State events
9 July 2017: National Day of Commemoration, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin 8
On Sunday 9 July 2017 the principal ceremony of the National Day of Commemoration took place in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin 8 National Day of Commemoration commemorates all Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations. It occurs on the Sunday nearest July 11, the anniversary of the…
Read More24 June 2017: Commemoration of the centenary of the death of Francis Ledwidge, Slane, Co. Meath
On Saturday 24 May 2017 an official state ceremony to commemorate the poert Francis Ledwidge (1887-1917) took place in Slane, Co. Meath. A native of Slane, Ledwidge was the son of a farm labourer and, having left school at the age of 13, worked in a number of occupations. He was involved in labour politics…
Read More16 April 2017: State ceremony to mark 101st anniversary of the Easter Rising, O’Connell St, Dublin 2
On Easter Sunday, 16 April 2017, a state ceremony took place outside the GPO, O’Connell St, Dublin 2, to mark the 101st anniversary of the Easter Rising of 1916. The ceremony was led by the President Michael D. Higgins, An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, and the Minister of State with responsibility for defence, Paul Kehoe TD.…
Read More9 July 2016: State ceremony to mark centenary of the Battle of the Somme, Irish National War Memorial Gardens, Islandbridge, Dublin 8
On Saturday 9 July 2016 the main state event to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, which is being held in conjunction with the Royal British Legion, took place in the Irish National War Memorial Gardens, Islandbridge, Dublin 8 from 12 noon. The offensive on the Somme, in the Picardy region of northern…
Read More21 April 2016: State commemoration for Sir Roger Casement, Ballykissane and Tralee, Co. Kerry
On Thursday 21 April there were two commemorative events for Sir Roger Casement in Co. Kerry. Casement was captured by the RIC at McKenna’s Fort, near Banna Strand, on Good Friday 1916, where he had been landed by a German U–Boat. He was then imprisoned in London, tried and sentenced to death. Casement’s landing in Kerry was one…
Read More26-29 March 2016: State ceremonials to mark centenary of Easter Rising
From Saturday 26 March to Tuesday 29 March the state ceremonials to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising were observed nationwide. These were a mixture of formal ceremonial occasions and informal cultural and historical events, commencing on Easter Saturday, 26 April, with a ceremony in the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin. On Easter Sunday, 27…
Read More1 January 2016: First State event of 2016 Commemorative Programme, Dublin Castle
On Friday 1 January 2016 the state commemorative programme to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising officially began with a ceremony in the Upper Castle Yard of Dublin Castle. The ceremony comprised two key elements: members of the Defence forces read the ‘Roll of Honour’ of those volunteers who lost their lives during the…
Read More6 November 2015: Government announces programme of events to mark centenary of the Battle of the Somme in 2016
On Friday 6 November 2015 An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, announced a programme of events to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme in 2016 as part of the Decade of…
Read More18 September 2015: State funeral of Thomas Kent, Castlelyons, Co. Cork
On 18 September 2015 the state funeral of Thomas Kent (1865-1916) took place in Castlelyons, Co. Cork. Thomas Kent and his brother William Kent were arrested following a RIC raid at the family home on 2 May 1916, in the aftermath of the Easter Rising. Their brother Richard was wounded trying to escape and died shortly…
Read More12 July 2015: National Day of Commemoration, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin 8
The National Day of Commemoration commemorates all Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations. It occurs on the Sunday nearest July 11, the anniversary of the date in 1921 on which the truce ending the Irish War of Independence was signed. The principal ceremony is normally held…
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