This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-36421174

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness visiting Flanders and Somme World War One: Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness lays wreath at Flanders battlefield
(about 5 hours later)
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness is visiting two World War One battlegrounds in Belgium and France. Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness has laid a wreath at a World War One battlefield in Belgium.
The deputy first minister was invited by the Flemish government to Flanders in Belgium, where the Battle of Messines took place in 1917. Northern Ireland's deputy first minister was invited by the Flemish government to Flanders, where the Battle of Messines took place in 1917.
On Thursday, he will visit the Somme in France, where soldiers of the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) divisions fought together.On Thursday, he will visit the Somme in France, where soldiers of the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) divisions fought together.
Last week, he said he was making the trip "in the spirit of reconciliation". Mr McGuinness said his visit was "part of a journey towards reconciliation".
He added that it would be a "sincere effort to recognise the human suffering and also the importance these events hold for the unionist section of our people". "I hope my visit here is seen as reaching out the hand of friendship to unionists, but also saying to unionists and to everybody else that many of the people who died here were as much part of what we [nationalists] as they were part of what they are," he said.
Martin McGuinness arrived here a short time ago. I asked him how significant a day he thought it was. "If I am to be true to my desire to see peace and reconciliation, then visits like this are enormously important."
He said it was "very significant". Mr McGuinness was accompanied to the Island of Ireland Peace Park at Messines by the party's vice-president Mary Lou MacDonald and its chairman Declan Kearney.
He said he arrived here as a proud Irish republican, but that he and other republicans were learning there was more to it than that. The Battle of the Somme began on 1 July 1916 and did not end until 18 November that year.
That so many people from the island of Ireland, not just from the unionist community, but from the rest of Ireland as well, many who would regard themselves as nationalists, had died in that conflict.
Martin McGuiness is very engaged in this.
If you are asking where this ranks in Martin McGuinness' journey, I don't think it's quite as seismic a step as shaking hands with the Queen but certainly it's a significant step none the less.
The Battle of the Somme began on 1 July 1916 and did not end until 18 November that year. The official centenary commemorations will be attended by First Minister Arlene Foster.
More than 3,500 soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) divisions were killed and thousands more were injured.More than 3,500 soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) divisions were killed and thousands more were injured.
The official centenary commemorations next month will be attended by First Minister Arlene Foster.
The Battle of Messines started on 7 June 1917, and more than 40,000 men lost their lives in the fighting.The Battle of Messines started on 7 June 1917, and more than 40,000 men lost their lives in the fighting.