Students at Dublin school are hopeful they can match last year's donations which raised almost €200,000 for Focus Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust and Home Again.

“The Taoiseach want us GPs to become abortionists. Abortion is not healthcare,” says Dr Judy Ceannt, grand-niece of 1916 Proclamation signatory Éamonn Ceannt.

"I think they are living the gospel of Jesus, the gospel message of caring and compassion, even though they may not be coming to church.”

Columban priest whose family were involved in the 1916 Rising links the faith of the rebels with the emergence of the great Irish missionary movement.

With 4,000 events scheduled for 2016 to commemorate the Rising, the “danger is that a future focus will be lost in the minutiae of ‘Risingology’."

Last year, students raised €183,000 for homeless charities and this year's sleep-out is to aid Focus Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust and Home Again.

Twenty priests from ten parishes were involved in ministering to those caught up in the events of Easter week on both sides of the divide.