Adams backs campaign to save 16 Moore Street

The Dublin government has been condemned for its lack of commitment to save the house where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule made their last stand.

The building, Number 16 Moore Street in Dublin city centre, has been described in the media as `Ireland's Alamo'. THe rebels moved into the house following a fire at the General Post Office in nearby O`Connell Street, the focal point of the rebellion.

Today, 16 Moore Street is a run-down terraced shop behind a bustling fruit and vegetable market. It is difficult to note its significance save a tiny plaque high on the crumbling walls.

``It's shameful that there is no fitting state commemoration of what is a pivotal event in recent Irish history'', said Mr Adams.

He called for the campaign to save the house from commercial developers to be stepped up.

``This was a hugely important event in our recent history and the proclamation remains a document of some note,'' he said.

``There should certainly be some sense of what happened here. How would you even know if you were walking up and down Moore Street?''

Mr Adams said the demolition of the building had so far been prevented but the fact there were no plans to develop it was indicative of the state`s attitude to the event.

``Now you go into any other state in the world and they all commemorate events in their history watershed events,'' he added.

``But they don't do it here. Why not? What is the establishment ashamed of?''

The Sinn Féin leader launched the party's Easter commemoration programme and called on people across Ireland to wear an Easter Lily to honour Ireland's patriot dead.

Christy Burke, Dublin city Sinn Féin Councillor, said the city council had passed a motion that it be developed into a museum but was still awaiting a supreme court decision.

``Here we have a golden opportunity to develop 16 Moore Street so that tourists and our citizens can be proud and see our history,'' he said.

Last year campaigners collected signatures to a petition to save the building, which was a fishmongers at the time it was occupied by the Rising leaders.

On Easter Saturday 1916, Thomas Clarke, Joseph Plunkett, Sean MacDermott, Padraic Pearse and William Pearse gathered around the bed of the wounded James Connolly and agreed on the surrender, to prevent the ``further slaughter of the civil population''.

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