Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise what I view as the necessity for the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to state if she will agree to hold the wreath-laying ceremony for the Athenry 1916 Rising commemoration at the commemorative garden at the Back Lawn, Swan Gate in Athenry. This is where Liam Mellows and his comrades originally congregated on Friday, March 24 1916. On that day, Mellows was arrested by the RIC, Royal Irish Constabulary, and deported to the UK. The importance of Athenry to the 1916 Rising cannot be understated. This is underlined by the fact that it is one of just four locations which will be marked by major commemorative celebrations next year and the only one in Connacht.

For the Minister to agree to hold the ceremony at the Back Lawn in Athenry would be a great boost to the local community and the organising committee which takes great pride in the role our town played in fighting for independence. It would be ample recognition of the significant progress the committee has made in developing a commemorative garden at the site. For these reasons, the local area would be honoured by the wreath-Iaying ceremony of such an important occasion taking place at this spot in Athenry. I hope the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will agree to this proposal.