THE Belfast launch of a new book about the historic battle of Moore Street in Dublin will take place at Áras Uí Chonghaile on the Falls Road next week.

'Battle of Moore Street' by historian Ray Bateson – a bi-lingual history of the final battle of the Easter Rising in the words of those who were there – will be launched at the West Belfast venue next Thursday (February 27) at 7pm.

The Battle of Moore Street, 28-29 April 1916, marked the end of the Easter Rising as Irish Volunteers commanded by Patrick Pearse surrendered to British forces on April 30 from a terrace house on the street.

Drawing on the recollections and words of those who were there, historian Ray Bateson retells the story of those two desperate days as the members of the GPO Garrison sought valiantly to fight their way out of the encircling rings of British firepower that threatened to destroy them.

The book's author, Ray Bateson, grew up in the Falls but now lives in Dublin. 

It has been published thanks to the 1916 Moore Street Preservation Trust, a not-for-profit organisation led by relatives of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation.

The Trust has created a plan to preserve the Moore Street battlefield site as a 1916 cultural and historical quarter in the heart of Dublin. The battlefield site runs west from O’Connell Street to Moore Street, and north from the GPO and Henry Street to Parnell Street.

The battle to save the iconic 1916 Moore Street battlefield site has been ongoing for over 20 years. During that time there has been a series of plans by developers, appeals against those plans, court cases, protests and sit-ins.

Last year, An Bord Pleanála (ABP) – the Planning Authority in the Irish State – ruled on the remaining appeals and published its recommendations on the future development of the site.

In its decision, ABP dismissed all the appeals against UK developer Hammerson’s plans made by the Moore Street  Preservation Trust and the relatives of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation.

Despite accepting that the Hammerson plan contravenes the Dublin City Development Plan, ABP backed the Hammerson plan, which will see much of the battlefield site demolished to make way for a mixed retail, office, hotel and residential scheme.

'Battle of Moore Street' by Ray Bateson will be launched at Áras Uí Chonghaile James Connolly Visitor Centre next Thursday (February 27) at 7pm.