11th December 2013- Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has launched an exhibition marking the centenary of the Irish Volunteers and the publication of 'The Making of the Great 1913 Lockout Tapestry' at a joint event in Glasnevin Cemetery today, December 11th, 2013.
Minister Deenihan discussed the historical importance of this exhibition and its important material regarding the Irish Citizen Army and the Irish Volunteers.
Artefacts on display for the first time include a German Mauser Rifle, manufactured in 1870, landed at Howth, July 26th, 1914, aboard the Asgard by Erskine Childers as part of a major consignment of arms for the Irish Volunteers. The rifle, whose stock had been cut off to allow female members of the Volunteers smuggle it beneath their clothes through the streets of Dublin, was retrieved from Sean O Casey’s house on the East Wall Road.
Other items on display include:
- Roger Casements personal bible from 1915
- An inscribed shell, which was being carried by Roger Casement when arrested at Banna Strand in 1915
- A letter from Patrick Pierce to Joseph Mary Plunkett requesting a literary contribution for the St Enda’s College magazine
- Letters from Thomas McDonough to Joseph Mary Plunkett
- The original Volunteer’s tunic of Dinny FitzPatrick
The exhibition also highlights a number of men and women involved in the volunteers whose remains are interred in Glasnevin cemetery. Speaking in advance of the event, Minister Deenihan commented:
“Today's launch is indicative of the Government's commitment to inclusive and accurate commemoration during the Decade of Centenaries and highlights our partnership with bodies such as ICTU and the Glasnevin Trust. This book and this exhibition are a perfect example of how volunteers and members of the public can contribute to the Decade of Centenaries programme”.
'The Making of the Great 1913 Lockout Tapestry' documents the collaborative project lead by SIPTU and the National College of Art and Design to design and produce a large-scale work of art depicting the story of the 1913 Lockout.
Note for editors: Featured in the exhibition are the stories of some of those interred in Glasnevin, including:
- John Lee from lower Rutland Street in Dublin - a volunteer who was later wounded in Gallipoli and was brought home to die in Dublin.
- James Grace from Summerhill, who fought on Mount Street in 1916 Rising, survived and went on to live into old age.
- Helena Moloney from Rathmines who, as part of the Irish Citizens Army, fought in City Hall in 1916. She became President of the ICTU and lived until 1967.
Minister Deenihan also call on members of the public who may have artefacts relating to the commemorative period in their possession, to bring them forward so that they can add to a wider understanding of events such as the centenary of the Easter Rising and the key events of the first World War.
Information on the Tapestry1913 Tapestry Project: collaboration between NCAD and SIPTU
The 1913 Tapestry is an ambitious, large-scale, collaborative visual arts project to commemorate the Dublin Lockout
During this epic struggle an estimated 100,000 people, one third of the capital’s inhabitants faced starvation for five months in a battle for workers’ rights.
Artists, Cathy Henderson and Robert Ballagh, were commissioned by SIPTU and the National College of Art and Design to create a visual narrative of over 30 panels. These have been laid out in comic book style consisting of multimedia textile pieces measuring 60cm x 76cm (2ft x 2.5ft). They will be made by Volunteers.
The President Michael D. Higgins formally launched the project in Liberty Hall in November 2012. Volunteers included members of the Irish Guild of Embroiderers, the Irish Patchwork Society, RADE (Rehabilitation through Art, Drama and Education), and the Irish Countrywomen’s Association, a number of Dublin schools, community arts groups, trade union activists and inmates of Mountjoy prison.