Commemorations of the centenary of the Easter Rising began in Dublin on Friday, with thousands marching to remember the leaders of the uprising against the British empire, who were executed after the rebellion failed.
The procession, which began at the site of the executions of 14 rebels in 1916, was attended by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness.
Speaking to the crowds at Arbour Hill cemetery, where the rebels were buried, Mr Adams paid tribute to those executed, saying "a few hundred poorly equipped Irish men and women took on the might of the largest empire the world had ever seen".
Mr Adams, a former IRA commander, said the 1916 proclamation of independence "remains the mission statement for Irish republicans today".
The Sinn Féin leader said the centenary of the Easter Rising was "an historic opportunity to look realistically towards ending partition and sectarianism and division" and to "see how we can make the united, independent Ireland envisaged in 1916 a reality".
Mr Adams added that a united Ireland "means the unity of the people of this island, including those who see themselves as British".
"That is why Irish governments must pursue every avenue to promote all-Ireland co-operation and to build relationships between all our people," he said.
"This must include genuine efforts to outreach to the unionists on the basis of equality."
Irish media reported that relatives of those who died during the uprising are gathering from the Irish diaspora around the world.
To read more about the uprising see here.