President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday led ceremonies in Dublin to mark the National Day of Commemoration to remember Irish men and women who died in wars or in the service of the UN.
A crowd of 400 guests, dignitaries and members of the public gathered in windy conditions at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham for a non-denominational prayer service.
This was followed by the laying of a wreath by Mrs McAleese, a minute's silence and the raising of the Tricolour from half mast.
The ceremony began with a procession of representatives of the various faiths, followed by members of the Council of State and a number of Cabinet and Junior Ministers.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Green Party leader Trevor Sargent also attended. Labour was represented by TDs Joan Burton, Ruairí Quinn and Joe Costello.
Local authority mayors, secretaries general from some Government departments, members of the diplomatic corps and retired members of the Defence Forces also attended as guests.
The Taoiseach, accompanied by his aide-de-camp Commdt Michael Murray, was escorted into the ceremony by Major Gen Pat Nash and Major Gen Dermot Earley.
Mrs McAleese, accompanied by her aide-de-camp Col Ray King, was escorted by chief-of-staff of the Defence Forces Lieut Gen Jim Sreenan and Brig Gen Gerry McNamara.
At the Taoiseach's invitation, prayers were said by the the Very Rev Dr Yaakov Pearlman, chief rabbi of Ireland, who described Ireland as a land "blessed by Almighty God".
Prayers were also read by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Rev Diarmuid Martin; the Rev Alan Boal of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland; the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin the Most Rev John Neil; the Rev Fr Godfrey O'Donnell representing the Romanian Orthodox Church; the Rev Dudley Levistone Cooney of the Methodist Church in Ireland; and Dr Ali Qirbi of the Islamic Cultural Centre.
Music was provided by the combined bands of the First Southern and Fourth Western Brigades. They were accompanied by Dr Bernadette Greevy
The President then laid a wreath at a commemorative plaque. The Tricolour was then raised to full mast by Lieut Ian O'Riordan. Following Reveille, the National Anthem was played and there was a fly-past by four PC9 aircraft.