WHILE ALL roads to the North are clogged with Southerners on shopping sprees, Northern Ireland's Parades Commission has been touring historical sites in Dublin. Six members of the commission have been on a three-day visit ending today to sites associated with the Easter Rising in 1916.
Dr Michael Boyle, director of programmes and policy at the commission, said the visit was part of a learning programme aimed at "better understanding cultural and historical aspects of parading and protest in Northern Ireland".
Among the landmarks the group has visited are the GPO, Arbour Hill, Kilmainham Gaol and the War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge.
Dr Boyle said it was useful for the commission to increase its knowledge of the background to historical events. Dr Boyle said there were no plans at this time to organise further tours in the Republic, though he expressed interest in the lessons to be learned from the 1798 Rebellion.
