Discreet police presence in Belfast City Centre amid fears of clash during Saturday's Armistice Day ceremony

But this year the public gathering seemed almost as large, including scores of men, mostly wearing poppies, who stood back from the cenotaph and field of remembrance area, which is on the western side of the city hall grounds, and nearer to the front gate on Donegall Square North, where fliers had suggested Irish republican groups would hold a pro Palestinian demonstration.

That event was mooted to be held at 11am, exactly the same time as the traditional silence at the cenotaph, but in the run-up to the it date seemed in fact not to be going ahead.

Police kept a discreet presence but appeared to be on standby in nearby locations, with numerous police vans parked on streets around the City Hall.

The November 11 service is much shorter than the Remembrance Sunday event and does not involve music aside from a trumpet, that sounds the Last Post.

A small number of politicians, council officials, Royal British Legion and military representatives, including Belfast’s Lord Mayor, observe the 11am moment with silence.

This year the mayor, Sinn Fein’s Ryan Murphy, was among the group, followed by his mayoral deputy, the Green Party’s Áine Groogan, and the High Sheriff, John Kyle. Other officials included John Walsh, the council’s chief executive.

Of the three politicians present, Mr Murphy wore his mayoral chain and a small badge that was representative of a Palestinian flag, Ms Groogan wore her chain and a white poppy, and Mr Kyle has a traditional red poppy on his lapel.

One person paying respects at the service yesterday was the Rev Chris Hudson, a Dubliner of a Catholic background who converted to Protestantism and is now a minister at a Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church near Queen’s University, All Souls.

After the service, Rev Hudson looked at the poppy crosses in the field of remembrance, which included a single cross in a pen for the Jewish Military Association UK, and a pen for the Irish Guards Association, which included numerous poppy crosses, one of which was draped in a Tricolour.

Rev Hudson said: “I am pleased, as a Dublin man, to come here today to pay my respects to those, who gave their lives for my liberty.

"But I am also here at City Hall because of my deep concern at the growing lack of respect for our fallen.”

Noticing the presence of the Irish flag, he said: “Many from the Irish Republic served and serve in the Irish Guards.”

Rev Hudson recalled attending the 2003 funeral of Lance Corporal Ian Malone of the Irish Guards, formerly an Irish Army reservist, who was killed in Basra.

"His funeral was in Ballyfermot Catholic Church, a working class neighbourhood.

"His coffin was draped in the Union flag carried by guardsmen in full ceremonial uniform.

“Followed by former Irish Army comrades carrying a Tricolour.”

Later on Saturday, at 2pm, the Apprentice Boys held a ceremony at the cenotaph at Belfast City Hall to mark Armistice Day.

This year there were in effect three days on which such services were held. Organisations which hold such services on the weekday nearest to November 11 did so on Friday.

Services were held on Armistice Day itself, Saturday.

And the biggest services across Northern Ireland were held yesterday, on Remembrance Sunday.