Madam, – As a grandson of Volunteer John Stokes, Boland’s Mills Garrison, Easter 1916, I wish to express my outrage at what was purported to be a commemoration by the State of the issuing of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and of the women and men who fought to establish that Republic.
Press reports indicate that 3,000 people attended. Many of these were tourists and foreign nationals. No surprise that the attendance by Irish citizens was so low. An inquiry to Military HQ 10 days previously elicited the information that there would be a military parade on Easter Sunday in O’Connell Street but that no other information was available. A focused search of the Government’s websites drew a blank, as did the various websites of national and local tourism bodies and a broad internet search.
Perhaps it was as well that so few citizens attended. The GPO and the area reserved for “dignitaries” was cordoned off to exclude the citizens as far as the Abbey Street junction.
The one area available to citizens required them to submit to body-frisking and bag searches. The entire line on the Clery’s side was constructed of two-metre high screens of opaque black material. A prime viewing area from Abbey Street to the GPO was marked for “Defence Forces guests”. It was completely empty of people for the duration of the ceremony.
The sound system provided was utterly inadequate to the occasion, rendering all of the ceremony at the GPO inaudible to most citizens present, but of course perfect for that other class of citizens – the “dignitaries”.
The Army, Navy and Air Corps were embarrassingly badly drilled, with far too many unable to keep step to the drumbeat. The musical director of the military band evidently thought it appropriate to give instrumental renditions of music hall ditties such as Step It Out Mary on what should have been a respectful and sombre occasion.
Excluding the citizens, privileging a self-styled “elite”, and delivering a cack-handed ceremonial, handed a gratuitous insult to the men and women of 1916, to the Proclamation, to the Irish Republic itself and to the citizens of this country.
One hour later a small group of citizens under the banner of Republic Day held a sincere, inclusive, dignified and meaningful commemoration at the National Monument at 16 Moore Street. The contrast between both ceremonies could not have been more marked.
It is obvious that this Government, like the last, has fully embraced the “Banana Republic” – but the citizens have not. The correct thing for the Government to do is to issue an apology and to withdraw from holding any further commemorations of 1916. We the citizens can do a far better job. We, at least, subscribe to the principle enshrined in the Proclamation that the Republic is the property of its citizens. – Yours, etc,