Ruairí Quinn
Question:13 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the events organised by the 1798 Commemoration Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18433/98]
Written Answers - Commemorative Events.
As we near the close of the Government's 1798 commemoration programme I am delighted, as chairperson of the commemoration committee to take this opportunity to outline the events organised or assisted, as part of that programme by my committee.
It was my committee's intention to develop a broad ranging, comprehensive and inclusive programme which commemorated the ideals of the Untied Irishmen and the Fellowship of Freedom that inspired them in 1798.
With this in mind it was felt that the commemoration programme should focus primary attention on the principles of democracy and pluralism which the United Irishmen advocated. Projects such as the international conference 1798 — A Bicentenary Perspectives, the National Museum and National Library's interactive exhibition at Collins Barracks, the Irish and British Governments 1798 commemoration scholarship and the RTE Documentary Series "Rebellion" are examples of projects funded which I think duly reflected my committee's objectives.
My committee was also happy to fund projects such as the Dublin/Belfast Choral Festival, the publication of Wolfe Tone's diaries and the Drennan Papers, the Humbert and Merriman Schools and the restoration of the William Lawless tomb in Paris. Plans to circulate an education pack to schools are under way. The Film Institute of Ireland's film festival was a great success and the Glencree Peace Centre is continuing to develop its programme, From Revolution to Reconciliation.
The Croppies Acre memorial garden at Collins Barracks opened by me on the 22 November was developed in association with the Office of Public Works, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the National Museum and will serve as a lasting memorial to all those who died in 1798.
We can all agree that the 1798 Centre at Enniscorty, which I opened earlier this year, is a shining example of what can be done when State and local bodies work together with a single goal in mind. The centre and its exciting interactive 1798 exhibition will continue to attract a large number of visitors for a long time to come.
Many ceremonies have taken place over the last ten months to mark the rebellion. One such ceremony attended by the Taoiseach and involving the French military and our Defence Forces took place in Ballina on 22 August to acknowledge the involvement of France in 1798.
Throughout the commemoration period funding has been made available at local level to many projects. Armagh, Antrim, Cavan, Carlow, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Down, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois and Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Sligo, Tipperary, Wicklow and Wexford all benefited from funding. Unfortunately given the limited budget available it was not possible to fund all of the many worthy projects under way throughout the country and I take this opportunity to pay tribute to all of the local committees who have worked tirelessly to make their commemoration initiatives a success.
I take this opportunity to thank my committee for all their work in developing this broad ranging and inclusive 1798 programme of commemoration.