How Ireland sets about commemorating the Civil War will prove to be a test of the nation's maturity, Dr Maurice Manning, chairman of the expert advisory group on centenary events, said on Wednesday night.
Dr Manning was speaking at the launch of Centenary, a book celebrating the 1916 Centenary Programme.
The book, edited by Irish Times journalist and author Ronan McGreevy, compiles first-person testimonies and accounts, as well as photographs, of some of the events that took place.
Launching the book at the GPO, Mr McGreevy said the project had been fortunate to have the work of photographers and artists at its disposal, with words adding context.
“All of us involved in this book were conscious of the honour and responsibility to produce something worthy of a wonderful year,” he said.
Minister for Culture Heather Humphreys said it was important the commemorations were "inclusive and respectful of all narratives".
The Minister also formally launched the mission statement outlining the second phase of the decade of commemorations from 2017 to 2023.
