by the Irish President Mary McAleese who, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom and King Albert of Belgium, led the wreath-laying ceremony in the afternoon of 11 November 1998. It was the first time an Irish State officially acknowledged the soldiers from Ireland who died in WW1. This was also a seminal moment in Irish history when an Irish Head of State and a British Monarch met publicly in a joint ceremony. The Park is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on behalf of the Office of Public Works in Ireland. Prior to the Island of Ireland Peace Park, no Irish government dignitary had ever attended any WW1 Remembrance Service either in Ireland or at the Menin Gate. At an official ceremony on 11 November 1998 the Irish President apologised on behalf of the Republic of Ireland to the families of the fallen for what she called the 'national amnesia' in remembering the soldiers of WW1 from the Island of Ireland. Design The tower is in the traditional design of an Irish round tower and is partially built with stone from a former British Army barracks in Tipperary, the remainder of the stone from a work-house outside Mullingar, County Westmeath. The design has a unique aspect that allows the sun to light the interior only on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the anniversary of the armistice that ended the war and the time for the minute's silence on Remembrance Day. A commemorative ceremony is held yearly in the park on Armistice Day in conjunction with similar ceremonies at the nearby multi-national Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres. Unveiling The tower was unveiled in the afternoon on 11 November 1998 by President Mary McAleese of Ireland, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and King Albert II of Belgium. In her speech, President McAleese said: Speaking at the Park on the anniversary of the Battle of Messines Ridge on 7 June 2004, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern commented that honouring the spirit of the Irish killed in the First World War can teach how to advance the Northern Ireland peace process in Northern Ireland. adding: Peace Pledge A bronze tablet on a granite pillar positioned in the centre circle of the park bears the following inscription, entitled: The park Inside the entrance gate on