Irish state buys Easter Rising site

Moore St buildings bought for €4 million

The Irish state is to purchase the Moore Street site that was the scene of the rebels' last stand during the 1916 Easter Rising, an insurrection mounted by Irish republicans with the dual aim of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing a republic.

The state has agreed to pay €4 million for the city-centre site, which stretches from 14-17 Moore Street, where it will build a commemorative centre as one of the principal projects associated with next year's centenary of the uprising.

The central part of the site, the long-derelict number 16, was where the rebels surrendered on 29 April 1916. It became a national monument in 2007. The four houses will now be renovated and transformed into a commemorative centre, as one of the main projects associated with the centenary commemorations in 2016.

Memorial events include an exhibition of 1916 archive material at the National Museum while the National Library is developing an online resource with thousands of letters and artefacts associated with the Rising.

In addition to Moore Street, many of the battle-sites and monuments that played key roles in the events of 1916 are well-known Dublin landmarks today, and include O’Connell Street’s bullet-scarred General Post Office (GPO), Boland’s Mill, Mount Street Bridge, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle and Kilmainham Gaol.