Remembrance Sunday marked across Northern Ireland | UK News

Events and services have been taking place in cities, towns and villages across Northern Ireland to mark Remembrance Sunday.

Belfast’s ceremony began with a two-minute silence at 11:00 GMT and Belfast Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly laid a wreath on behalf of the city’ citizens.

Michelle O’Neill attended the event and laid a laurel wreath at the Cenotaph at Belfast City Hall in her role as first minister for the second year in a row.

Last year she became the first senior Sinn Féin figure to take part in an official Remembrance Sunday ceremony.

Writing on social media, O’Neill said she had “made a commitment to be a First Minister for all and I am fully committed to delivering on that promise”.

She said she attend the event to “remember all those who lost their lives during the First World War and in subsequent conflicts”.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly also laid a wreath as did Irish government minister Helen McEntee.

At the scene: Catherine Morrison, News NI

Hundreds of people stood in the autumn sunshine waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The two minute silence was observed and then politicians, dignitaries and military personnel began the wreath laying at the cenotaph.

There was no sign of any protest or controversy at the first minister’s decision to take part in the ceremony.

Natasha Graham was at the event with her family.

“We have a long line of history in our family of people who died in the World War One and World War Two and we’re here to remember them today. They were all young and young men and without them we wouldn’t be standing here today.

“We do have to say thanks to them and remember them – it’s very important.”

DUP Leader Gavin Robinson is in London at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph where he laid a wreath at the monument in central London as part of the service to remember those who died in conflict.

King Charles III led a two-minute silence at the service and also laid a wreath.

He was joined by other senior royals and political leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch at the ceremony.

The Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin laid a wreath at the war memorial in Enniskillen in County Fermanagh during the Remembrance Sunday ceremony.

It also remembers the 12 people killed in an IRA bomb attack on the Remembrance event in 1987.

Martin was joined by Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn as well as Northern Ireland’s civil service head Jayne Brady.

On Thursday the Justice Minister Naomi Long today attended the Northern Ireland Prison Service Annual Memorial Service at the Memorial Garden at Hydebank Wood to remember officers who lost their lives in the course of duty.

Remembrance Day events were held throughout Northern Ireland, including a parade in Ballyclare and Ballymena.