PLANS for the development of an historic battlefield from the 1916 Easter Rising are to go on display at the Kennedy Centre.
The Moore Street Preservation Trust unveiled their proposals at Áras Uí Chonghaile on Wednesday.
Led by relatives of the 1916 Proclamation signatories, the Trust has opposed the commercial development of the area, which would see much of its iconic buildings demolished.
The Moore Street site is where five of the seven signatories of the Proclamation – Seán MacDiarmada, Pádraig Pearse, Joseph Plunkett, James Connolly and Tom Clarke – held their final meeting before being forced to surrender.
16 Moore Street is also where Michael O'Rahilly (The O'Rahilly), a founding member of the Irish Volunteers, died.
Cllr Mícheál MacDonncha with the Mauser rifle
This week's exhibition at the Kennedy Centre includes a scale model and drawings of the Trust's ambitious alternative plan for the develop of an historic cultural quarter.
Also on display is the 1914 Mauser rifle which the Trust is raffling at Easter to raise much needed funds for the campaign to save this iconic part of Dublin.
At Wednesday's launch were 1916 relatives including James Connolly Heron – great grandson of James Connolly – and Secretary of The Preservation Trust Cllr Mícheál MacDonncha, former Lord Mayor of Dublin.
The exhibition and the Mauser will be available for public viewing in the Kennedy Centre on the 1 and 2 of April between 12 and 5pm.
Micheál MacDonncha explained: “In the summer of 1914 1,500 Mauser rifles were purchased in Hamburg Germany for the Irish Volunteers. On 26 July 900 of these were landed at Howth harbour. The Mauser rifle that is being auctioned is one of these. The raffle is to raise funds to protect and preserve the 1916 historic Moore Street battlefield site which is threatened by a developer.”
Gerry Adams gets up close with the plans
James Connolly Heron said the decision by Dublin City Council planners to give the green light for the demolition of much of the Moore Street Battlefield site is "a devastating blow to the unique cultural heritage of Dublin and of the Irish nation".
"Supporting the raffle will ensure that the campaign to protect and preserve this historic area will continue," he added.
The 1914 Mauser is an antique firearm manufactured before 1898 and is for display and ornamental purposes only.
A condition of the sale is that the winner of the raffle agrees that this historical artefact stays within the island of Ireland and that it will not be sold, loaned or rented to any person, organisation or private enterprise not resident within the island of Ireland.
To enter the raffle for the 1914 Mauser click here.
