Dáil at 100: Celebrations of centenary given classic kick-off
A 1916 Model T Ford is not a usual sight near the famous plinth at Leinster House but one managed to turn a few heads as celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the first meeting of Dáil Éireann were launched.
The vintage car was on hand to help launch the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first Dáil sitting.
The very first meeting of the Irish parliament was convened on January 21, 1919, in the Round Room of the Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
Two days of the Dáil 100 Experience in Leinster House will begin on Saturday as part of the commemorations. Yesterday, the Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, welcomed actors playing historical figures to the home of the Irish parliament.
They included Lord Edward Fitzgerald, the fifth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster – responsible for building Leinster House – an aristocrat and revolutionary who was commander-inchief of the United Irishmen and one of the leaders who organised the 1798 rebellion, and Lady Emily Lennox, the Duchess of Leinster.
Arriving in a the Ford Model T4, the actors, dressed in historical garb joked with the Ceann Comhairle. The programme will showcase the history of Leinster House and the evolution of Irish democracy.
Characters representing different stages of Irish social and cultural life will entertain the public and visitors as they tour Leinster House led by ushers with interactive timelines and performances.
Next Monday there will be a commemorative sitting of the Dáil in the Round Room. Among those expected to attend that event are descendants of those elected to the first Dáil. The event “will celebrate 100 years of unbroken democracy” and the sitting will be addressed by President Michael D Higgins.