News

Taoiseach and Secretary of State attend Remembrance Service in St. Macartin’s Cathedral, Enniskillen

 


At the Remembrance Day Service in St. Macartin's Cathedral Enniskillen (Photo by John McVitty).

The Remembrance Day Service in St. Macartin’s Cathedral, Enniskillen, was attended by representatives from five governments including the Taoiseach, Mr Leo Varadkar T.D.

The service, following the Remembrance Ceremony held at the Cenotaph in Belmore Street, Enniskillen, scene of the Remembrance Day bomb in 1987 which resulted in the deaths of 12 people, was led by the Dean of Clogher, the Very Revd Kenneth Hall, assisted by Monsignor Peter O’Reilly, from St. Michael’s Church. The preacher was the Bishop of Clogher, Right Revd John McDowell.


Attending the Remembrance Day Service in St. Macartin's Cathedral.

Among those attending were; Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for County Fermanagh, Viscount Brookeborough; the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mr. Julian Smith M.P. representing the UK Government; the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D. representing the Irish Government; The Deputy US Consul General, Bryan Wockley, representing the American Government; the Hon Consul for Poland, Jerome Mullen, representing the Polish Government and the former First Minister, Arlene Foster MLA, representing the Northern Ireland Assembly. All government representatives led the prayers.

The lessons were ready by John Jones, Chairman of the Enniskillen Branch, Royal British Legion; Viscount Brookeborough and Monsignor Peter O’Reilly.

During the Act of Remembrance led by Dean Kenneth Hall, a page in the Book of Remembrance was turned and wreaths were laid at the War Memorial.

The Last Post and Reveille were sounded by Warren Kerr of Ballyreagh Silver Band.

Lt. Col Mark Scott (Ret’d), Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, led the words from the poem, “They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old” and the Piper’s Lament was played by Pipe Major Gordon McKeown, 4 UDR Association.

The Cathedral Choir accompanied by organist, Glenn Moore, sang the anthem, “The Mansions of the Lord,” and the collection was taken up for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

The National Anthem was sung before the Blessing by the Bishop of Clogher.

(See Bishop of Clogher's sermon in full in a separate news story).