Civil War to be commemorated on ‘a neutral date’, Tánaiste says

The Civil War will be commemorated on a "neutral date" with an event that does not seek to challenge or undermine anyone's loyalties, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said.

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the programme for this year's Decade of Centenaries events which will be announced by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Culture Catherine Martin and Mr Varadkar at a later date.

The Civil War - which claimed more than 1,000 lives - broke out in the summer of 1922 between forces that supported or opposed the Treaty that ended the War of Independence but left six counties under British control.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil grew out of the political parties that took opposing sides in the war, with Fine Gael's forerunners supporting the Treaty and Fianna Fáil's opposing it.

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Mr Varadkar, the Fine Gael leader, said there was an event earlier this year to mark the centenary of the handover of Dublin Castle by the British and there will be one towards the end of the year to remember the foundation of the Free State, which he said is “very much associated with my party”.

He said a date for an event remembering all those who fought and died in the Civil War was yet to be determined, but that it would be held on a “neutral date”.

Mr Varadkar said the event is designed to be inclusive and commemorative, “one that is authentic to our history, but one that doesn’t seek to challenge or undermine anyone’s loyalties”. He also said there will be academic events and conferences on the subject of the Civil War.

Mr Varadkar said the 2022 programme of events for the Decade of Centenaries is “quite exciting” and a budget has been allocated to it.