Mayors and Chief Executives from all 31 Local Authorities today met with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys and the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly, to share details of local county plans being developed as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme

The meeting comes at the end of a major programme of citizen engagement, a key element of the Community Participation strand of Ireland 2016, which saw 81 public workshops held nationwide to stimulate discussions and ideas on how local communities should commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising next year. Supported by the Ireland 2016 Project Team in the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and facilitated by the Local Authority network, meetings have been held in every county across the country.

A county co-ordinator has been appointed in every Local Authority to oversee the development of plans at a local level. Finalised county plans with a series of local initiatives to mark the centenary of the Rising will be launched in October. 

Speaking at the meeting today Minister Humphreys said: “I am so encouraged by the level of excitement and engagement in communities right across the country. People are really interested in getting involved in Ireland 2016, and communities are full of great ideas about how the centenary of the Easter Rising can be commemorated at a local level. Thousands of people have attended the workshops right across the country over the last three months, in what was one of the biggest citizen engagement projects in the history of the State.

“I would like to acknowledge the very positive response we have received from the Local Authority network to the Ireland 2016 initiative. It is clear that they want to play their part as we commemorate the events of 1916, consider our achievements over the last 100 years and look ambitiously to the future. The county plans will be complemented by the ambitious education programme, which will be rolled out in schools across the country from September. We want to ensure Ireland 2016 is a truly national event.”

Minister Kelly said: “As Minister with responsibility for the Environment, Community and Local Government, I am delighted to be working with Minister Humphreys and her team in relation to the community participation strand of the Government’s 2016 Centenary Programme. 

“This is a very special time in our nation’s history and I want every citizen to participate and be part of the 1916 commemorative events.  It is so important that Irish people have the opportunity to come together to celebrate and have pride in Ireland's independence, and to honour those who gave their lives for our country. I want to acknowledge the excellent inclusive workshops and consultation process that Local Authorities have facilitated with communities over the last number of months and I look forward to the roll out of vibrant commemorative county plans across communities in 2016.”

Full details of each local County Plan for Ireland 2016 will be announced in October. Further information on the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme is available at www.ireland.ie.

The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, led by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, is a year-long programme of activity to commemorate the events of the 1916 Rising, to reflect on our achievements over the last 100 years and to look towards Ireland’s future. 

The programme includes seven strands: State Ceremonial; Historical Reflection; An Teanga Bheo/The Living Language; Youth and Imagination; Cultural Expression; Community Participation; Global and Diaspora.