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Armistice Day has been marked by commemorations in Northern Ireland. At Stormont, political leaders gathered for a remembrance event in the senate chamber of Parliament Buildings, where a bugler played the Last Post. Afterwards, Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots led a procession through the Great Hall of the building to the war memorial close to the entrance. There Mr Poots laid a wreath to mark the moment the guns fell silent at the end of the First World War, as did the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Jayne Brady and Assembly chief executive Lesley Hogg. Several political figures also laid wreaths, including DUP leader Gavin Robinson, UUP leader Mike Nesbitt, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long, SDLP leader of the opposition Matthew O’Toole and TUV MLA Timothy Gaston. DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly accompanied her party leader during the solemn event. She had cited the occasion as a reason she was unable to attend Tuesday’s inauguration ceremony for new Irish president Catherine Connolly in Dublin. Sinn Fein’s chief whip in the Assembly Sinead Ennis attended the remembrance ceremony in the senate chamber. In keeping with the republican party’s past approach to the Stormont event, a representative did not lay a wreath at the memorial afterwards. Elsewhere in Belfast, the armistice was marked at the Cenotaph on the grounds of City Hall. The council was represented at the Royal British Legion event by DUP Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our politics newsletter here.
