Under contrasting skies – of glorious spring sunshine and later of dark hail-clouds – relatives of some of the hundreds of men and women who took part in the 1916 Easter Rising gathered to honour them on Sunday.
The now annual event at Dublin’s GPO – the epicentre of the fighting 110 years ago – was led by the Defence Forces, centred on a reading of the proclamation of the Irish Republic and overseen by President Catherine Connolly.
The hour-long event was described as “respectful”, “very fitting” and “moving” by some of those whose fathers’ and grandparents’ contributions to the Rising were being commemorated.
O’Connell Street was closed to road and Luas traffic from early morning though several hundred pedestrians gathered freely on the footpath opposite the GPO as the event got under way.
From shortly after 11am band and pipe music was provided by the Army number-one band.
A tri-service guard of honour – comprising members of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps – marched on parade, taking up line positions in front of the GPO, before the arrivals, several minutes apart, of Minister for Defence Helen McEntee, Dublin Lord Mayor Ray McAdam and An Taoiseach Michael Martin.
Connolly’s arrival was greeted with loud cheers and applause for her first Easter commemoration as Uachtarán na hÉireann.
At noon, as she joined Martin before the GPO, the building’s Tricolour was lowered to half mast. A piper, Corporal Enda McGrath played a lament before Capt Eva Houlihan stepped before the portico to read aloud the proclamation.
Capt Eva Houlihan read the Proclamation outside the GPO on Sunday. Photograph Nick Bradshaw
As she read the names of the document’s seven signatories the crowd began to applaud, reaching a cheer as she finished.
The President then stepped forward to lay a laurel wreath before the GPO portico, bowing her head to lead a minute’s silence. As the last post was sounded and the Tricolour raised to full mast, the Army band played the national anthem.
An Air Corps fly-past completed the event.
Farannán Tannam (74) was there to remember his father Capt Liam Tannam from Harold’s Cross, who was captain of E-company, third battalion, in 1916.
“He died when I was 13, so I didn’t really get to talk to him much about it. It is sad now. It was a very nice ceremony – a nice balance and not over the top.”
Mary Llewelyn, there to honour her grandfather Denis Byrne, who fought in St Stephen’s Green, “loved” the ceremony.
“We are very proud of him. My grandfather and grandmother met in at Easter 1916 in St Stephen’s Green. She was in Cumann na mBan.”
Breda O’Halloran and her daughter Aoife thought the event “very fitting and moving”. Breda’s grandfather, Edward Burke, from the Liberties, was in the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland garrison.
Capt Jack Setright and retired Sgt Maj Gerry Setright at the GPO on Sunday. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
From Suncroft, Co Kildare, were Capt Jack Setright, who was in charge of Sunday’s cadet guard of honour, and his father, retired Sgt Maj Gerry Setright. “It is a very proud day for the family,” said Capt Setright. “There is a lot of training before events like this. We are delighted and proud of how it turned out.”