FOR THE third year Taoiseach Enda Kenny attended the annual Remembrance Day ceremony in Enniskillen and laid a laurel wreath at the Cenotaph.
Speaking afterwards, he said it was the mark of a united people, ‘that you have a laurel wreath in the middle of all the poppy wreaths here’.
Mr Kenny also took part in the subsequent memorial service at St Macartin’s Cathedral where he did a reading along with the parish priest of St Michael’s, Enniskillen, Monsignor Peter O’Reilly.
Other dignitaries at the ceremonials in Belmore Street included Stormont minister, Arlene Foster and Gabrielle Moseley, the US deputy consul general.
Ex-servicemen and women joined local MLA Tom Elliott and others, including the chairman of Fermanagh District Council, Bert Johnston and councillors for the tribute.
The memorial is dedicated to those from Fermanagh who lost their lives in the two world wars and, also, the 11 victims of the IRA Enniskillen bomb of 1987. A twelfth, Ronnie Hill, died from his injuries in 2000.
Mr Kenny said Enniskillen had a particular ‘poignancy’ for him because of the IRA attack, and he said he had always been warmly welcomed to the town.
He also welcomed his government’s contribution to the remembrance ceremony in London where the Irish ambassador to the UK, Dan Mulhall laid a laurel wreath. It was the first time that this has happened in almost 70 years.
Mr Kenny’s visit was welcomed by Tom Elliott.
“It is appreciated that he comes to this town where there was a significant event during the Troubles. I would now like to see him go further and offer any assistance he can into an investigation into the bombing. It may have taken the Irish government 90 years to do so, but maybe that’s how long it takes for reconciliation.”
There were also remembrance ceremonies in Lisnaskea, Irvinestown, Lisbellaw, Maguiresbridge, Kesh, Brookeborough and Florencecourt.
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