Heroes of 1916 to be remembered

Family members of some of the heroes of 1916 are expected to attend a special wreath-laying ceremony at the National Monument on Grand Parade in Cork on Easter Monday.

The ceremony will be one of nine such synchronised ceremonies taking place at locations around the country at 1.15pm — the time the first shots of the 1916 Rising were fired.

Representatives of the families of Thomas Kent, Diarmuid Lynch, Tomás MacCurtain, Terence MacSwiney and James Ó Beirne have all been invited to attend.

This state ceremonial event will be preceded by the unveiling of commemorative plaques at County Hall and St Francis Hall on Sheares St, to mark the location of activities during the 1916 Rising in Cork City.

Dignitaries will then be led by a colour party and the Defence Forces Army Band to a public assembly at the National Monument on Grand Parade where the state ceremony will take place from 11.45am.

Actors from ‘Revolution’, a specially commissioned series of plays, performing at the 2016 Cork St Patrick’s Festival Parade. Picture: Darragh Kane

Lord Mayor of Cork, Chris O’Leary, and Mayor of County Cork, John Paul O’Shea, will both make speeches highlighting the importance of the events of 1916 and the Irish Proclamation; and will stress the strong connections that Cork has to the period.

The National Flag will be raised on Grand Parade by Defence Forces personnel with a reading of the Proclamation. A public concert showcasing a selection of Irish music will follow until 2.30pm.

1916: For regular updates on news and features (as well as twitter action action as it may have happened 100 years ago) to mark the revolutionary period follow @theirishrev HERE

Live music on the day will be provided by Peadar Ó Riada agus Cór Cúil Aodha; harpist Eimear Coughlan; and the Defence Forces Army Band.

Large TV screens will be in place on Grand Parade to allow better public viewing of the proceedings.

Weather permitting, there will also be a flyover from the Irish Air Force Traffic. Restrictions will be in place around Grand Parade, South Main St, and Sullivan’s Quay.

People wishing the attend the state ceremony are asked to arrive on Grand Parade at 11.45am. Park and Ride services will be operating throughout the day.

In Dublin, there will be a state ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance tomorrow for relatives of participants of the Rising followed by a keynote speech by President Michael D Higgins.

Wreath-laying ceremonies will take place at Glasnevin Cemetery and at stone-breakers yard, Kilmainham, on Easter Sunday. There will also be a parade over a 4.5km route across the city centre.

Enjoyed this? Then check out our dedicated micro-site, developed in collaboration with UCC, to mark the revolutionary period HERE