Taoiseach won’t reverse Govt ban on 1916 Mass

Families disappointed Taoiseach has “no plans to reverse the changes introduced”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who took responsibility for the Defence portfolio following the resignation of Alan Shatter last week, has refused to lift a controversial ban on members of the Defence Forces participating in the annual Mass to commemorate those who died in the 1916 Easter Rising.

Families of those who fought for Irish freedom have expressed disappointment with a statement received by this paper, that the Taoiseach had “no plans to reverse the changes introduced”.

Cara O’Neill, whose grandmother May Gibney was in the GPO during the 1916 Rising told The Irish Catholic that the relatives of those who fought and died for the cause were dissatisfied with how the changes to the commemoration introduced last year were handled and had hoped that Alan Shatter’s replacement in the Department of Defence “would be more open to discuss it”.

Resignation

Ms O’Neill said she has “not received a straight answer” to queries she addressed to the then Minister before his resignation, and feels she is “in limbo waiting for a response”.

“I copied the Taoiseach on all my correspondence, and he acknowledged my letters, but he has not expressed a view to date,” she said.

Mr Shatter introduced a number of changes to the 1916 commemoration ceremony last year and claimed that the military ceremonial element was removed from the Mass on the basis that it was “no longer considered appropriate that military personnel would be requested to perform such a role in a religious ceremony”.

Inclusive

In a statement this week the Department of Defence said those changes “were aimed at making the event more inclusive and this has been achieved” and “there are no plans to reverse the changes introduced”.