County looks back with pride on events of 1916
LAST weekend was one to live long in our memory. Community groups throughout the County of Cork mobilised together as they collectively commemorated the events and meaning of 1916 and the Easter Rising itself.
These groups held the most wonderful commemorative events and in many cases such as in Bweeng, Inchigeela and Kilmurry, groups combined their efforts to undertake some outstanding legacy events. The majority of these events were of a ceremonial nature which included the reading of the Proclamation, the raising of the National Flag, sounding of the Last Post and the unveiling of monuments to remember the people and places of Cork with regard to 1916.
Indeed Cork has a wealth of historically important sites that have collectively shaped the county’s heritage as a whole, particularly with regard to the defining years of the Irish Nation. Throughout our past, many of these sites, or indeed the associated events and people, have been commemorated locally through the erection of crosses, plaques, memorials and monuments and this year has seen and will continue to see the erection of many more commemorative plaques and memorials.
Following on from the success of the Heritage of County Cork Publication Series (which received a citation of excellence in the 2015 Local Government Awards), the latest installation in the series sets out to document these important sites in the county, telling Cork’s story in the formative years of the Irish Nation, both before, during and after the Easter Rising of 1916, including the War of Independence and Civil War. To add signficant value to the book’s overall scope and content, the Heritage Unit of Cork County Council is asking groups and individuals from throughout the county to submit details of the associated sites, events and people near them. If there are any commemorative/centenary related sites in your area that you feel would warrant inclusion in the publication, the Heritage Unit would be delighted to receive any related details/stories/photos by Monday 16th May 2016, which can be emailed to cork.heritage@corkcoco.ie or by phoning 021 4285905.
While it is quite an ambitious undertaking to cover all of Cork’s involvment in all revolutionary movements, the input from local individuals and community groups will be an enormous help.
One undertaking that benefits greatly from community involvement is the National Tidy Towns Competition and at present a number of groups are working to achieve as high a mark as possible with judging just around the corner. The Tidy Towns is many things, but one significant facet is that of heritage and the associated Heritage Award. The Heritage Award, sponsored by the Heritage Council, seeks to promote a greater awareness of the value of our heritage to our quality of life and to sustainable economic development. In order to enter for this prestigious award, applications must be made by 20th May and projects must ‘ benefit aspects of the national heritage as set out in the Heritage Act 1995. These include monuments, archaeological objects, heritage objects, architectural heritage, flora, fauna, wildlife habitats, landscapes, seascapes, wrecks, geology, heritage gardens and parks and inland waterways.
Further information is available online at www.heritagecouncil.ie and it is hoped that a number of projects will be entered from County Cork.
Looking to the week ahead, many more events of a centenary commemorative nature will take place. The Easter Rising ended on April 29th 1916 when Pádraig Pearse surrendered. In reflection of this day, the Heritage Unit has organised a lecture in the Council Chamber (County Hall) at 5pm on this Friday, April 29th, which will examine the significance of this day in the context of Irish history.
This Friday will also see an afternoon tea session in Cobh where the Cobh Animation Team, with the support of Cobh Library, will recognise the role played by women in the shaping of Ireland, and in Castlelyons that evening, as well as the Saturday and Sunday, the Barrymore Players will be performing an adapted version of the play ‘ The Kents of Bawnard’, which was produced in 1966.
On Saturday 30th April there will be a big day in Liscarroll as the community commemorates 1916. The event will feature a parade of the national flag, a marching band, the reading of the Proclamation, a historical talk and the planting of a memorial tree with an accompanying stone memorial.
The following day, Sunday 1st May, sees another large event, this time in Drinagh, West Cork. On the Sunday afternoon the community will gather to commemorate Seán Hurley, the only Cork Volunteer to have been killed in the 1916 Rising in Dublin. At 1pm a parade will take place, followed by mass at 2pm and the laying of wreaths together with speeches and an oration at 3pm. The day will also see a forum on 1916, a bilingual culture night, a road bowling tournament in honour of Seán Hurley and the showing of archival Drinagh footage entitled ‘Drinagh – Reeling in the Years’.
Commemorative 1916 events continue on the Monday of the May Bank Holiday Weekend. A large community commemoration day will take place in Fermoy, which will commence with mass at 10:30 a.m., followed by various events, among them a Garden of Remembrance, the erection of plaques at places associated with Thomas McDonagh and the Kent Brothers of Castlelyons. A parade will take place after Mass, leading to Pearse Square where the National Flag will be raised and the 1916 Proclamation read. The march will be undertaken by numerous community groups from Fermoy and the day will also see the unveiling of a plaque and the naming of the main bridge in Fermoy as Thomas Kent Bridge.
Later that afternoon, at 3pm in Clonakilty, a Garden of Remembrance will be officially opened. The event will include an address by Gabriel Doherty U.C.C.; song through the voices of Clonakilty Choir, Pádraig Pearse’s Poetry by the Kilmeen Drama Group, Local Comhaltas, Clonakilty Brass Band and the Raising of the Flag by two of the grandnieces of Michael Collins.
Tuesday, 2nd May, sees a talk by David Foley in the Council Chamber, County Hall, entitled ‘Sixteen Executions’. This lecture will focus on the 16 executions of 1916 and will furthermore pay homage to those from County Cork who were also killed including Seán Hurley (May 1st 1916) and Thomas Kent’s brother Richard (May 3rd 1916). The talk commences at 1pm. The next day, on Wednesday 03rd May, in the Palace Theatre, Fermoy, a play entitled ‘ Thomas Kent – 1916 Rebel’ by Lantern Productions, will take place.
Next week’s column will look at many of the further events, scheduled to take place in the month of May.