THE Irish Government will officially launch its 1916 commemoration programme on March 31, The Irish Post can exclusively reveal.
Ireland 2016, the Government body in charge of the centenary celebrations, will reveal plans at the end of the month, which have been under wraps since the body was established in November of last year.
Speaking to The Irish Post, Gabriel Doherty, a member of the Irish Government’s expert advisory group on the Easter Rising, said: “Work has been on-going behind the scenes for some months under the auspices of a specially-created agency Ireland 2016, led by the former head of Fáilte Ireland, John Concannon.
“The members of the committee have had a sneak preview of the plans and they are impressive.
“One of the principal pillars of the programme is a Diaspora strand, and John is, I know, very keen to get the Irish abroad engaged in as full a manner as possible.”
The committee is made up of historians from across Ireland, including Birmingham-born Mr Doherty, who is a lecturer of modern Irish history in University College Cork.
The launch date has been confirmed just days after Ireland’s Minister for Heritage Heather Humphreys revealed to The Irish Post that the Irish Government will provide financial backing for centenary commemorations in Britain.
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