The Sinn Féin political party have declined an invitation to attend a 1916 commemoration service in Dublin today as it pays tribute to British forces that were killed during the 1916 Easter Rising.
Various other government officials and ministers from different parties will attend the service in the Grangegorman Military Cemetery today, but Sinn Féin have indicated that they have no interest in attending such an event as it 'would not be appropriate.'
“As Irish republicans it would not be appropriate to attend a tribute to British soldiers who shot and killed Republicans in 1916," Sinn Féin chief whip Aengus Ó Snódaigh was quoted as saying in An Phoblacht.
"Those who wish to remember the enemy of Irish republicanism in that conflict – the British soldiers who died fighting against Irish patriots – should be free to do so if they wish, that is of course their right, as much as it is our right not to take part in such commemorative events," he continued.
There were more than 100 British soldiers killed during the rebellion 100 years ago, while over 50 Irish rebels were killed in the fighting along with more than 300 civilians.
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