Roscommon Deputy Frank Feighan is to wear a poppy in the Dail this week, to commemorate those who died in the First World War.

According to today’s Sunday Times, this will be the first occasion that a TD has worn the poppy in Leinster House in almost 20 years.

Remembrance Day, next Sunday, marks the end of the First World War in 1918. It’s also known as Poppy Day, after the flowers that blossomed on the battle fields of Flanders in Belgium.

Deputy Feighan said he would wear the symbol on Tuesday. He noted that over the past two decades, everyone had ‘grown up’ and realised the importance of commemorating those who fought together from all over Ireland.

In 1996, Donegal Deputy Paddy Harte invited fellow TDs to join him in wearing the poppy and was joined in his tribute by Deputies Emmet Stagg and Brian Hayes.

At that time, the wearing of emblems was frowned on by the Oireachtas Committee on Procedures and Privileges.

Last week, a spokesperson for the committee said there was ‘no issue’ with the wearing of the poppy.

Deputy Feighan is chairperson of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Last week, he called for a joint approach to the commemoration of the First World War.

The Roscommon-based TD noted that we now have a decade of commemorations, which include significant anniversaries in Irish and British history.