The annual commemoration for the victims of the Hiroshima atomic bomb took place on Tuesday, 6th August, the 74th anniversary of the bombing, at the memorial cherry tree in Merrion Square park, Dublin 2. The ceremony was attended by approximately 50 people who braved heavy showers to re-affirm their commitment to ensuring that the ghastly events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will never be repeated.
Speaking at the ceremony, Lord Mayor of Dublin Paul McAuliffe reaffirmed Dublin's commitment to the goals of Mayors for Peace, and spoke of his hopes that cities like Dublin could do more to promote disarmament and peace.
Mr Kenichiro Sasame, Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Ireland, reiterated Japan's commitment to nuclear disarmament, and outlined Japan's current work to promote disarmament. He praised the contribution of other states and civil society organisations, including the those who have worked for the creation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. He acknowledged that Japan is currently pursuing a different route to disarmament, but expressed his hope that the various routes taken will be united in the achievement of the common goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
In his speech, Irish CND President Canon Patrick Comerford criticised the failures of nuclear-armed states to take genuine steps to disarmament, highlighting in particular the collapse of the INF Treaty earlier in the week. He paid tribute to those who have helped to turn the tide of nuclear proliferation, and called for renewed effort in face of renewed threats: "The women who protested at Greenham Common in the 1980s, who occupied the silos and the sites where Cruise and Pershing missiles were to be deployed, were successful. Their voices, their protests, their bravery, their persistence, also brought about the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty. We need their spirit, their bravery, their their resilience, their organisation today. And we need them before it is too late. The memory of the hibakusha of Hiroshima deserves at least that."
Musicians Máire Ní Bheaglaíoch and Junshi Morakami played a selection of traditional tunes on accordian and harp, expressing both grief at the catastrophic harm caused by atomic bombing and hope for a future free of nuclear weapons. The ceremony concluded with the laying of a wreath by Lord Mayor McAuliffe at the foot of the cherry tree and a minute's silence.
The attendance at the commemoration included the ambassadors of Austria, New Zealand and Norway, as well as representatives of the Brazilian, French and United States embassies, and from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
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| Mr Kenichiro Sasame, Deputy Head of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Ireland, Canon Patrick Comerford, Irish CND, and Lord Mayor of Dublin Paul McAuliffe. |
Mr Kenichiro Sasame, Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Ireland, reiterated Japan's commitment to nuclear disarmament, and outlined Japan's current work to promote disarmament. He praised the contribution of other states and civil society organisations, including the those who have worked for the creation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. He acknowledged that Japan is currently pursuing a different route to disarmament, but expressed his hope that the various routes taken will be united in the achievement of the common goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
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| Mr Kenichiro Sasame, Deputy Head of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Ireland, addresses the Hiroshima Commemoration. |
In his speech, Irish CND President Canon Patrick Comerford criticised the failures of nuclear-armed states to take genuine steps to disarmament, highlighting in particular the collapse of the INF Treaty earlier in the week. He paid tribute to those who have helped to turn the tide of nuclear proliferation, and called for renewed effort in face of renewed threats: "The women who protested at Greenham Common in the 1980s, who occupied the silos and the sites where Cruise and Pershing missiles were to be deployed, were successful. Their voices, their protests, their bravery, their persistence, also brought about the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty. We need their spirit, their bravery, their their resilience, their organisation today. And we need them before it is too late. The memory of the hibakusha of Hiroshima deserves at least that."
Musicians Máire Ní Bheaglaíoch and Junshi Morakami played a selection of traditional tunes on accordian and harp, expressing both grief at the catastrophic harm caused by atomic bombing and hope for a future free of nuclear weapons. The ceremony concluded with the laying of a wreath by Lord Mayor McAuliffe at the foot of the cherry tree and a minute's silence.
