Buses and taxis continued to run along Dublin's O'Connell Street, but the call for two minutes silence was more successful inside shops and offices in the area.
It was generally well observed in Clerys, although some customers complained that piped pop music continued throughout the two minutes. Attendants in the cosmetics department also complained about the music, which was coming from Miss Selfridge's, one of the concession shops. Staff in the fashion shop apologised, saying they had not realised it was 11 a.m.
Some customers continued to browse quietly throughout the two minutes, but one of those who took the gesture more seriously was Myra Graham, from Ayr. In Ireland on a short holiday, she knew about the event from radio reports and stood silently for the full two minutes.
"Anything that might help bring peace has to be a good idea", she said afterwards.
Across the road in the GPO, camera crews from Sky and UTV were on hand at this heavily-symbolic building. Business stopped for the two minutes and the silence was well observed by the public. As well as an announcement on the public address, management also had people on the doors to advise those coming in.
"It was very effective and very emotional," said Mr Noel Carroll, the office superintendent. "There were a few little children running round and we had to ask them nicely to be quiet. But customers played their role very well and the clerks took part at their counters."
There was deeper than usual silence in the Central Library at the ILAC Centre at 11 a.m. and the effect was very noticeable, according to a librarian, Mr Finbar O'Connor. "We don't really have the silence rule in libraries anymore, or at least we don't ask people to shush unless they're singing at the top of their voices or something. This place can be noisy enough at times, but it went very quiet after the announcement."
In nearby Moore Street, however, it was business as usual around 11 a.m. "I heard on the news about the two minutes", said one fruit seller. "But there was nobody here to organise it. How could you organise two minutes' silence in a street anyway?"
