Armistice Day Marked at Cenotaph in Belfast

By David Young (PA)

Around 200 people have gathered in silence at the Cenotaph in Belfast to mark the Armistice.

At 11am, they stood with heads bowed to mark the end of the First World War.

Royal British Legion president Philip Morrison presided at the short commemoration, which was also attended by Sinn Fein Lord Mayor Tina Black.

“Thank you for coming here this morning to support the Royal British Legion’s call for a two-minute silence,” he told those gathered in the grounds of City Hall.

“On this the anniversary of the guns falling silent in the First World War, we reflect on the cost of that conflict and indeed the human cost of all conflict.”

Mr Morrison then read the Binyon poetry before a bugler player the last post.

The crowd then stood for the two-minute silence, replicating scenes witnessed across the UK.

Afterwards, Ms Black described the event as a “dignified and beautiful ceremony”.

“It was a time to reflect on the tragedies of war and I was honoured to be there, and it did feel like a fitting ceremony,” she said.

Ms Black’s presence at the event was in keeping with recent Sinn Fein mayors of Belfast.

The republican party has participated in the Armistice ceremony, and laid laurel wreaths on July’s anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, but has declined to participate in the main Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph.

Ms Black will also not be attending the Cenotaph event on Sunday.

In an interview with the PA news agency, she repeatedly declined to articulate her party’s rationale for not attending Remembrance Sunday commemorations and broke off the interview on two occasions to seek clarity from party colleagues on the issue.

Party figures have previously cited concerns about excessive British military trappings on show at Remembrance Sunday events.

(Photo by PA)