THE PROGRAMME OF events for the final year of the Decade of Centenaries has been published by the government.
The programme marks key events in Irish history from 1912 to 1923, including events from the War of Independence, the Civil War, the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the foundation of the Free State.
Minister for Culture Catherine Martin launched the final year’s programme at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin today, along with the chair and deputy chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations Dr Maurice Manning and Dr Martin Mansergh.
The Department of the Taoiseach is developing a programme for a formal ceremony focussing on reconciliation, healing and remembering everyone who lost their lives in the Civil War later this year, which will build on the cultural event in the National Concert Hall last year.
€1.8m will also be invested in local authorities to support remembrance of local centenaries.
Other key cultural and societal milestones set to be marked include the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature to W.B Yeats in 1923 and Ireland joining of the League of Nations, which is often referred to as the “predecessor” of the United Nations.
A number of events will also be held abroad, including in New York and Geneva to mark Ireland’s admission to the League of Nations, which Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said was a “significant and hugely positive step forward by the State into the international arena”.
New York is now home to the UN’s headquarters while Geneva houses one of its four main offices.
The programme of events published today also outlines plans for permanent exhibition galleries will open at Easter 2024 at the Museum of Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks.
The Galleries (1900-2020) will offer visitors an opportunity to explore the key events in Irish history leading up to, and including, the events of 1912-23.
Minister Martin thanked all the stakeholders who have contributed to the Decade of Centenaries, adding: “We have addressed the complexity of our history and the challenges linked to commemoration, and we will continue to do so this year as we navigate through this sensitive final phase, marking the emergence of an independent Irish State in the midst of a traumatic Civil War.”
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