Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2018
635. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the 1918 commemoration events that will be held in the remainder of 2018; and the funding allocated to each such commemoration. [22516/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis year, my Department has a current funding allocation of €850,000 to support commemorative initiatives and events in 2018, as part of the Decade of Centenaries. This includes a funding allocation of €5,000 to support each local authority in developing commemorative initiatives at county level, which will encourage people of all ages to explore the significant events and themes of 1918. The State commemorative programme for 2018 comprises four broad thematic strands -
- The ending of World War I;
- The enactment of the Representation of the People Act 1918 and the Parliament (Qualification of Women Act) 1918 and the significant role of women in the events of 1918;
- The rise of radical Irish nationalism and the consolidation of Ulster unionism; and
- The death of John Redmond and the decline and legacy of the Irish Parliamentary Party.
A number of significant events have already taken place, including a symposium in the National Gallery on 6th March, which was organised in partnership with the NUI, RIA, and UCD School of History, to mark the centenary of the death of John Redmond. My Department has also supported a concert, organised by SIPTU, which took place on 22nd April to mark the centenary of the 1918 General Strike.
On 10th October, an official commemoration will be held to commemorate those who lost their lives following the sinking of the RMS Leinster. My Department is working in partnership with Dún-Laoghaire County Council and other national and local stakeholders to progress plans for this ceremony. The centenary of the signing of the Armistice that ended the fighting in World War I will also be commemorated by the State.
On 6 February, I launched the State centenary programme to mark the introduction of voting rights for women. The historian, Sinéad McCoole, is curating an innovative pop-up women's museum exhibition, entitled '100 Years of Women in Politics and Public Life, 1918 - 2018, which will be showcased in the Coach House in Dublin Castle from November of this year until January 2019. It will then travel to venues around the country.
In addition to the State-led events detailed above, my Department will continue to collaborate with a range of interested parties who wish to develop commemorative initiatives in 2018 as part of the Decade of Centenaries.
