ENDA KENNY AND British Prime Minister David Cameron have paid tribute to the war dead at a number of ceremonies in Belgium.
In the unusual move, the two leaders jointly visited a number of sites commemorating British and Irish soldiers who lost their lives in World War One.
In the town of Messines, the two leaders laid a wreath at the Irish Peace Tower, a large round tower which is a war memorial to soldiers from Ireland who died during WWI. They also laid a wreath at the Menin Gate in Ypres, which is dedicated to British and commonwealth soldiers whose graves are unknown, and where some of the most devastating fighting of the war took place.
The two visited the grave of Irish MP Willie Redmond, a Home Rule advocate who died while fighting in WWI.
A Government press office spokesperson said that the joint visit represented ‘another key milestone’ in the deepening of relations between Britain and Ireland.
More than 200,000 Irish people fought in the British forces between 1914 and 1918. Of these, approximately 49,400 were killed in action.
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