Sinn Féin announces plans to commemorate 1916 Rising

An actor dressed as Patrick Pearse will deliver a midday reading of the Proclamation on O'Connell Street in Dublin "every day for 33 weeks" as part of Sinn Féin's 1916 Easter Rising commemorations.

The party has announced tickets for its Revolution 1916 exhibition with a “nationalist narrative”, opening at the Ambassador Theatre on February 27th next year.

Tickets, which go on sale this Friday, will cost €15 for adults, €12 for OAPs and students and €10 for under-16s.

Sinn Féin’s 1916 programme co-ordinator, Bartle D’Arcy, said the live reading of the Proclamation outside the theatre “will provide both visitors to and residents of Dublin with an opportunity to witness history in action and has the potential to be an iconic symbol of the centenary commemorations in 2016”.

On display inside the exhibition will be artefacts including “the GPO door handle” and original uniforms worn during the Rising, which the party said had been provided by the Irish Volunteers Commemorative Organisation.

The party said works of art featuring events of 1916 had been commissioned and an audiovisual presentation was being worked on, “where the visitors will get an experience from within the garrisons”.

Dublin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh said entry to the exhibition would cost “only €5 or something” when asked about the party’s plans during their ardfheis earlier this month.

He said Sinn Féin would spend “€20,000 or €30,000” projecting an historical drama show on to the GPO over five nights to mark the Rising centenary. He said his party was aiming not to clash with any events organised by the State.