all traditions.
Representatives from the unionist parties have been invited to take part in Saturday's ceremony along with representatives from the other political parties North and South.
The ceremony will include a wreath-laying by President McAleese, and ambassadors from Britain, France, Germany, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, India and Australia will also lay wreaths. Nigel Hamilton, head of the Northern Ireland civil service, will lay a wreath, as will a representative of the Royal British Legion.
Following consultations with the Royal British Legion, invitations were also extended to military history societies and organisations established to honour the memory of those who served in disbanded Irish regiments, such as the Dublin Fusiliers, the Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment, and the Combined Irish Regiments Association.
In addition representatives of veteran organisations such as the Naval Association, the Irish United Nations Veterans Association and the American Legion were invited.
The ceremony, which takes place at noon, will be open to the public, and those wishing to attend should arrive at the National War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge before 11am. The public can access the event via the St John of God centre entrance, which is the entrance closest to the South Circular Road/Con Colbert Road roundabout.
Limited seating will be available to the public. On-street car parking will be available on Chapelizod Road and in nearby Clancy Barracks. Very limited car parking will be available in the grounds.
During the ceremony an officer from the Defence Forces will recite the poem In Flanders Fields. A children's choir will sing Oft in the Stilly Night.
An officer will then read from a tribute by Marshal Foch, the leader of the allied forces in 1916, followed by a piper playing a lament for those who died in the battle and a prayer from a chaplain.
A booklet similar to that produced for the Easter Sunday commemoration of the 1916 Rising will be distributed to the official guests. It will incorporate a first edition of the special commemorative stamp of the Battle of the Somme.
Large screens will be in place to relay aspects of the ceremony taking place in Paris as guests arrive at Islandbridge and as a backdrop during the musical entertainment prior to noon. The screens will then be used to relay the Islandbridge ceremony to different sections of those attending.
