Museum puts the never-seen 1916 curios on display

ARTEFACTS from the 1916 Rising have gone on display at the National Museum, including items that belonged to the executed leaders.

The Proclaiming a Republic: The 1916 Rising exhibition opens to the public today at the Collins Barracks site and includes items never before seen by the public, including Proclamation signatory Thomas Clarke’s razor.

Dr Audrey Whitty said: ‘We have things like Thomas Clarke’s razor which he would have been given when he was released from Portland prison

‘So many letters about the Rising’

in the 1890s and he would have used every day up to Easter Monday in 1916, never to be used again.’

Rising leader Pádraig Pearse’s glasses are also on display. They were donated to the National Museum 20 years ago and have Pearse’s name inscribed on the inner lid of the case. His glasses were from Yeates and Son opticians in Dublin.

Other items on show include makeshift weapons including a homemade bayonet made with the blades of garden shears.

Clothing worn by both the Irish rebels and the British Army will also be on display, along with the watch used by Countess Constance Markievicz to time the rebel despatches.

Along with homemade weapons and bullets, smelling salts that revived the wounded and first aid kits are also open to the public.

Personal stories of civilians caught in the crossfire are also represented by items such as a crucifix perforated by a bullet.

The exhibition aims to reflect the cultural movements in Ireland in 1916, including the rise of Catholics and the push for Home Rule, as well as moves against unionism.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny attended the launch of the exhibition yesterday, which was his first public appearance since the General Election results.

Further accounts of the families of the rebels – including memories of executions and imprisonments – will be made available to the public in late April. Meanwhile, NUI Maynooth launched an online project yesterday which is a collection of letters in Ireland from November 1915 and October 1916.

Many of these documents were held by family members and provide an insight into life 100 years ago in the Letter Of 1916 project. Co-organiser Dr Susan Schreibman said: ‘We have so many letters about the Rising, not surprisingly just after the Rising.

‘The numbers shoot up after the Rising in part because there were so many people in Dublin witnessing things and they had to write home, just like we pick up the phone to phone somebody.’

The crowd-sourced online project is ongoing and members of the public are invited to submit their additions online.