← All events
heritage · Saturday 11 July 2026 · 12:30pm 
RBL Somme Ceremony of Remembrance at War Memorial Gardens
At Irish National War Memorial Gardens · Islandbridge, Dublin 8
At Irish National War Memorial Gardens · Islandbridge, Dublin 8
Each year on or around the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, the Royal British Legion Ireland holds its annual Ceremony of Remembrance and Wreath Laying at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge. This is one of the most dignified public events in the Dublin calendar - a quiet, purposeful gathering that honours the approximately 49,400 Irish soldiers who died in the First World War. It suits anyone with an interest in Irish history, family connections to the conflict, or simply a wish to stand in solidarity at a place that carries real weight.
The ceremony begins at 12:30pm and runs for roughly two hours. Standards from the Royal British Legion, veterans’ organisations, and commemorative groups are paraded through the gardens, followed by an ecumenical remembrance service with readings and musical performances. The centrepiece is the wreath laying at the Stone of Remembrance - a slab of Irish granite aligned with the Great Cross at the heart of Lutyens’ formal garden design.
The gardens themselves are worth arriving early for. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens - the architect behind the Cenotaph in London and dozens of Commonwealth war cemeteries - and laid out between 1933 and 1939, they were not officially opened until 1 July 2006, the ninetieth anniversary of the Somme. In the granite pergolas surrounding the sunken rose garden, eight illuminated volumes of Ireland’s Memorial Records 1914 to 1918 record the names of the fallen, each page illustrated by Harry Clarke.
Smart casual or business attire is appropriate. Guests are asked to be seated in the arena by 12:20pm, so aim to arrive at Islandbridge by noon.
The War Memorial Gardens are on the south bank of the Liffey at Islandbridge, Dublin 8, roughly 2km west of the city centre. The nearest Luas stop is Suir Road on the Red Line (a 10-minute walk). Several Dublin Bus routes serve the South Circular Road nearby, including routes 13 and 68 from the city centre. If driving, street parking is available along Con Colbert Road and the surrounding streets, though spaces fill quickly for ceremony days. Cycling is straightforward via the Liffey cycle route.
Islandbridge sits close to both the Phoenix Park and Kilmainham, so a visit to Kilmainham Gaol or the Royal Hospital Kilmainham fits naturally on the same day. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Dublin? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the Dublin area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.