Centenary of the Easter Rising

The centenary of the Easter Rising occurred in 2016. Many events occurred to mark the occasion. Note that Easter Day fell on 27 March in 2016 and on 23 April in 1916. The Rising began on Easter Monday, 24 April 1916.

On 20 January, Ireland's first ever commemorative €2 coin went into circulation to mark the centenary year of the Easter Rising. It was designed by Emmet Mullins and featured, alongside the two years, a statue of Hibernia aboard the General Post Office and the word Hibernia in Book of Kells-influenced lettering.

A weekend of commemorations marking the occasion began on Easter Eve (26 March), as President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin. This was preceded by traditional Irish song "The Parting Glass" being performed by the Island of Ireland Peace Choir and succeeded by a minute's silence. Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Acting Tánaiste Joan Burton were also present. Relatives of the dead were there too and were only permitted to lay their own wreaths when President Higgins was done.

Later that day, President Higgins gave a keynote address at a ceremony in the Royal Dublin Society and met relatives of the dead, 4,000 of whom attended. President Higgins later attended a 1916 commemoration concert at Liberty Hall Theatre. On the same day, Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Acting Arts Minister Heather Humphreys opened a permanent visitor centre at the General Post Office, scene of rebel occupation in 1916. Also attending was former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, whose father W. T. Cosgrave reopened the building in 1929 after it was put back together. A commemorative service was held at the Unitarian Church on St Stephen's Green, with the names of all Dublin fatalities read aloud.

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