Day of events to mark 1916 Easter Rising centenary

The day will begin with coffee at 10am before a genealogy workshop allowing participants to trace their roots to 1916 and find out what their grandparents and great-grand parents were doing 100 years ago. There will be an opportunity to view some of the latest documentaries on the Easter Rising over lunch.

In the afternoon, historian Adrian Grant will give an interactive lecture on ‘The North West in 1916’. This lecture will explore what life in the North West was like 100 years ago, how the people reacted to news of the Rising and how the events in Dublin led to massive changes in the subsequent years. The lecture will also explore some of the local connections to the fighting in Dublin during Easter week. The day will end with an open debate on the legacy of the Rising for Ireland in the 20th century. The question: ‘How do we view the Rising today?’ will be addressed. Tea, coffee, drinks, snacks and a sandwich lunch will be provided for all attendees and people can feel free to attend for the full day or whatever parts of the day they wish to. Adrian Grant, a member of West Inishowen History and Heritage and historian said: “The Easter Rising is one of the most important events in modern Irish history. While it was mainly centred in Dublin, most parts of the country have some kind of connection to it, and the North West is no different. It is interesting to look at what the North West was like in 1916 and see how the people reacted to the upheaval taking place in the capital. A large number of British soldiers were stationed in Derry, Buncrana and Clonmany, and many people relied on the British connection for their economic wellbeing at the start of the 20th century. At the same time, there was a growing number of people who were beginning to question the status quo and exploring alternatives to gain Irish independence.

“We’ll be talking about all these issues on the 23rd April and about how Ireland changed generally in the 1910s and early 1920s.’ Those wishing to attend are encouraged to RSVP on eventbrite.ie and via the Facebook event page – ‘Easter Rising 1916: workshop, lecture and debate to mark the centenary’, although this is not essential.