Progress seen in 1916 commemorations

A video and website that was used by the Dublin government to launch its programme for the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising are set to be scrapped following a public outcry.

The video including cameos from British Prime Minister David Cameron, English queen Elizabeth Windsor and internet companies such as Google and Facebook, but made no mention whatsoever of the signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic in 1916.

“Embarrassing unhistorical sh*,” was how Diarmaid Ferriter, the UCD historian and 2016 Government advisor described it.

The website, which featured sections which had been (badly) machine-translated into Irish, also appeared destined for an electronic bin. It featured a message informing visitors that it is “temporarily under-going maintenance and will be back up running as soon as possible”.

Officials at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht were ordered by minister Heather Humphreys take the website offline to allow “experts” to resolve a number of “outstanding issues” with it.

Meanwhile, the 1916 Relatives Association, which is understood to represent around 850 descendants of the men and women who fought, are hoping for a turnaround in government policy to end their boycott of the government’s plans for 2016.

The association’s Belfast-based spokeswoman Una McNulty, whose grandfather Peadar and great-uncle Michael McNulty were in the Four Courts garrison, said that despite tensions she remained hopeful the centenary could still be “worthy of the men and women who died”.

“The government underestimated how important the centenary is to the people of Ireland. They need to open up the channels of communication with relatives and with the Irish people all over Ireland. We would like to work with the government in partnership,” she said.

Ms McNulty said the association was keen to hold meetings on both sides of the border to listen to people’s ideas, adding: “People care deeply about this issue and we need to keep knocking on the door until the government listens to us.”

Urgent Appeal