Rebels, not royalty, to take centre stage at 1916 Rising events

Rebels, not royalty, will take centre stage at the centenary of the 1916 Rising as the question of an invitation to a member of Britain’s royal family was belatedly brushed aside by the Government.

The move, along with a last-minute bid to buy the final Moore St HQ of the doomed patriots, was widely welcomed, but fuelled opposition fears events surrounding the commemoration had been left unloved for far too long as Taoiseach Enda Kenny unveiled the full schedule of remembrance.

The Government had moved to get its act together after a shaky pre-launch in November at the GPO, which was boycotted by relatives’ groups who felt sidelined. It was also besieged by anti-water charge campaigners who brought a real — and clearly unwanted — sense of rebellion to the occasion as their chants of “You can stick your water meters up your arse”, at times drowned-out speeches by Mr Kenny and ministers.