Thousands of spectators joined Irish government leaders and members of the defense forces in honoring the men and women of 1916 at a ceremony in O’Connell Street on Monday.
Under sunny skies, the Irish State paid official tribute on what was the 95th anniversary of the Rising, which began on Easter Monday, April 24, in that year.
President Mary McAleese placed a wreath at the GPO as part of the ceremony which at one point saw the Irish tricolor lowered to half staff and the 1916 Proclamation read out by Lieutenant Paul O’Brien of the Irish Naval Service. The Irish national anthem was played and there was a fly past by the Irish Army Air Corps.
Speaking after the ceremony, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said his government would consult with various groups as it works on plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Rising and other landmark events that followed it.
Kenny, who will be in New York next week, said the government would be mindful of the sensitivities involved and would canvass the views of representatives in Northern Ireland.
“The next decade will include a great number of events that will want to be commemorated and that should be done with respect and sensitivity, given that we are a century on and facing a whole new future,” Kenny said.
