The City's Newshound

Exhibition: 1916 and its Place in Irish History

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has announced a €22 million investment in major commemoration projects.

The money will be made available throughout next year in order to ensure that the sites, which are all of historical importance, will be open for the 1916 centenary.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Joan Burton, Arts Minister Heather Humphreys and Minister of State Aodhan Ó Riordáin recently visited the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, Dublin, where a major 1916 exhibition will open in time for the centenary. They were there to announce the programme of commemorative events that will be launched to mark the 100th anniversary of the Rising.

Some of the highlights include:

  • A major exhibition of 1916 archival material at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks
  • ‘Proclamation Day’, which will be held in all schools on March 15th 2016
  • The National Flag and a copy of the Proclamation will be delivered to every school in the country
  • A series of State commemorative events, including a parade from Dublin Castle to Parnell Square on Easter Sunday 2016 and a special State Reception for relatives
  • 7 new public projects at the GPO, Kilmainham Gaol, Pearse’s Cottage, the Military Archives and other sites
  • A multi-location public event, to be broadcast on television on Easter Monday 2016, telling the story of Ireland, through music, dance, drama and song
  • A series of conferences on 1916 through our universities
  • Cultural events around the globe, to be co-ordinated through our embassies and Culture Ireland, including Irish cultural festivals in Washington and London

But that doesn’t mean we have to wait until next year, there is still plenty to see right now. There is already a 1916 exhibition, as well as other exhibitions from important parts of Irish history, on show at Collins Barracks.

The City recently visited the museum to view the exhibition, which traces the background to the events of 1916, examines the battle itself, considers the aftermath up to 1923, and, finally, explores the ways in which the Rising has been commemorated to the present day.

And we still managed to find time to check out some of the other interesting pieces of history on show!

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By Donal Lucey & James Cox. 

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