Advertising of ‘Sinn Féin-backed’ 1916 exhibition criticised

The State's advertising watchdog has launched an investigation into the marketing of the 1916 exhibition in Dublin's Ambassador Theatre after it received a complaint that radio and billboard ads for the event did not make it clear Sinn Féin was behind the project.

Billed as "original and authentic" the 1916 exhibition takes in the key events in the Easter Rising and has special sections devoted to Michael Collins and to the H-Block hunger strikes of the 1980s.

The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland said on Sunday evening that a complaint “has been received and it will be assessed in line with our normal processes.”

For its part Sinn Féin acknowledged that it would be responding to the complaint while simultaneously attempting to distance itself from the exhibition.

"We will deal directly with the advertising standards authority," a spokesman told The Irish Times. "We will not be dealing with this through the media."

The spokesman then denied that the 1916 exhibition was being run by Sinn Féin and said it was being organised by a separate company. “There isn’t a link between it and Sinn Féin,” he said. “There are party members involved and it is an event that Sinn Féin supports but it would be wrong to say it is being run by Sinn Féin”.

When it was pointed out that the complete physical address carried on the 1916 Exhibition website was “Sinn Féin, 44 Parnell SQ, Dublin 1” and its email address was 1916@sinnfein.ie he said “That may be so but it is not being run by Sinn Féin.”