A NATIONAL COMMEMORATION for the Irish Civil War is taking place in the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin today as a part of events for the Decade of Centenaries.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Micheál Martin will be in attendance along with relatives of those who were directly impacted by the Civil War for the ceremony today.
Other members of government are expected to be present for the occasion which seeks to provide a healing moment of reconciliation on the Civil War.
The commemoration will include musical and spoken-word performances from the Combined Band of the Defence Forces, Cór Linn Youth Choir and various solo performers.
The Decade of Centenaries, launched in 2012, was an initiative set up by the the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to complement many State commemorations.
The initiative, now in it’s final year, set up groups who would plan the commemorations and also highlighted the the period’s social and economic history, as well as documenting Irish emigration.
Last Wednesday marked 100 years since the end of the Irish Civil War, which saw the Free State government split into two groups because of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.
The two groups, Pro-Treaty and Anti-Treaty forces, put down their weapons on 24 May 1923 after a ceasefire was called and weapons were dumped.
The event will be broadcasted on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player at 12.10pm today, viewers who wish to watch with Irish Sign Language can find coverage on the RTÉ News Now channel.
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