On Easter Sunday, 5th April 2026, the President of ARCO, Major-General Maureen O’Brien DSM, attended the 110th Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising at the General Post Office, in O’Connell Street, Dublin 1.
The Ceremony was led by an tUachtarán, Catherine Connolly, an Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, an Tánaiste Simon Harris TD, the Minister for Defence Helen McEntee TD, the Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Rossa Mulcahy and members of the General Staff.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald TD also attended the Ceremony while thousands of people lined O’Connell Street.
Defence Forces’ personnel from the Army, the Air Corps and the Naval Service took part in the ceremony as well along with a Cadet Guard of Honour.
At noon, the National Flag on the GPO was lowered to half mast, and the 1916 Proclamation was read by Captain Eva Houlihan – the fourth woman to do so – 110 years after it was read by Pádraig Pearse from the same location. Captain Houlihan is the niece of the wife of our colleague, Captain Shane (Soddy) O’Dwyer (Retired).
Following the reading of the Proclamation, the flag was raised to full mast after which the President laid a wreath to commemorate those who had died in the Easter Rising. The National Anthem was played, before a perfectly timed Air Corps flyover.
A reception was held in GPO following the Ceremony where Maureen O’Brien introduced herself to President Connolly and discussed the roles of ARCO.
