Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 April 2015
208. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she expects to be in a position to convey events relating to 1916 to young persons, through schools or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17160/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that that the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme was launched by Government on 31st March. The Youth and Imagination strand of the programme places children and young people at the heart of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. It provides a platform to our children and young people to articulate their views on the events and ideals of 1916. Through creative and innovative initiatives, children will be guided upon a journey to explore the aspirations and principles of the participants in the Rising. They will be inspired to reflect on the ideals of the Proclamation and, in an action-learning context, to write their own new proclamation for 2016, to reflect the values, hopes and dreams of their generation.
Work will continue with the Thomas Meagher Foundation, which has been engaged in the provision of the National Flag to secondary schools around the country. In addition, special flag ceremonies will be held at which the National Flag will be presented to every national school in the country by a member of the Defence Forces. Drama, film, art and music will all feature prominently in the Youth and Imagination strand of the programme so that learning moves from the remote pages of history books to become real, vivid and inviting.
Children and young people will also be encouraged under the ‘1916 Ancestry Project’ to look to the past, tracing a family tree back to 1916 and exploring what life was like during that time. Intergenerational and community learning will be central to this journey of discovery and children will be invited to engage with local historical societies, active retirement groups and relatives of those who fought in the Rising, as well as exploring the abundance of online and archival material available.
Proclamation Day will take place on 15th March 2016. The day will begin with the raising of the National Flag, followed by a reading of the Proclamation. Schools will use this occasion to display the results of their own proclamation for a new generation and 1916 Ancestry Projects, as well as other arts and drama initiatives.
A widespread consultation process with children and young people across a range of age groups will take place this year, led by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, on the theme of “Imagining our Future”. This will include consultation in relation to the dedicated children’s day planned for the 2nd April 2016 in memory of the children who died during the Rising.
