Ireland’s President will lead Easter Sunday commemorations in Dublin marking the centenary of the rebellion against British rule during the First World War.
The ceremony will take place at the General Post Office in Dublin, used as the rebel headquarters in 1916.
President Michael D. Higgins will lay a wreath on behalf of the people of Ireland after a reading of the 1916 proclamation of the Irish Republic.
There will also be a parade by the Irish Defence Forces though the streets of Dublin.
These commemorations, coinciding with Easter 2016, take place ahead of the actual anniversary of the rising.
Republican groups mounted their rebellion at the height of the First World War, seizing a number of key buildings in Dublin on April 24th (Easter Monday) 1916.
British troop reinforcements were sent to the Irish capital to tackle the rebellion and after initial uncertainty, it was suppressed within a week.
More than 3,000 arrests were made by the British authorities in the days that followed the surrender.
Ninety people were condemned to death – 15 were executed, among them the signatories of the proclamation of independence.
Commemorative events marking the Easter Rising Centenary are taking place in Ireland throughout 2016. For more more details, visit the Ireland 2016 website.
Sources: Ireland 2016/Wikipedia/various
Images: Centenary News
Posted by: CN Deputy Editor