1916 Golden Jubilee Celebrations Filmed in Colour

Marching bands, sporting organizations, community groups and visitors from overseas all gathered at St Stephens Green for the first event in a week of national commemoration marking the Easter Rising. This parade went to the GPO in O'Connell Street where the participants then became spectators for the midday ceremony.

Veterans from the Rising sat in the reviewing stand at the GPO. President de Valera with his aide de camp, Colonel Seán Brennan, inspected the FCA guard before taking their place in the stand. Thousands of people, young and old, lined the route awaiting the parade. Shortly after 12.00, the Irish Defence Forces of 1966, led by the Parade Commander, Colonel Dan Fitzgerald, in an open jeep, crossed O'Connell Bridge. Many of the soldiers marching wore medals for service with the United Nations. Members of the Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, Air, Medical and Mility Police Corps all marched. Members of An Slua Muiri represented the Navy. Four Vampire jets flew overhead.

The event was filmed with three colour film cameras. Cameraman Will Warham took up a position on the roof of the Harp building overlooking O'Connell Bridge.

Colour film was used again to record the visit of President de Valera to Kilmainham Gaol. At the Execution Plot, the President laid a wreath. In his speech at the official opening of the museum, the President reflected on those who had been imprisoned at Kilmainham and asked the audience to join with him in thinking about the men who had been executed in 1916.

RTÉ television hired a number of cameramen to shoot colour film of the parades and commemorations that took place outside Dublin.

View edited pieces here from commemorations at Galway, Cork, Limerick and Monaghan.

A solemn high mass was held in the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, presided over by Dr John Charles McQuaid, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. The President, the Taoiseach and members of the Government attended.

At St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, a commemoration service was also held. The service here was organized by the Dublin Council of Churches. A special sermon was given by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr George Otto Simms. Cameramen filmed people arriving at both churches.

The Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin was designed by Daithi Hanly as a permanent memorial to those who died for Ireland. The garden was formally opened by President Eamon de Valera and was blessed by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Charles McQuaid. The ceremony was attended by veterans of 1916 as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps, the Lord Mayor, Alderman Timmons, and the Taoiseach Mr Lemass. A special cadet guard of honour, led by Lieutenant Finbar Studdart, stood on the granite arched wall at the west end of the garden. Veteran of the GPO from Easter Week 1916, Joe Gahan attended the ceremony on a stretcher.

Croke Park, Dublin was the scene for the pageant 'Aiséiri' which depicted the Irish struggle from 1798 to the establishment of the first Dáil in 1919. 'Aiséiri' was written and directed by Abbey Theatre producer, Tomás MacAnna, and ran during Easter Week 1966. Among the cast were Michael MacLaimmoir as 'The Voice of History', Ray McAnally as Patrick Pearse, and Cecil Sheridan as Jim Larkin. The audience were seated in the Hogan Stand and the action took place on the pitch in front of a large set that included an exterior of the GPO. The Irish Army were on hand again to provide the pyrotechnics. An electronic display gave the audience a written account of the action. This does not seem to have pleased everyone. The Irish Times reporter Eileen O'Brien noted,
"The strip neon explaining what was going on was an unnecessary touch of vulgarity. The characters were all sufficiently well defined, the plot sufficiently simple to need no commentary. But if it was felt that some introduction was necessary it would have been more dignified to let each one quite simply announce himself than to vie with the advertisements on O'Connell Bridge."

In heavy rain, President de Valera unveiled a statue of Thomas Davis. Relatives of Thomas Davis and other Young Irelanders, along with 1916 veterans, gathered to see the sculpture by Edward Delaney. With the statue unveiled, a group of schoolchildren sang 'A Nation Once Again' conducted by Proinsias Ó Ceallaigh.

At the GPO, on another wet and dull April evening, the final commemorative salute was paid to the men and women of 1916. Film cameras were there again to record some of the event in colour. Veterans marched in O'Connell Street and President de Valera addressed the gathered crowd and all those who had tuned in on radio and television.