Exhibition Details

1916 and its Place in Irish History

The Easter Rising of 1916 and the War of Independence that followed in 1919 - 1921 had a profound influence on the shaping of modern Ireland. At the outset of World War I the Irish Parliamentary Party, dedicated to autonomy for Ireland within the British Empire, appeared unassailable. Following the General Election of 1918 the party disappeared from the Irish political scene. In that same election Sinn Féin, dedicated to the establishment of an independent Republic, was returned as the virtually unopposed voice of Irish nationalism. The great swing in public opinion that brought about this change can only be explained in the context of 1916 and its aftermath.

The exhibition is arranged around four sections, which trace the background to the events of 1916, examine the battle itself, consider the aftermath up to 1923, and, finally, explore the ways in which the Rising has been commemorated to the present day.