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Cllr Francis Timmons – Independent Voice

1916

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

QUESTION NO. 2

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

“To ask the Chief Executive that the following be looked at (1)our Proclamation be displayed in Clondalkin SDCC office during 1916 and (2)  that the Irish Flag Hang outside and (3) a list of people that fought in 1916 from the Clondalkin area be displayed in SDCC office.”

REPLY:

Arrangements for the installation of a flag pole in the civic space at the front of the Clondalkin Civic Offices are currently being examined by the Council’s Architects Department. The Irish Proclamation will be displayed in civic buildings owned by the Council for 2016.

There is a lack of definitive historic documentation that includes place of birth or place of domicile for the combatants of Easter Week. To date there is only Clondalkin resident named out of 2,500 people confirmed by the Bureau of Military History as having taken part in the action of Easter Week 2016.

The local history section of South Dublin Libraries would be happy to research any names the councillor might have of Clondalkin men and women he may be aware of that took part in the Easter Rising.

In addtion as part of South Dublin County Council’s Centenary Programme, an event will be held to mark the “Grand Irish Concert” which was due to take place at Clondalkin Library on 30th April 1916. The concert was organised by Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) to raise funds for their Clondalkin branch. It was to feature a range of performers each excelling in Irish traditional music, songs and recitations.

The concert never happened. Two of the participants were arrested and one was killed in the Easter Rising which happened less than a week previously. What remains of the cancelled concert is a single poster advertising the event and which highlights the performers who were caught up in the action the previous Monday – E. O’Connor-Cox, Seán Connolly and Brian O’Higgins.

To mark the memory of these people, the organisers and the people who might have attended, Clondalkin Library will host a Grand Irish Concert on the centenary of the original event – 30th April 2016. The concert will feature traditional musicians, singers and a host of other performers each attempting to give a flavour of what might have happened had the concert gone ahead.

Accompanying the concert will be an exhibition centering on the 3 people named on the poster – Seán Connolly, an Abbey actor and member of the Irish Citizens Army who was killed, Brian O’Higgins who was arrested at the GPO and E.O’Connor-Cox who was also arrested. Further research will be conducted into these individuals and the information gathered will be presented as an exhibition. The exhibition will be based in Clondalkin Library for the month of April 2016.

 


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