The 85th anniversary of the North Strand bombing has been commemorated at a special service held at the North Strand Bombing Memorial. The event took place in the Memorial Garden within the grounds of Dublin FET College Cathal Brugha, located on North Strand Road in the north inner city. The ceremony paid tribute to the 28 individuals who lost their lives in the tragedy on 31 May 1941, while acknowledging the profound historical significance of the event for Dublin.

Dublin's Lord Mayor, Councillor Ray McAdam, was joined by the German Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency David Gill, for a formal wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial site, situated near the location where the bombs originally struck. The event was also attended by local historian Brian Treacy, representatives from the North Strand Bombing Commemoration Committee, and personnel from the Dublin Fire Brigade.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, said, "The North Strand Bombing remains one of the defining moments in the history of our city, a night of devastation that left a lasting mark on Dublin and on the generations of families who carried its memory thereafter."

"Eighty five years on, we gather not only to remember the twenty eight Dubliners who lost their lives on the night of 31 May 1941, but to honour an entire community that endured unimaginable loss with extraordinary courage and resilience. We remember those who were injured. Those who lost their homes. Those whose lives were forever altered in the early hours of that morning. "And we pay tribute to the remarkable men and women who responded in the aftermath, the emergency personnel, volunteers, neighbours and ordinary Dubliners who came together in a moment of profound tragedy to help one another, clear the devastation and begin the long task of rebuilding a shattered community. The story of the North Strand is not only a story of loss. It is also a story of solidarity, compassion and the enduring spirit of Dublin itself."

His Excellency David Gill, German Ambassador to Ireland, said, "85 years ago, Dublin was gripped by terror and fear following the bombing of North Strand by the German Luftwaffe. This act of war brought death, injuries, and vast devastation to a peaceful and peace-loving nation. We remember the people who lost their lives, family members, friends, and homes, and pay tribute to them. In doing so, together, we send a message for peace; we stand up against those who inflict war on another country and people; we demonstrate that reconciliation is possible, and we pledge to seek peace and freedom for all peoples."

Local historian Brian Treacy emphasised the crucial nature of maintaining the event within Dublin's collective historical memory, stating, "The North Strand was a thriving village just outside the City Centre on this June Bank Holiday in 1941. Within a few short hours it was changed forever as the German Third Reich dropped bombs on a Neutral country. The death and destruction visited on that night changed the area forever. Today we remember the dead and injured and also pay tribute to the brave rescuers, people from the locality who initiated the rescue showing a community spirit that endured to this day."

To preserve these historical accounts, Dublin City Libraries maintains a dedicated website at www.northstrandbombing.ie. The digital archive recounts the narrative of the fateful night through a specially produced film, contemporary photographs detailing the physical destruction, and first-hand testimonies from survivors and eyewitnesses.