President Mary McAleese presided at the National Day of Commemoration in Dublin yesterday. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Tánaiste Brian Cowen and a number of Cabinet Ministers also attended the ceremony.
President McAleese laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Ireland and a minute's silence was then observed.
The Tricolour was then hoisted to full mast and was accompanied by a roll of drums.
The multifaith commemoration was attended by the following: Chief Rabbi of Ireland Dr Yaakov Pearlman; Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Dr Raymond Field; Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Dr John RW Neill; the dean of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ireland, the Rev Archpriest Michael Gogoleff; the Dublin district superintendent of the Methodist Church, the Rev Dr John Stephens, and Imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa, representing the Islamic Cultural Centre.
Mr Ahern invited representatives of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths to lead an act of commemoration, each according to their own tradition.
"It is fitting that we remember here today all those Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations," said Mr Ahern.
Bernadette Greevey sang Oft in the Stilly Night.
The band of the Defence Forces school of music, conducted by Lieut Col Brendan Power, played the national anthem.
