Trevor Lunn MLA said: “We should never forget the sacrifice of those who died at the Somme. We should be doing all that is possible to honour all those young men who lost their lives during this battle.
“I am pleased to see the on-going development of interest in the Irish Republic of these commemorations with the second attendance of an Irish Minister at the cenotaph memorial at Belfast City Hall. These are shared events and we should be taking every possible opportunity to remember those who died from both sides of the border.
“I also welcome the growing source of interest in young people in learning about these commemorations. Just recently, Friends’ School, Lisburn and St Dominic’s, Belfast completed a joint project on the events of 1916 covering both the Somme and Easter Rising, and they are hoping to expand it to other schools.
“It is important that each generation is encouraged to be mindful of the sacrifice and history of previous generations without whom we would not be where we are today.”
ENDS