Additional Information
OUTLINE 2016
EASTER PROGRAMME
The 2016 Commemoration Programme will
remember and honour those who took part in
the 1916 Rising, will reflect on the legacy of that
period and will look towards our future. A period
of extensive consultation has commenced across
the country so that an inclusive and shared
programme will be brought forward.
REMEMBERING
THE PAST
A series of State events are planned to acknowledge
and remember all those who participated in the
Rising and to engage with their relatives. The
programme will focus on the events of 1916 and the
political, economic, social, cultural and community
evolution that has shaped Ireland since that time.
To mark the centenary of 1916, the
Government has provided e22million in 2015
for a number of major flagship capital projects,
which will be completed by Easter 2016. A
series of important commemorative events will
be held at each of these locations during 2016.
The projects are:
• The GPO Interpretative Centre
• Kilmainham Gaol and Courthouse
• Tenement Museum, Henrietta Street
STATE EVENTS
CULTURE
PROGRAMME
• Teach an Phiarsaigh, Ros Muc
• Military Service Pensions Archive
• The National Concert Hall
Working with academic institutions, local
and national history groups, historians and
relatives, an extensive programme of lectures
and seminars, telling the stories of our past,
is also being developed.
A series of State events are planned, including
national ceremonies and parades, cultural
events, State receptions, a public lecture
series and specific commemorative initiatives.
A rich and vibrant culture programme, with
an international dimension, will be finalised
in co-operation with the National Cultural
Institutions, the Arts Council of Ireland
and Culture Ireland. There will be further
engagement with local arts groups over
the coming period. An appropriate series of
events and exhibitions are being considered
for the following cultural institutions:
• The National Museum of Ireland
• The National Library of Ireland
• The National Archives
• The National Gallery of Ireland
• Irish Museum of Modern Art
• The National Concert Hall
OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE
• Richmond Barracks, Dublin
A special 2016 Education Commemoration
Programme is being prepared in conjunction
with the Department of Education and Skills
and other parties. This programme will involve
the components as set out below:
• An education programme in primary and
post primary schools
Events are also being considered by Glasnevin
Cemetery, the Abbey Theatre, the Heritage
Council, Dublin City Library, the Hugh Lane
Gallery and other cultural organisations.
Starting on Easter Monday 2016, the National
Concert Hall will present a series of concerts
over seven days celebrating Ireland’s musical,
literary and cultural heritage on the themes of
home, homeland and nationhood. Taking its
cues from the text and signatories of the 1916
Proclamation, the series will explore themes
ranging from Ireland’s literary revival, poetic
imagination, language and traditional music to
revolution, civil liberties, sovereignty and its
relationships with Britain, Europe and America.
The series will involve contemporary Irish and
international musicians, composers, writers,
poets and artists.
• Commemorative inspired events and
competitions for young people, including
engaging with a variety of youth
organisations and young people
• A Children’s Day event in memory of the
child casualties in the 1916 Rising.
IRISH LANGUAGE
COMMUNITY
RECONCILIATION
DIASPORA
For the leaders of the 1916 Rising, the Irish
language was an integral component of the
Irish Republic and it will be an important part
of the programme of events. This programme
will be developed by the official and voluntary
Irish language bodies and will include
engagement with relevant cultural institutions
and the academic sector.
in the Irish language. The creation of a digital
archive and an online resource at Dúchas.ie is
being progressed by a partnership between
the National Folklore Collection in UCD, Fiontar
in DCU and the Department of Arts, Heritage
and the Gaeltacht. As a result, Dúchas.ie
is enabling Irish heritage and culture to be
disseminated to a worldwide audience.
A key initiative as part of the programme is the
digitisation of the National Folklore Collection
of Ireland, which is one of the largest folklore
collections in the world. This folklore repository
features a collection of folklore and local
history compiled in the 1930s by schoolchildren
all around the country, including much material
Another initiative, which is being undertaken
by the Royal Irish Academy, is the digitisation
and online publication by 2016 of Irisleabhar
na Gaedhilge, an Irish language periodical
published between 1882 and 1926 with regular
contributions from the leaders of the 1916
Rising.
Working with local government and
communities, there will be an extensive
consultation process to facilitate the
organisation of events at local level throughout
the country. It is intended also to engage
with sporting organisations, including the
GAA, FAI, Athletics Ireland and the IRFU.
Events that are being considered include:
• Parades and commemorative events
at local level
The events of 1916 were viewed and
understood in many different ways across
the island of Ireland. During this Decade of
Commemorations, the Government seeks to
recognise and remember the totality of the
history of this island. This commitment to an
inclusive approach helps facilitate an open
dialogue with all traditions on the island of
Ireland, builds understanding and helps further
reconciliation, North and South.
Talks, community events, exhibitions,
seminars and arts and cultural events
are among the initiatives planned by
Irish Embassies and Culture Ireland to
commemorate the events of 1916 and to
present Ireland in 2016 to the world. Embassy
initiatives will be complemented by a
travelling exhibition, which will tour venues
overseas during 2016 and beyond.
• In the United States, plans are being
developed for a nationwide programme
to mark the centenary. It is envisaged that
the flagship event will be a major threeweek festival at the Kennedy Center in
Washington DC in May/June 2016. The
Center is planning a “Proclaiming Ireland”
Festival that explores and celebrates the
richness of Irish culture.
COMMEMORATIVE
STAMPS AND
COINS
To honour and commemorate this centenary
occasion, a set of special commemorative
stamps and a series of commemorative coins
will be issued.
• Historical lectures, seminars and
re-enactments
• Exhibitions and folklore projects across
localities, including working with senior
citizens and young peoples organisations
• Outreach initiatives by the cultural
institutions, local museums and libraries.
• Other key events in the U.S. will include, for
example, a premier of a major documentary
on 1916 currently under preparation at
Notre Dame University.
• The Irish Embassy to Britain will progress
an academic and cultural programme run
in partnership with prestigious institutions,
associations, and community organisations.
This will include a broader focus on
Ireland’s evolution over the one hundred
year period.
• In Canada, the Irish Embassy in Ottawa
plans to support a series of community
gatherings.