Ireland Marks 110th Anniversary of Easter Rising at GPO in Dublin
Thousands of people lined O'Connell Street in Dublin on Easter Sunday as Ireland held its 110th State Commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising, with President Catherine Connolly laying a wreath at the General Post Office in her first Easter commemoration as Uachtarán na hÉireann.
The Ceremony
The annual commemoration, which began at noon outside the GPO on O'Connell Street, brought together the country's most senior political and military figures. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, Minister for Defence Helen McEntee, Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill, and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald were among those in attendance.
The ceremony featured a tri-service guard of honour from the Army, Naval Service, and Air Corps, a military brass band, and a pipe band. The tricolour above the GPO was lowered to half-mast at noon, and the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic was read aloud by Captain Eva Houlihan — the fourth woman to perform this reading at the GPO, 110 years after Pádraig Pearse first read it in the same location. The crowd applauded as the names of the seven signatories were read.
President Connolly laid a laurel wreath before the GPO portico, followed by a minute's silence. The national anthem was played, and the ceremony concluded with an Air Corps flyover. The event was broadcast live on RTÉ.
The Significance of 110 Years
The Easter Rising of 1916 — which began on Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, at the GPO — was an attempt to overthrow British rule and is considered the pivotal moment that set Ireland on the path to independence. The annual commemoration serves as a reminder of that sacrifice and a reaffirmation of the values of the Proclamation: equality, sovereignty, and the rights of all citizens.
This year's commemoration took on added resonance with the attendance of Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill, reflecting the ongoing dialogue between the two parts of the island. Sinn Féin used Easter commemorations to call on the Irish and British governments to "set terms" for a border poll on Irish unity.
Why It Matters
For Irish people north and south of the border, the Easter Rising commemoration is one of the most significant events in the national calendar. It is a moment to reflect on the journey from 1916 to the present, and to consider what the ideals of the Proclamation mean for Ireland today — including questions of unity, identity, and the island's place in a changing world.
What's Next
The 1916 Relatives Association held its own commemoration in the Garden of Remembrance on Saturday, 4 April. Easter events continue across the island throughout the bank holiday weekend.
Full coverage of the commemoration is available at RTÉ News.
