A tribute to the men and women of 1916, and a question about plans for Moore Street

dublin | history and heritage | news report

Monday April 13, 2009 18:58

by konia

In Dublin today, the North Inner City Folklore Project organised a commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising by honouring the men and women who fought for Irish Freedom.

Starting at Liberty Hall at noon, the large crowd was told the story of the young girl from the North Inner City girl who ran messages for James Connolly, Molly O Reilly.

Little more than a child, Molly was mixed up with the group who broke a window playing ball outside Liberty Hall. She ran home and didn't come back, but eventually someone was sent to her house to tell her that James Connolly wanted to see her. She went, thinking she was going to be told off for breaking the window, but instead Connolly wanted to give her the the honour of hoisting the flag of outside Liberty hall, as the Citizen Army paraded on the Sunday before Easter 1916 and pledged their allegiance to the Republic. Today Susan Brennan Healy, a niece of Molly O'Reilly, received the flag from James Connolly-Herron, a great grandson of James Connolly, and re-enacted the hoisting of the flag.

The assembled gathering included many relatives of those who fought in 1916 then marched to the GPO led by pipers. Participants carried photographs of the men and women who took part in the Rising.

Wreaths were then laid at the GPO in honour of the men and women of 1916, by Constance Corcoran, a daughter of Molly O'Reilly. and Mrs Steenson, whose mother was a member of the GPO garrison.

After the reading of the 1916 proclamation, Noirin Byrne gave a short tribute with a call for the erection of a permanent memorial in O ‘Connell Street to the women who risked their lives for Irish freedom.

After a lament by the pipers the assembly then marched to number 16 Moore Street, the last headquarters of the 1916 garrison, to show their support for the retaining of that historic street.

Paddy Cooney of the Save 16 Moore Street Committee then gave a short speech on the current situation regarding plans for the national monument, and wreaths were laid, followed by a minute's silence.

A protest in the form of a human chain around Moore Street is planned for next Sunday, April 19th at 2.30PM.