PRESIDENT OF IRELAND Michael D. Higgins has led the annual State ceremony at Arbour Hill to commemorate the Easter Rising and the leaders of 1916.
The president was joined by his wife, Sabina, as well as Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris at Arbour Hill. the final resting place of 14 of the executed Rising leaders, including the seven signatories of the Proclamation of the Republic.
The annual commemoration at the Dublin site is the longest-running State ceremony to commemorate the Rising, with this year marking the 101st time the event has been held.
“Today marks over 100 years of this State Commemoration of the Arbour Hill Ceremony as we remember those who died for Ireland in 1916 and in particular, those 14 executed leaders of 1916 who are buried here at Arbour Hill,” said Mr Harris.
Arbour Hill is the final resting place of 14 of the executed Easter Rising leaders, including the seven signatories of the Proclamation of the Republic (Image: Maxwells Photography)“It is an honour and privilege for me, as Minister for Defence, to host this traditional commemorative event in the company of relatives of the executed leaders.”
Following the event, the Taoiseach said: “I was honoured to take part in today’s ceremony at Arbour Hill. We remember those who fought and died for Ireland in 1916.”
As well as a Requiem Mass and a ceremony at the grave for the leaders of the Easter Rising, President Higgins laid a wreath to commemorate those who died in 1916.
It is now more than 100 years since the commemoration at Arbour Hill began in 1923, shortly after the end of the Civil War, with the first State commemoration event taking place in 1924.
A commemoration event has been held each year since and over 800 invitations were issued for this year’s ceremony.
The commemoration takes place at the Church of the Sacred Heart, the church for the Defence Forces, on the first Wednesday on or after May 3 each year.