On the ninetieth anniversary of the Easter Rising in Ireland this year, a large and well-attended parade worked its way through the streets of Dublin. Commencing at the city castle, the procession ended at the General Post Office on O'Connell Street, where rebel leaders first declared Ireland a republic in 1916. Flags flew half-mast, soldiers stood at attention, officials laid wreaths, and historic proclamations were read. This was no ordinary commemoration: it was the city's first official parade in thirty-five years and the largest ceremonial duty, of 2,500 soldiers, ever undertaken by the Irish army.