A fitting end to the year
Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society brought the momentous year to its conclusion last SAaturday at Market Square with a dignified and fitting tribute to the men and women who shaped our history as they commemorated the Homecoming of Christmas 1916.
Twenty-eight volunteers returned to Enniscorthy on Christmas Eve 1916, having spent eight months interned in British prisons far away from their families, friends and their town.
On Saturday, members of EHRS gathered at Enniscorthy train station to mark that return complete with welcome home banners and brown paper parcels tucked under their arms, and walked across the new bridge and up Castle Hill waving and shouting ‘We’re home! We’re home!’ to amused onlookers .
Stopping at the Athenaeum, a wreath was laid by Paul Murphy to all who had spent those five fateful days there 100 years before.
At Market Square EHRS member Graham Cadogan began proceedings with a poem about the Homecoming penned by local bard Paudge Kehoe and invited Sean Og Doyle, President of the 1916 Commemoration Committee to lay a wreath at the 1798 Monument and address the crowd of re-enactors and relatives of the Enniscorthy volunteers, some of whom were holding photographs of their heroic family members.
Sean gave a brief history of the event and commended EHRS for the tremendous effort they put into all of the events of 1916. Attending 85 events across various parts of the county and country, Sean said that they have borne themselves with dignity and pride and their meticulous attention to detail in their attire and historical fact was exemplary, deserving of both recognition and acclaim.
Chairman of EHRS Ray Murphy then made a presentation to Sean Og Doyle thanking him for all the support and encouragement throughout the year before calling on Piper Liam Doyle to conclude the ceremony with the national anthem.