1916 Rising Commemorative Exhibition (Dublin, Ireland)

This exhibition will examine the ‘ decade of disturbance ’ between 1913 and 1923, in other words from the Lockout to the ending of the Civil War. It will concentrate on the political dimension and the personalities involved and the principal medium of conveying the story will be objects from the collections of the National Museum. The social, economic and cultural background to the Rising will be explored, encompassing the plight of the urban poor and the phenomenon of the 1913 Lockout, as well as the general revival of nationalism, in which the Gaelic League, G.A.A. and Republican movement were key. Personal stories of prominent figures in the events and movements of the time, such as P. H. Pearse, James Connolly and Countess Markievicz, will be an important element. The social, economic and cultural background to the Rising will be explored, encompassing the plight of the urban poor and the phenomenon of the 1913 Lockout, as well as the general revival of nationalism, in which the Gaelic League, G.A.A. and Republican movement were key. Personal stories of prominent figures in the events and movements of the time, such as P. H. Pearse, James Connolly and Countess Markievicz, will be an important element. The exhibition will also describe the main events of Easter Week, outlining the locations of the garrisons and incorporating personal accounts of the week’s events, as well as biographical details about the leaders. The Proclamation, as read by Pearse outside the G.P.O. on Easter Monday, will occupy a centrally important position. Following the Rising, the change in public opinion, which came to be largely in favour of the Rising and its aims, was triggered by the execution of sixteen of the leaders. In the weeks following the Rising, thousands of insurgents ( and often bystanders ) were imprisoned in Ireland or deported to English jails such as Reading and Lewes and internment camps such as Frongoch in Wales. During their imprisonment, many turned to art and craftwork and the keeping of autograph books, to occupy their time and to express their sense of nationality. A selection of these items will be displayed in the exhibition. A brief outline of the War of Independence and Civil War will also be incorporated. The exhibition will also provide an opportunity to display an extremely important work of commemoration in the years following the Rising, namely the beautiful illuminated book, Leabhar na hAiséirghe ( Book of the Resurrection ), twenty six pages of which were created by the artist Art O’ Murnaghan from the 1920s to the 1950s. For the first time in recent years, it is intended to exhibit the entire work. Other forms of commemoration, such as the presentation of medals to veterans and the ceremony to mark the hand - over of the Roll of Honour to the State, in the 1930s, will also be represented. This exhibition will run for at least two years.