In September 2013, President Michael D. Higgins unveiled a memorial to ships and lives lost off the coast of Skerries in North County Dublin.
The memorial consists of a sea pole that had been used by the Coast Guard as a viewing platform and was part of key life-saving equipment to help rescue people from stricken ships, inscribed with the names of people and ships lost at sea. The memorial forms one of Ireland’s largest registers of marine victims, comprising ships, fishermen, U-boats, sailors, swimmers, rescuers and wartime maritime casualties from 12 nations over 250 years.
The full text of the President's speech is available here.
Related events:
- President hosts a reception for a group of United Nations Permanent Representatives visiting Ireland (February 2020)
- President co-hosts, with the Prime Minister of Fiji, a reception for leaders from Small Island Developing State (September 2019)
- President addresses High Level Review of SAMOA Pathway (September 2019)
- President addresses United Nations General Assembly (September 2019)
- President and Sabina receive Ambassadors from Small Island Developing States (June 2019)
- President visits the Commissioners of Irish Lights on the 50th anniversary of the Kish Lighthouse (November 2015)
- President tours the Race Village and Global Village at the Volvo Ocean Race (July 2012)
- President officially re-opens the Old Mariners Church and Maritime Museum (June 2012)