McAleese to honour Irish WWI dead

The President, Mrs Mary McAleese, will travel to Belgium tomorrow to honour Irish soldiers who died in World War I.

The President, Mrs Mary McAleese, will travel to Belgium tomorrow to honour Irish soldiers who died in World War I.

During her two-day visit to memorials in Flanders,  she will visit the Island of Ireland Peace Park near Messines, which she inaugurated in the presence of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Belgium's King Albert in November 1998.

Before visiting Messines, the President will view a memorial to the poet Francis Ledwidge at Boezinge, built on the spot where he was killed by a shell on 31 July 1917.

She will also visit the grave of Private John Condon, from Waterford, who was, at 14, the youngest soldier in the British Army to die in the First World War.

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On Tuesday, Mrs McAleese will attend a conference at Messines' International School for Peace Studies.

The conference will also hear presentations from Mr Gregory Campbell of the DUP, Mr Alex Maskey of Sinn Féin, Mr David Ervine of the PUP and Senator Maurice Hayes.