Statement from Holocaust Education Ireland RE: National Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration 2025

The National Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration has taken place in Ireland on the Sunday nearest to the 27 January every year since 2003. This event cherishes the memory of all of the victims of the Holocaust and is attended by people from all walks of Irish life.

2025 will mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War when the horrors of the Holocaust were revealed. The ceremony takes the form of readings, survivors’ recollections, the Scroll of Names, candle lighting, and music. The keynote address is delivered by the President or the Taoiseach each year or occasionally, by the Minister for Justice. President Michael D. Higgins was issued an invitation in September 2024 to give the keynote address at the Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration in January 2025, which he accepted.

Ireland is a signatory of the Stockholm Declaration 2000, committing to remembrance and education about the Holocaust. The United Nations General Assembly designated 27 January as Holocaust Remembrance Day in November 2005.

The commemoration cherishes the memory of all of the people who perished in the Holocaust and recalls the millions of innocent Jewish men, women and children and all of the other victims, who were persecuted and murdered because of their ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliations or their religious beliefs. It is a solemn and dignified occasion.

Holocaust Education Ireland is issuing this statement to clarify the purpose of Holocaust Memorial Day. We are grateful for the support and participation of the President and of a number of Taoisigh and government ministers on behalf of the state over the years.

Professor Thomas O’Dowd
Chairperson, Holocaust Education Ireland