1916 Memorabilia Day

 Yesterday I attended an incredibly interesting and well organised event. 

 

In advance of our 1916 commemorative celebrations next year Fingal CC hosted a memorabilia day where people could bring any memorabilia they have related to a family member or other to be digitally recorded for historical posterity.

 

Below are some photos of me taking part in this process, plus the ITEM that I brought - which I am very excited about.

 

 

The Fingal CC expert looking at my piece of 1916 memorabilia

 

Here I am getting very passionate about it :-)

 

Proudly displaying my item

 

And here it is!  A memorial card (or mass card) for Michael Collins d.1922.  This card came from my dad, it apparently was found in our home garage - but I do need to discuss with him further to confirm exactly the details of it.

 

Two experts looked at it and they said that while a whole load of these were mass produced since 1922 that the indications are that this is an original (wow!!!!!), the reason being that reproductions tended to have a stamp of the organisation who had reproduced it and handed it out. Isn't that exciting!

 

Check out my sister Enid (of Renovating LPA blog) posing with re-enactors dressed as an "old Irish Republican Army" volunteer, an "old IRA" man, and members of  the Royal Irish Constabulary from the period.

 

I also watched a very good docu-drama "A Terrible Beauty" which showed stories from first hand accounts of people who took part in The Rising. 

 

Of course some of the Irish stories were very hard to watch,(although some uplifting as well)  but what touched me (to my surprise!!!) were some of the stories of the English soldiers who took part - the soldier leader who was married to an Irish girl, and who saw her lining the route (in Ballsbridge) on their way marching in from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) where their boat landed.  He stopped to kiss her and greet his two little children and to say that he hoped when they had taken care of the business in Dublin that he might get to spend a few days with them. Just a short way up was Mount Street where the famous (??) ambush/skirmish took place and he was shot and died at this point.  His grand daughter was interviewed (an old lady) who said that her mother would have spoke of the trauma of what happened - as a young girl - the excitement of seeing her father and then the sadness of her mother on learning of his death.