Thousands of people have commemorated the 88th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising at events around the country.
At this year's Sinn Fein commemoration in Dublin, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said his party was ready to resume negotiations. Mr Adams condemned the suspension of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, which Mr Adams said was "a totally unacceptable situation."
He said republicans were involved in an "unprecedented and historic enterprise, to resolve conflict, to achieve reconciliation among all the people of this island and deliver a lasting peace."
Mr Adams called for an "Alliance for Irish Unity" involving all persons and organisations committed to achieving a United Ireland. He said it was incredible that since the establishment of the state there had not been as much as a Green Paper on the subject.
Mr Adams said the London and Dublin governments had to accept that they would have to inject new momentum into the process. Referring to demands from the Reverend Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party for the disbandment of the IRA ahead of any negotiating, Mr Adams asked: "Can anyone imagine the IRA dashing off to obey the DUP diktat?"
The leader of Sinn Fein's representatives in the Dail, Mr Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin, launched a concentrated attack on the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell who has emerged in recent months as the most outspoken and strongest critic in the cabinet of the republican movement.
Speaking in Galway, Mr Ó Caoláin called on the Government to challenge British "breaches" of the Belfast Agreement, and added: "Serious questions must be asked of the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen for allowing Minister McDowell to take such a leading role in determining Irish Government policy in the peace process.
Elsewhere, in a Co Cork commemoration ceremony, the Minister for Finance, Mr Charlie McCreevy said: "A tragic period of violent struggle in Northern Ireland is over, and I hope and believe it will never return.
"We must retire the different armies, and recognise that peaceful agreement provides the only way forward from here on."