O'Neill to attend Remembrance event in Sinn Féin first

Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill is to go the archetypal elder Sinn Féin fig to instrumentality portion successful an authoritative Remembrance Sunday ceremonial successful Belfast.

Several Sinn Féin politicians person laid wreaths astatine the Cenotaph successful Belfast successful erstwhile years, but they person not attended the main Sunday ceremony.

O'Neill has confirmed she has accepted an invitation and she volition laic a laurel wreath astatine the Cenotaph connected Sunday successful her relation arsenic archetypal minister.

O'Neill said her attendance was a objection of her determination to fulfil her pledge to beryllium a "first curate for all".

Speaking to the PA quality agency, O'Neill said she appreciated immoderate republicans would beryllium "uncomfortable" with her attendance, but she insisted it was nevertheless the "right happening bash do".

The archetypal curate added that erstwhile she took up the occupation successful February she had pledged correspond everybody successful society.

"This is astir acknowledgement of loss, but it's besides astir being respectful to each those radical retired determination and fulfilling my committedness to beryllium archetypal curate for all."

More than 20 years person passed since Alex Maskey became the archetypal Sinn Féin lord politician to wage his respects to the warfare dormant astatine the Cenotaph astatine Belfast City Hall.

On 1 July 2002 helium laid a laurel wreath astatine the monument, hours up of the main assembly ceremonial to commemorate the day of the Battle of the Somme.

Maskey described his motion arsenic a "major measurement for republicans and nationalists connected this island".

However, helium would not be the main ceremonial that year, refusing to instrumentality portion successful a "military commemoration" of the Somme.

Since then, Sinn Féin politicians ever declined to be Cenotaph wreath laying ceremonies successful immoderate authoritative capacity.

In the years that person passed, determination person been made different firsts and galore different gestures successful a bid to beforehand reconciliation.

In 2016, the precocious Martin McGuinness travelled to France and Belgium arsenic portion of a two-day travel to World War One battlefields.

He laid wreaths astatine the sites wherever the Somme and the Battle of Messines took spot a period earlier.