Tag Archives: Easter Rising

An intriguing link between a Parteen family and the Easter 1916 Rising has emerged, following the establishment of a small temporary museum in the local national school. Sixth-class teacher, Councillor Cathal Crowe has managed to unearth a few historical gems from the locality, as a result of the school’s appeal to assist children during their history studies. One local family donated a lamp belonging to an old motorcycle, which was used to carry urgent messages from the GPO garrisson during Easter Week to freedom-fighters in Wicklow. On one occasion, the motorcyclist crashed his vehicle, while travelling over the Wicklow Mountains on a mission to seek reinforcements from Wicklow to assist in the Rising. Leaving the bike behind, the motorcyclist, who is the great-great-grandfather of a local child, continued on his journey with the lamp. Other donations include pieces of old clothing, war medals and medals depicting military service. Jackie Whelan from the West Clare Railway donated iron, pins, nails and …

THE year 1916 holds a special place in many people’s hearts. Not only was it the year of the Easter Rising, but that same year saw one of the most brutal, and most futile, battles of the Great War, the Battle of the Somme. To commemorate the centenary of the start of this battle, churches have been invited to toll a funeral bell for 10 minutes from 7.30am on the morning of July 1 (Friday), the precise moment that soldiers climbed from the safety of their trenches to face the awaiting onslaught. In Limerick, at 9pm today ( Thursday), the eve of the Battle of the Somme, the local branch of the Royal British Legion, with Irish ex-service organisations, will gather at the Limerick War Memorial in Pery Square, where a ceremonial candle will be lit, followed by a symbolic vigil, ending with reflective readings and prayer. On Friday, at 7.30am, as the church bells are tolling to mark the start …

The Central Statistics Office has launched a helpdesk and app designed to give people help and support as they prepare to make their mark in Census 2016. According to Deirdre Cullen, CSO senior statistician,“By participating in the census, we are helping to shape our understanding about life in Ireland in 2016, and show how Ireland has changed since the last census was taken in 2011. The census is also a fundamental part of our national heritage and collective knowledge. The 2016 census will take place exactly one hundred years to the day since the Easter Rising began, and the results will be of great interest to the historians of the future as they look back and reflect on life in Ireland in 2016”. The Census 2016 helpdesk can be called on 1850 2016 04 and an online helpdesk is available on http://census.ie/helpdesk/ The census app is available on Apple and Android and can be found by clicking on the store …

TO commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising, Clare County Library has developed book promotions on the theme for both children and adults. More than 800 books have been published on the subject, with almost 500 currently in print. The two reading promotions feature selections of the best of the currently available books on the Rising. The adult books selected are non-fiction and include general introductions, biographies of the individual leaders, first-hand accounts of particular battles, details of the rebellion in particular parts of the country and accounts of the civilian experience of the insurrection. Historical fiction is the perfect way for young people to get inside the skins of children of the same age from other times and give them a real understanding of major events in the past. The collection of books specifically chosen for children and teenagers will introduce them to, and immerse them in, one of the most important events to ever happen in our country’s …

The National Library of Ireland (NLI) has  made personal papers and photographs related to Joseph Plunkett and Patrick Pearse available online. This material forms part of the 1916 Digital Collections – unique documents related to the seven signatories of the Proclamation that tell the story of the momentous events of 1916. The Plunkett and Pearse papers are now publicly available, free of charge, at catalogue.nli.ie. They join the Éamonn Ceannt collection, published in December to coincide with the launch of the National Library’s 2016 Programme, and the papers of Tom Clarke, James Connolly, Seán MacDiarmada and Thomas MacDonagh, which were published in January and February. The 1916 Digital Collections are a culmination of years of intensive work by the NLI team, with more than 20,000 items now available online. The digitised papers include diaries, postcards and photographs that tell the stories of the family and working lives of each signatory, alongside dramatic records of their activities during Easter Week 1916. …

In a special message to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising, President Michael D. Higgins evokes the events and people of 1916, whose beliefs and actions make it possible for us, as a nation, to remember and reflect on the full richness of our history and the diversity of people and events that are part of what we are today. President Higgins was particularly appreciative of the investment and commitment of the thousands of people, of all ages and backgrounds, who came forward with their wishes and suggestions, which form the basis of the 31 local community programmes which will take place nationwide in 2016. The President said the centenary offers all of us an opportunity to reflect on events of the past, so that we can build a future that honours the promise of equality and inclusiveness contained in the 1916 Proclamation. The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, led by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, …

More than half those killed in the 1916 Easter Rising were ordinary members of the public, it has been outlined. This detail was explained at the launch by Taoiseach Enda Kenny of the 1916 Easter Rising Necrology compiled by the Glasnevin Trust. The necrology contains the names of all 485 people who lost their lives in the 1916 rising, including innocent civilians, British soldiers, as well as members of the Irish Volunteers. This is the first time a list of this scale has been collated and made available online. The Necrology, researched and complied by the Glasnevin Trust, shows 485 men, women and children were killed during or as a direct result of the 1916 rebellion. This major piece of research revealed many interesting and previously unknown facts, the most striking of which details that 54% of total dead were civilians, as opposed to British Army or Rebel forces.  The full Necrology and statistical analysis is available on www.glasnevintrust.ie. An …

SHANNON Heritage has been appointed to operate and manage the €7 million GPO Witness History Interpretive Exhibition Centre. It’s a major coup for Shannon Heritage, which is part of the newly established Shannon Group, also encompassing Shannon Airport and Shannon Commercial Properties. It already operates attractions in Clare like Craggaunowen and Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. The contract was awarded following a competitive tender process, while the visitor centre is now under construction at the GPO. It is expected to attract up to 300,000 people a year following its opening at Easter 1916. Speaking about the contract award, Shannon Heritage CEO John Ruddle said, “Shannon Heritage is delighted to be involved with this nationally important project at the iconic GPO location. We have been managing visitor attractions for over 50 years and this new visitor attraction provides the company with a great opportunity to expand in the capital city and also play a vital role in the celebrations of the …