Happy Easter to all you darlings! As you may be aware, this weekend marked the 100th Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland. There were, and still are, many events taking place across the capital and all other cities in the country to commemorate this centenary. As the great-grandniece of Joseph Mary Plunkett, one of the leaders & signatories of the Irish Proclamation (see below), I was invited to attend four special events over the weekend alongside my family. I hope you saw my coverage via Snapchat! And thank you all for your lovely comments during this weekend too!
Saturday March 26th
On Saturday morning, I attended the State Commemoration at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square. It was a beautiful event in the city to remember and honour those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom. It opened with the cultural piece, that included music by a choir and violinist, as well as readings and poetry. A plaque was also unveiled, which is inscribed with a specially commissioned poem to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. This was then followed by the formal State Commemoration of the Irish Volunteers, which included a solemn wreath-laying ceremony followed by a minute’s silence and a piper’s lament, the raising of the National Flag to full mast and ended with our National Anthem.
Later that evening, I attended the 1916 Relatives’ Event, which took place in the RDS, Ballsbridge. This event was truly fantastic, with an impressive & inspiring address by President Michael D. Higgins, which I highly recommend reading here. This was followed by a concert by the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra who performed MACALLA 1916 as composed by Michael Rooney. For both occasions I wore an emerald-green dress from Chicwish, that I loved! Because of the weather, and walking around town, I opted for my black Chelsea boots and added green & gold jewellery too.
- Dress: Chicwish Vivid Flower Mesh Lace Skater Dress
- Shoes: Dunnes Stores Elastic Ankle Boots
- Earrings: Cherry Crystal Emerald Gemstone Circle Studs (available at St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre)
- Bracelets: Alex & Ani July Birthstone Bracelet, Halo Jewellery Gemstone Bangle
- Watch: Michael Kors Parker Gold Chronograph
- Skincare: A’kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil* (use code: killerf10 to avail of a 10% discount), Ziaja Manuka Tree Purifying Normalising Day Cream*
- Face: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Blur Primer & Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation* & Touché Éclat Slogan Edition*, Stila One Step Illuminate*, Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Mineral Powder*, Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray*
- Eyes: Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette*, Yves Saint Laurent Faux Effet Cils Luxurious Mascara, Oriflame The ONE 5-in-1 Wonderlash Mascara*
- Brows: Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow*, Eylure Shape & Shade Brow Pencil and Tamer*
- Lips: Kiehl’s #1 Lip Balm in Mint*, Urban Decay 24/7 Lip Pencil in Naked*, Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-in-Oil in #3 Undress Me
Check out all the details of Ireland 2016, the Irish centenary programme of the 1916 Easter Rising
Sunday March 27th
On Sunday morning, my family and I attended the Easter Sunday Commemoration at the General Post Office (GPO), where we sat in the relatives’ stand to watch the ceremony and then the parade. I really enjoyed this event, which included a reading of the Prayer of Remembrance, flower-laying by children who represented the four Provinces of Ireland, music by an oilleann piper, the military band as well as the reading of the Irish Proclamation. Following the wreath-laying by President Higgins and the National Anthem with a Flypast by the Air Corps, the Easter Parade took place which was a truly impressive parade. It featured eight different serials, amongst them included the Military Band, Veterans Organisation, troops & vehicles from Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin and Collin Barracks in Cork, and from the Defence Forces Training Centre in Curragh Camp in Kildare; from the 3rd Infantry Battalion of whom the Defence Forces will depart overseas with UNIFIL in South Lebanon in May 2016; sailors and airmen & women from Haulbowline and Baldonnel respectively; personnel & vehicles from An Garda Siochána, Dublin Fire Brigade, the Irish Prison Service, Customs, the National Ambulance Service, St John Ambulance Service, the Irish Red Cross, the Irish Coast Guard, the Royal National Liifeboat Institute and the Civil Defence; and concluded with the bands of the Defence Forces.
Later that evening, I then attended the Easter Sunday State Reception at Dublin Castle. Invited by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, this was an evening of culture, photography & music as based on the Ireland 2016 themes of Remember, Reflect and Reimagine. There was food & drinks, many different rooms with performers and displays that were all very interesting. For both events, I wore another Chicwish dress with rose embroidery & cut outs, which I found very flattering and appropriate for the occasions. Similar the Saturday, I opted for green & gold jewellery, and my trusty black heels by Buffalo.
- Dress: Chicwish Rose for Allure Floral Dress
- Scarf: A|Wear Floral Printed Scarf
- Shoes: Buffalo Riviera Pointed Leather Courts
- Earrings: Cherry Crystal Emerald Gemstone Circle Studs (available at St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre)
- Bracelets: Gold flat-link bracelet (present from Saudi Arabia), Alex & Ani July Birthstone Bracelet, Halo Jewellery Gemstone Bangle
- Watch: Michael Kors Parker Gold Chronograph
- Skincare: A’kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil* (use code: killerf10 to avail of a 10% discount), Ziaja Manuka Tree Purifying Normalising Day Cream*
- Face: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Blur Primer & Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation*, Stila One Step Illuminate*, Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Mineral Powder*, Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray*
- Eyes: Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette*, Yves Saint Laurent Faux Effet Cils Luxurious Mascara, Oriflame The ONE 5-in-1 Wonderlash Mascara*
- Brows: Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow*, Eylure Shape & Shade Brow Pencil and Tamer*
- Lips: Kiehl’s #1 Lip Balm in Mint*, Urban Decay 24/7 Lip Pencil in Blackmail*, Yves Saint Laurent Babydoll Kiss & Blush in #3 Rose Libre
Check out all the details of Ireland 2016, the Irish centenary programme of the 1916 Easter Rising
Nirina xx
Images © Nirina Plunkett, Nell Spillane
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