Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this subject tonight. I do not in any way doubt the motives of Fianna Fáil in bringing this Bill forward. It is right and proper that we commemorate those who died a century ago. The Minister mentioned that the Bill as currently drafted is ill-conceived, that it is not well constructed and that it could potentially be unconstitutional in some respects. For that reason, my colleagues and I on this side of the House will be opposing this Bill.

The Government is committed to commemorating the legacy of 100 years ago. In this regard, it recently purchased 14-17 Moore Street. We can expect to see the new commemorative centre opened there next year. A new visitors centre will also be opened in the GPO. These are two excellent new additions to the Dublin landscape that will be appreciated by residents of Dublin and visitors from outside the capital, including foreign visitors. They are fitting tributes.

As a Deputy from outside the capital city, I wish to focus on two issues. First, the Rising did not only happen in Dublin; it also happened outside the capital. Second, as a nation we will be commemorating a series of historical events over the next few years, all of which reflect the maelstrom that existed in Ireland and the world in the 1910s. In regard to the Rising having also taken place outside the capital, in my own county of Meath a battalion led by Thomas Ashe was ordered by Pádraig Pearse to defend the area around Fairyhouse outside what is now known as Ratoath. Following that, there was a major battle in Ashbourne during which the rebels in a six-hour battle captured arms and vehicles. They only surrendered 24 hours after the Rising collapsed on the orders of Pádraig Pearse. Thomas Ashe is currently the subject of a plebiscite in Ashbourne in terms a proposal to rename Broadmeadow Street as Thomas Ashe Street after the leader of that rebel battalion. A handful of residents in Broadmeadow Street will be voting on that this week. We are looking at other ways of commemorating that the Rising also took place outside Dublin. I have no doubt that next year there will be events in places like Ashbourne to commemorate those battles.

Other events took place 100 years ago that are not related to the Rising, for example, the involvement of people from Meath in the First World War. I refer in particular to the poet, Francis Ledwidge, who, like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, was a war-time poet. Sponsored by Lord Dunsany, he was a prolific poet by the time he signed up to fight in the First World War. He did so because he thought it was unreasonable to expect others to defend the rights that he was taking for granted. He fought in Gallipoli, which he survived but was wounded. While recuperating in hospital in Manchester, he heard about the death of one of the leaders of the Rising, Thomas MacDonagh. Many people who fought in the First World War did so because they saw it as their duty as nationalists to defend the rights of the free world that were under threat.

Francis Ledwidge, although a fighter in the First World War, wrote a lament for Thomas MacDonagh, who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising, the first verse of which I would like to read into the record. It states:

He shall not hear the bittern cry

In the wild sky, where he is lain,

Nor voices of the sweeter birds,

Above the wailing of the rain.

Many people will remember that from their days at school. I was delighted that Deputy Quinn, during his tenure as Minister for Education and Skills, put Francis Ledwidge back on the leaving certificate course. It is a fitting tribute, bearing in mind the upcoming commemorations. Francis Ledwidge lost his life at the Third Battle of Ypres and is buried at Passchendaele. Although he never returned home to Meath, he is remembered. Last week, I attended the launch of a CD of his works in the village of Slane. Yesterday, it was announced that a commemorative stamp will be issued on the centenary of his death in 1917 to reflect the role he played not only as one of Ireland's leading war time poets, but as one of Ireland's leading poets of the last century. It is worth while remembering individuals who played such a major role in shaping the Ireland we now live in and enjoy. The purpose of these commemorative events, such as the Easter Rising commemorative centre and the new visitors centre in the GPO, is to ensure that the next generation do not forget where they came from. It is important the next generation learns about the sacrifices made by others to ensure they could enjoy the rights available to them in this country. It is vital and imperative that we remember that. For that reason, I am delighted that the Government is spending so much time and effort ensuring that a range of centenaries are commemorated and are given the respect they deserve.

While I accept the motives behind this Bill, I am unable to support it for the reasons I outlined earlier.

See this speech in context