On a Sunday afternoon marked by a bright blue sky and warm sunshine, a ceremony took place at the GPO on O’Connell Street, Dublin in commemoration of the 108th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. President Michael D Higgins, attending his first public activity since a recent short stay in hospital, performed a wreath-laying.
Furthermore, the ceremony also saw the presence of several dignitaries including outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, designated Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, and Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who was taking part for the first time in her new capacity.
Other participants included the Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, the former president Mary McAleese along with her husband Martin, and the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien and Ministers of State Pippa Hackett and Martin Heydon.
Just before noon, Mr. Higgins and his wife Sabina arrived. After inspecting a guard of honour, the President performed the symbolic act of laying the wreath, followed by a minute of silence dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Rising.
As part of the proceedings, Army Capt Paul Murphy read out a copy of the 1916 Proclamation, which was initially read on the steps of the GPO by Patrick Pearse during the Rising. The event reached a conclusion with the national anthem’s rendition and an overhead fly-past by the Air Corp.