Ireland announces commemorative events to mark centenary of Easter Rising

The Irish government on Wednesday announced details of the major commemorative events to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising.

The 2016 Easter Sunday parade and series of commemorative events, to be held this weekend, will be the largest ever staged in the history of the country, the government said.

The series of national ceremonial events will begin on Easter Saturday, with a ceremony in the Garden of Remembrance, and will culminate on Easter Monday night with Centenary, a TV spectacular to be broadcast at home and abroad, produced by state broadcaster RTE, it said.

This year's Easter Sunday parade will stretch for 4.5 km and will involve over 3,700 members of the Defense Forces and army veterans, it added.

The state ceremonial will take place at 12 noon at the General Post Office in Dublin, where Irish President Michael D. Higgins will lay a wreath.

"This weekend will be the focal point of our centenary year, as we stage our largest ever Easter Sunday parade and a series of state ceremonial and cultural events to commemorate the events of Easter Week 1916, which ultimately led to our independence," said Heather Humphreys, minister for arts, heritage and the Gaeltacht.

"The scale of this weekend's program of events is unprecedented," she said.

The 1916 Rising was an armed rebellion against British rule in Ireland that began on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, and last for six days. Endit