Flight of the Earls: 1607: The Government plans to announce full details in the coming weeks of a major commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls in 1607, The Irish Timeshas learned.
A cross-departmental committee has been established, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, to draw up a programme of events around the country.
This is understood to have a budget of some €1.2 million.
The commemorations will involve exhibitions in Dublin and around the country, conferences in major academic institutions in Ireland, high-quality cultural events, tourist trails, educational programmes and popular festivals.
The programme of events will also mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Irish College in Louvain, Belgium, and the 350th anniversary of the death of the Franciscan friar Fr Luke Wadding, one of the most influential Irish figures in Europe.
The foundation of the Irish college in Louvain, where the O'Neills and the O'Donnells spent the winter of 1607, is also credited with helping to transform the way Ireland was viewed in Europe. The official launch of the programme, including full details of events, is expected to take place in two weeks.
The Government spokesman could not confirm whether Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will launch the programme.
However, he has shown a strong interest in the project and is expected to be closely involved in some of the events as they are rolled out.
Earlier this month, a website commemorating the anniversary, www.flightoftheearls.ie, went live.
Set up by Donegal County Council, it is part of a year-long series of initiatives in the county to commemorate an event which "marked the end of an ancient Gaelic order and made way for the Plantation of Ulster", according to the website.
The Flight of the Earls in September 1607 saw the chieftains of some of the leading Gaelic families of Ulster, including Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O'Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, leave Ireland to seek refuge and assistance for their cause in Europe. They hoped in vain to muster support from Spain and return to liberate Ireland from the English.
The episode is viewed as marking the end of Gaelic Ireland and the rule of the native chieftains, in turn paving the way for the plantation of Ulster. It also became a key event in the establishment of the Irish diaspora across the globe.