Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

I agree that the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising should be marked. The Minister's party probably discovered how many people watched its Ard-Fheis through the number of people who immediately afterwards picked up on the announcement. When I heard it I was concerned that it would be just a military parade. That would have reflected only an element. The fundamental reason it should be celebrated is not the event itself, but why it took place.

My grandparents took part in the Rising in the Four Courts, and I have done some research into my family history. I would like to see more done in the context of a solid archive rather than a military history. There is substantially more that could be done. If one wants to find out about people who participated in the Rising, one must go to approximately six or seven different locations, including the archives in Kew, outside London. The material held there would be more appropriately held in this country so people in the lower echelons can find out about the Rising without having to travel to the UK.

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