Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the relatives of the men and women of 1916 here tonight. The fact that the buildings at Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street are under renewed threat due to deterioration, despite the 2007 preservation order, is a cause for concern. For that reason, it is important that the broad support in this motion for both the building and the surrounding district to be preserved in a fitting manner is heeded. I hope the Government accepts the motion in the spirit in which it is intended and does not oppose it.

The part of Dublin where the rising took place ought to have the same status as similarly important historical places in other cities. It is somewhat of an indictment of this State's preservation of the memory of 1916 that there is no physical centre that can be visited in order to absorb some of the atmosphere of the time. Of course, the GPO remains as it was then as the central post office and as a vibrant working centre and those in charge of the building do an excellent job in maintaining some physical connection with Easter 1916, through the paintings inside the building and a small exhibition area. However, while that is commendable, I believe a dedicated centre needs to be built and that the buildings on Moore Street would fulfil that purpose, particularly as they are currently both unused and in disrepair.

There is great potential in the idea of developing the area into an historical and cultural quarter that would not only help to preserve the historical memory of what took place there, but would also attract visitors interested in our history. At present, much of that is left to private individuals who conduct walking tours. While that is most commendable, and I am certain that the tours are both informative and popular, there ought to be solid physical evidence of what took place in those streets. Perhaps Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street could be used to form the centre of that, with a heritage centre built up around them. Such a centre and the creation of such an historical and cultural heritage area would not have to be exclusively devoted to what took place at Easter 1916. That general area of Dublin has been of historical and cultural importance for centuries and the centre could become the focus for all of that. The initial key for that however needs to be positive action to ensure the premises in Moore Street do not fall into further disrepair and that such disrepair is not used as an excuse to pull them down to make way for whatever those behind the latest planning application have in mind.

This brings us to the reason the buildings are under threat in the first instance. It is perhaps ironic that the last headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Rising should have come under threat from the speculators who have ensured that much of the leaders' vision for the Republic declared in Dublin at Easter 1916 has not been fulfilled. The Proclamation that was posted at the General Post Office on 24 April 1916, referred to the interests of the Irish people being paramount and to the right of the Irish people to the ownership of Ireland. Unfortunately, what we have seen in this State, particularly over the past 30 years, has been a new usurpation of that right, not by a foreign occupier, but by a rapacious native class of parasites.

Much of the reason for the current crisis facing this State was not, as some would like people to believe, the exorbitant wages allegedly paid to nurses, teachers and fire fighters, but the criminal incompetence and greed of a small minority of financial and property speculators. Of course they were not alone and, unfortunately, unlike the men and women inspired by the vision of the Republic, those parasites found only too willing accomplices among the so-called political elite in this State. As the Mahon and Moriarty tribunal reports prove, significant sections of the political class, from local authority councillors right up to the Cabinet, were willing to collaborate with the speculators. Some of the by-products of that were the lunatic ventures, land deals and speculative plans foisted on the people of Dublin and other parts of the country. Indeed we have not yet been told the full extent of the corruption that went on outside of Dublin.

The plan for Moore Street was one of those lunatic ventures, although it appears to have been halted temporarily by the collapse of the speculative bubble and its banking arm several years ago. The original developers are currently under the auspices of NAMA. However, this makes it even more important to act now to ensure the site is preserved and that the plans for a cultural and historical centre which I believe would have the support of the people and elected representatives of Dublin can proceed.

The danger is that if by some chance the current planning application is approved and the current owners are then enabled to sell their currently encumbered property holdings the plan could be resurrected and the site damaged or even obliterated. The only way to ensure that does not happen is if the Minister acts as called on in our motion and ensures the full preservation of the buildings as a national monument. Once that occurs further steps can be taken to progress the longer term and broader idea of developing Moore Street and the surrounding area as an historical and cultural zone, with all the benefits I referred to earlier in terms of it becoming an historical and educational resource and a major tourism attraction.

Given that the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, is from the same county as me it would be remiss not to mention one of the heroes of 1916. On Friday, 28 April, with the GPO on fire, the O'Rahilly volunteered to lead a small party of men in search of a route out of the GPO to Williams and Woods, a factory on what was then called Great Britain Street and is now Parnell Street. A British machine gun at the intersection of Great Britain Street and Moore Street caught him and most of his party. The O'Rahilly slumped into a doorway on Moore Street, wounded and bleeding badly, but soon made a dash across the road to find shelter in Sackville Lane, now O'Rahilly's Parade. In his attempt to find shelter he again exposed himself to sustained fire from machine gunners.

It is often mooted that 19 hours after receiving his wounds on Friday evening and long after the surrender took place on Saturday afternoon, the O'Rahilly still clung to life. The specific time of his death is difficult to pin down but we can be more precise when it comes to understanding his final thoughts. Despite his obvious pain, he took the time to write a message to his wife on the back of a letter he had received from his son. In this last message to Nancy, which Shane Cullen has etched into a limestone and bronze sculpture, he wrote:

Written after I was shot. Darling Nancy I was shot leading a rush up Moore Street and took refuge in a doorway. While I was there I heard the men pointing out where I was and made a bolt for the laneway I am in now. I got more [than] one bullet I think. Tons and tons of love dearie to you and the boys and to Nell and Anna. It was a good fight anyhow.

The Minister and I should be proud of our fellow Kerryman.

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