The President, Mrs McAleese, yesterday attended the annual ecumenical Remembrance Sunday service in St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin to commemorate the war dead.
The President attended with her husband, Dr Martin McAleese. The Government was represented by Tánaiste Michael McDowell.
The service began with the parade of standard-bearers of the Royal British Legion and ex-servicemen and service women's organisations. Many of those in the congregation wore campaign medals and all had poppies, the Legion's emblem of commemoration.
The Very Rev Dr Robert McCarthy, Dean of St Patrick's, took the service with lessons read by the British Ambassador, David Reddaway and Lt Gen Gerry McMahon, director of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen.
In the sermon, the Very Rev John Dunlop, formerly minister of Fitzroy Avenue Presbyterian Church, Belfast, said when 18 Palestinians were killed recently, the most moving part was not the footage of the bombing, nor the wailing of distraught women but that of one middle-aged man sitting on his hunkers, starring into space, in his eyes a bottomless sadness.
"The consequence of war is a bottomless sadness, suffering and pain," he said. Dr Dunlop said millions had died in the wars but each was an individual, leaving someone behind to stare into space into a bottomless sadness.
The human body was a wonderful thing and yet in war such marvellous creations were intentionally and systematically destroyed. War with its death, destruction and suffering could bring people to the very edge of despair. "Without dreams and visions we are less than human but we must beware that our dreams do not become other people's nightmares," he said.
He said they rejoiced when people bonded at churches and organisations and when nations bonded. "However, if there is only bonding there will be conflict. There must also be bridging between them," he said.
The most solemn part of the service then commenced with the Exhortation, the Kohima Epitaph and the Last Post. After a minute's silence and the Reveille, wreaths were laid by the President and members of the Royal British Legion.