More than €1.3 million has been allocated to a range of community organisations in the Border region and Northern Ireland to promote peace, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has announced.

“The support given to community organisations through the Reconciliation Fund is a key pillar of the Government’s efforts to promote ever greater peace and reconciliation,” said Mr Flanagan. “The Government is proud to work closely with civil society in building a brighter future for the people of this island.”

He said the projects supported in this round of funding covered a range of sectors including youth, culture and language, sports, dealing with the legacy of the past, and women, peace and security.

It also includes support for the Glencree Centre for its programme of activities, including its work in support of peace and reconciliation.

As the State’s programme to commemorate the centenary of 1916 continues, the Minister welcomed the fact that a number of the projects funded would engage with this important time in the island’s history.

‘Overlapping histories’

“I am glad to see that a range of groups from across the community will, with the support of the Reconciliation Fund, take advantage of the rich opportunities offered by the 2016 centenaries to explore our shared and overlapping histories,” Mr Flanagan said.

“It is fitting that 100 years on from seminal events such as the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme, communities will come together to reflect on the past in a spirit of reconciliation and respect.”