20th January 2023
This year marks the final chapter of the national Decade of Centenaries commemorative programme. A wealth of material has already been produced, scores of events have taken place, and a proud legacy is being created for future generations.
Among the aims of commemorating those remarkable men and women involved in Ireland’s struggle for independence is, of course, to remember them, to recall their contributions to Cork and Ireland, and to reflect upon their extraordinary lives. But most importantly, as our former City Librarian, Liam Ronayne, has said; ‘what is important is the need to understand, to understand what happened and why.’
In 2023, we are reminded of how far we have come as a city and as a nation. The second half of the year will see the centenary of Ireland’s entry into the League of Nations and the subsequent international recognition of its Free State status.
In the months ahead, we’ll commemorate our ancestors’ contributions in the seismic events of 100 years ago. Like the build up to a crescendo by a concert orchestra, this commemorative programme aims to finish on a high. Yet, commemorating our past won’t end there. Some might say that it is only the beginning.
Lord Mayor Cllr Deirdre Forde said “As we enter the final year of the Decade of Centenaries programme, we have seen community groups, schools and individuals delve into their local history to produce books, plays, murals, exhibitions, podcasts, recordings and many more engagements to mark the events that happened in our city over 100 years ago. From the ashes of the Burning of Cork in 1920, through the War of Independence and Civil War 1923 we have seen our city grow and prosper to ambitious plans for our future generations. I encourage all schools, communities, and individuals to engage with the commemoration fund to record local legacies for stories to be always shared about the proud history we have in our City and its people and the roles they have played in the events of 100 years ago.”
The application form for the fund are available on the Lord Mayor of Cork’s webpage at https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/councillors-and-democracy/lord-mayor-of-cork/commemoration-fund/
The closing date for submission of application form is Friday 10th February at 4pm.
Details of Cork City Council’s Commemoration events, interviews, exhibitions, books, academia and cultural events can be found at www.corkcitycommemorations.ie
