On Easter Sunday , 12th April 2009 , approximately 30 members and supporters of Republican Sinn Féin held a Commemoration in Deansgrange Cemetery,Dublin, under the intrusive eyes of at least 15 members of the State 'Special Branch' political police force. The event was Chaired by Andy Connolly,Dublin, and the main oration was delivered by Seán O Bradaigh. We publish with this post two pictures of the event , and a proper write-up and more pictures will be published in the May 2009 edition of 'Saoirse' , which will be available on April 29th next.
Entering Deansgrange Cemetery , Easter Sunday 12th April 2009.
Seán O Bradaigh delivering the main oration.-------------------------------------
GPO , DUBLIN : EASTER MONDAY 13th APRIL 2009 -
Today , Easter Monday 13th April 2009 , approximately 300 people gathered at and around the GPO in Dublin to mark the 93rd Anniversary of the 1916 Rising. The Commemoration was organised by Republican Sinn Féin , who marched from the Garden Of Remembrance in Parnell Square to the General Post Office in O'Connell Street. The Main oration was delivered by Newry-man Ruairí White, Andy from Dublin Chaired the event , Róisín Hayden from Dublin read the 1916 Proclamation, Declan from Dublin laid the RSF Wreath and for a full list of who else took part you'll want to read the May edition of 'Saoirse' !
Suffice to say the day and, indeed , the weekend of Republican Sinn Féin events in Dublin , went like clockwork , with the small stage , lectern , amps etc and all the various Crews doing their stuff as planned. We publish a few pics here - with a link under the last one to more pics of the Easter Monday Commemoration :
RSF Speakers Lectern , GPO Easter Monday 2009.
Cumann na mBan and RSF Colour Party.
Declan , laying the RSF Wreath at the GPO.
RSF Colour Party and Cumann na mBan member.
Pat , from Cork , testing out the amps!
Roisin Hayden , reading the 1916 Proclamation at the GPO.
RSF 'Political Status' banner at the GPO, Easter Monday 2009.
Séan the Piper plays as the Flags dip...
Wreath inscription , Easter Monday 2009.(A few more pics can be viewed on our sister blog, here.)
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North Inner City Folklore Project, Easter 1916 Pageant : held on Easter Monday 2009-
"At Liberty Hall, 12 noon, a pageant will take place which will include the unfurling of the flag which the Citizen Army hoisted a week before the Rising. On that occasion a young inner city girl, Molly O Reilly was given the honour by James Connolly. A young woman, Susan Brennan Healy a niece of Molly O Reilly, will receive the flag from James Connolly-Herron a great grandson of James Connolly and re-enact the hoisting of the flag. They will be accompanied by a colour party dressed in the uniforms of Cumann na mBan and the Citizen Army...."
As before , we met the good men and women from the above-named Folklore Project at the GPO today, and listened to , and enjoyed , their Pageant, beautifully scripted and enacted as usual. It was a hard act for us to follow (they had better costumes!) but we tried our best - once Terry and his Team had left the GPO for Moore Street we doubled our efforts in order to keep our crowd from following them!
And Terry - our John says to tell ya that ye will have to slow down a wee bit next year or we will have to speed things up if we're to resolve those 'hard-of-hearing' issues ;-) ! A few pics from the Pageant -
'Folklore' rep addressing the GPO crowd , Easter Monday 2009.
'Starry Plough' at the GPO.
Pageant crowd scene.Finally - well done to the RSF members and supporters in Dublin without whom it would not have been possible to organise and hold three Easter events - and one of these - over the one weekend. It took a lot of effort , time and organising , but ye done it , and done it perfectly!
I'm going to recommend that all of ye get at least a free ticket for the next raffle. Between ye , that is... ;-) !
Thanks for reading !
Sharon.
