Somme commemorations

Today I represented the British Government at the annual Somme commemoration in France, attending commemoration services at Thiepval and the Ulster Tower and laying wreaths in memory of those who lost their lives in one of the bloodiest battle of the First World War.

The people of Northern Ireland have a strong emotional attachment to the Somme. It is now 92 years since the start of the Battle, when brave young men from towns and villages across Ulster went over the top, many never to return home.

The memory of what happened here all those years ago shows no signs of disappearing. If anything, through the work of organisations like the Somme Association and the Somme Heritage Centre, a new generation is learning about what happened here all those years ago.

I was joined at today’s commemorations by hundreds of people from across Ireland, north and south, who have travelled to France to remember those who never returned. It is important to do so because what happened here must never be forgotten – the endless rows of headstones are a stark reminder of the horrors of war.

On the first day of battle, over 2,000 men from the 36th Ulster Division lost their lives and many more were wounded. In the months ahead, men from the Ulster and Irish Divisions fought and died together.

Through the various acts of remembrance taking place today, not just at the Somme but across Northern Ireland, the memory of what happened here will be eternal.