Europe’s divisions today have nothing on what they were a century ago. July 1st 1916 witnessed the first day of the Battle of the Somme. On that first day, 3,500 Irishmen serving in the British army lost their lives. Many thousands more were wounded. To mark the solemn centenary, the Irish Consulate in Manhattan held a commemoration ceremony outside its offices on Park Avenue. A wreath was laid, poetry was read, a violin played and there was a minute’s silence. Consul General Barbara Jones is pictured speaking at the ceremony. Photo by James Higgins.
