"The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and all of its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally ..." – The Proclamation of the Republic, 1916
Abenchmark to measure performance against. Do we in this Republic of ours live up to this standard set 100 years ago by the men and women of 1916? It’s a question that rightly must be a central theme of the anniversary planned for 2016. The commemoration must do much more than honour those who took part in the Rising or who died in it – it must of course do that – but it is entirely appropriate that in marking the event that represents what the Taoiseach has called “the central formative and defining act in the shaping of modern Ireland”, the moment that symbolises a national coming of age, we place at centre stage the vision that inspired that moment and the standards it still calls us to observe. Not, it must be admitted, entirely successfully.
It is appropriate then that the Government has expressed that vision in terms of five themes that are as forward-looking as reflective on the past: “Remember”, recalling our shared history; “Reconcile”, honouring all who have built peace ; “Imagine”, releasing the creativity of our people, particularly the young; “Present”, creatively showing our achievements to the world; “ Celebrate”, family, community.
Although it has all the clunky, almost jarring, ungrammatical character of modern advertising and marketing-speak, the formula and themes can certainly shape an agenda for a healthy, critical national dialogue about where we stand and where the country is heading 100 years on.
If that is indeed the intention. Concern has been expressed with some justice by critics at what they see as a deliberate Government attempt to depoliticise that most political of events, robbing it in the process of its radical essence – it was no accident, they say, that the GPO and any reference to the Rising were left out of the promotional video. As TD Paul Murphy tweeted: “Turns out 1916 was actually about the Queen, Cameron, Facebook, Google, Twitter. An insight into establishment minds.”
And they warn of a creeping commercialisation, turning the occasion into a "Son of Gathering", a rebranding exercise more designed to spearhead an international PR campaign than a national exercise exploring the meaning of our history. In placing the campaign in the hands of an admittedly highly talented, marketing man John Concannon, has the Government not in truth given currency to such suggestions?
The commitment of a budget of €22 million in 2015 for seven flagship capital projects to be developed by Easter 2016 is most welcome as is the programme of activities, still to be fleshed out fully. There are still concerns about adequate provision for the budgets of such crucial bodies as the National Archives and National Museum, but the Government has made an important first step in setting out what will be a strong commemoration.