The annual ecumenical Remembrance Day Service in Dublin yesterday was attended by the President, Mrs McAleese, and many former servicemen who lost comrades.
Those who died in two world wars and on duty with the UN were commemorated at the service at St Patrick's cathedral.
The President who was dressed in black did not wear a poppy. She was accompanied by her husband Dr Martin McAleese, who similarly did not have on the emblem which is the symbol of commemoration of the Royal British Legion.
Also present was the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Dermot Lacey, and ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from many countries including Britain, Australia, Canada, Germany and China.
In his sermon, the Very Rev T.W.J. Morrow said that every major conflict and war, national and international, was fought primarily over the issue of land.
In Ireland, everybody knew the importance and significance of that, he said. What every conflict, the Middle-East, the former Yugoslavia, shared in common was the issue of land and property.
Such conflicts continued in our world and each country's people sought their God to be their ally, he said.
Land was important to us but we needed to remember that what was important today, in a 100 years would be of no significance whatsoever.
What would the land of Ireland, Europe, the US be like then, he asked. "But it is not our land, we are simply stewards of it. Land is not ours but placed as a gift of God for us to enjoy," he said.
The land of Ireland, Europe, the Middle East had been given to us to be shared to enjoy in God, he told the congregation who filled the cathedral to capacity.
He said he was the chairman of Nexus Ireland which brought together the people of the different communities North and South, Protestant and Catholic. The message was that the first loyalty and allegiance should be to God.
The service, which was conducted by the Dean of St Patrick's, the Very Rev Dr Robert McCarthy, began with the carrying of the service standards to the war memorial in the cathedral followed by the laying of wreaths.
The first lesson of evensong was read by Mr Frank Turvey and the second by the Canadian Ambassador, Mr Mark Moher.
The act of remembrance which opens with the Last Post was led by Maj-Gen The O'Morchoe, the president of the Royal British Legion Republic of Ireland who read the Exhortation which begins: They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.
After two minute's silence, he read the Kohima Epitaph:
When you go home, tell them of us and say:
For your tomorrow we gave our today
before the Reveille was sounded.
The Burma Star Standard was carried and handed over for the last time to the cathedral after the closing of the Burma Star Association, Republic of Ireland branch. It will be placed in the north transept with the other military standards.