COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF ARTS-CULTURE- GAEILGE-EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES SPC

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

HEADED ITEM NO.

HEADED ITEM: A. Reilly

Report from Library Service on potential options for 1916 Commemoration

REPORT:

1916 Commemoration - South Dublin Libraries

The commemoration of 1916 is being progressed within the broader framework of the Revolutionary Period 1913 to 1922.

The results of efforts by Local Studies to locate contemporary 1916 items from residents and organisations within the South Dublin villages were limited, consisting mostly of items relating to the Pearse brothers, St. Enda's and Eoin MacNeill. The reasons for the scarcity can be attributed to the small and mostly rural populations in the area at the time, and the small number of proven participants nationally as a percentage of the population. For these reasons, the focus on commemoration was broadened to cover photographs and previously unpublished documents connected with the major participants in the Rising, the greater Dublin area and rare and seldom-seen contemporary photographs of areas of Dublin that will be familiar to the intended audience. The principal methods of commemoration will include: 

Source Digital Archive

Source, our digital archive has been nominated for Chambers Ireland award for Innovation and technology. Over 1,700 items have already been digitally acquired from individuals and organisations. These have been described and catalogued and will be made publicly available at the start of the appropriate anniversary years. The assembly of this collection is ongoing. The items have been categorised in individual collections on Source as follows: 

A few examples of items of local interest acquired include MacNeill's countermanding order in his own hand, Pearse's signed surrender, St. Enda's Roll Book signed by Pearse and a poster for a concert in Clondalkin library which was cancelled because of the deaths of two of the performers in the rebellion.

 Bureau of Military History Finding Aid 

South Dublin villages are covered extensively in the Bureau's interviews with participants in the events of the 1913 to 1922 period. This index, titled 'Bureau of Military History: List of witnesses mentioning South Dublin locations', lists all of the South Dublin parishes. Under each parish is the name of every interviewee who mentions that parish. Over 400 names are included, and a clickable shortcut opposite each name enables the user to go directly to that interview transcript. 

Irish Life and Lore 1916 Collection 

South Dublin Libraries have part funded, with the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the creation of Irish Life and Lore's collection of 111 interviews with direct descendents of the participants of 1916. Local studies digitised, enhanced and manipulated the images used in the collection catalogue. 

Riots, Rifles and Rebels 

This is South Dublin Library's School Commemoration pack. Aimed at 11 to 13-year-olds, it consists of a folder illustrated with images from the period 1913 to 1922 which will be used for each commemoration. 

1913 is complete and has been sent to six schools. It is envisaged that by the end of November the 1913 pack will have been sent to every primary school in the South Dublin area, with additional copies available on Source. 

Library exhibitions: 

These will be held as the anniversaries occur 

Pearse Books Digitisation 

The library's collection of Patrick Pearse's books will be digitised and placed in the Source archive. 

Publications 

Most images and documents used in publications are added to Source 

Allegiances Compromised by Michael J. Whelan (published 2010) Examines the role of ex-British soldiers in the Irish Army 1913-1924 

Dublin Fire Brigade and the Irish Revolutionby Las Fallon (published 2012) Details the participation by DFB in the revolutionary period 1913-1923.  

South Dublin in the Revolutionary Period (edited by Dr Daire Keogh) due for publication in 2014 

T. J. Byrne Nation Builder by John Byrne and Michael Fewer (published 2013) (Byrne was the architect responsible for restoring the GPO, Four Courts and Custom House in the 1920s)

Google Cultural Institute 

Plans are ongoing to donate images from the Revolutionary Period collection owned by South Dublin Libraries to Google's online archive. 

South Dublin Villages Heritage Walks 

Heritage Walks app for Clondalkin, Lucan, Newcastle, Palmerston, Rathcoole, Rathfarnham, Saggart, Tallaght, Templeogue, 

Connecting to the Past: Mapping South Dublin County in Time 

Improvements planned to the South Dublin online mapping website to include information on protected structures including photographs.