And there was much to substantiate that. The main town of the area was Kingstown, named in honour of a visit of George IV in the early nineteenth century while during the Great War thousands of people from this area enlisted in the British forces. When British troops arrived at what is now Dún Laoghaire harbour, people came to cheer them.
However, there is another side to the story. The people who lived in, or were associated with, the area that is now covered by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown played a significant in the 1916 Rising.
More than one hundred and seventy people from this area took part in the Rising, a significant number out of the overall total. Some of these are well known. Among them are Sir Roger Casement, born in Sandycove, who was captured at Banna Strand on 21 April during an attempt to land German weapons to support the Rising, Major John MacBride who left his house in Glasthule on Easter Monday to meet his brother off the train in Dublin, but who joined the Rising. Both (Casement and MacBride were executed for their actions) and Patrick Doyle killed in the fighting in Clanwilliam House. The more than 160 others from Blackrock, Dundrum, Stillorgan, Dalkey, Monkstown, Kilternan, Killiney, Goatstown, Dún Laoghaire, Clonskeagh, Mount Merrion, Cabinteely, Sandyford, Churchtown, Deansgrange, Booterstown, Foxrock, Carrickmines and Glencullen also have their stories.
Our programme is one that generally falls into the commemorative and historical categories. Being so close to the events and activities taking place in Dublin City Centre most of our events focus on the local connections with the 1916 Rising.
We will of course facilitate and encourage the events across all programme strands as the year progresses, and we will actively support the national Centenary Programme.
Deansgrange Cemetery will be the focus of much of the Council’s efforts. Over 120 people associated with the Rising are buried within its grounds. To date many of the graves of the 50 or so civilians killed in the Rising, brought to the cemetery as ‘victims of war’, have been unmarked. This is being rectified by the cemetery staff. There will also be a DLR 1916 Exhibition, the commissioning of a commemorative piece of art, guided tours, a significant state event during 2016 and the publication of a book on the Cemetery and the Easter Rising.
The community events provide great texture to the year and show both an imaginative and an in-depth understanding of the Rising and the role that the people of this area played in this seminal event in Irish history. We believe we have particularly strong theatrical and musical strands running through our programme.
We encourage everyone to not only partake in the main national events which we are very fortunate to be in close proximity to, but to also to learn about and celebrate the stories of the Easter Rising that are on our doorstep.
Agus bhí go leor fianaise leis sin. Tugadh Kingstown ar phríomhbhaile an cheantair, a bhí ainmnithe in onóir na cuairte a thug an Rí Seoirse IV air go luath sa naoú haois déag, agus liostáil na mílte duine ón gceantar seo i bhfórsaí na Breataine i rith an Chogaidh Mhóir. Nuair a bhain trúpaí na Breataine an áit amach ar a dtugtar anois calafort Dhún Laoghaire, bhailigh daoine thart chun misneach a thabhairt dóibh.
Gabhann taobh eile leis an scéal, áfach. D’imir na daoine a chónaigh sa cheantar, nó a raibh baint acu leis an gceantar atá cumhdaithe anois ag Dún Laoghaire- Ráth an Dúin ról tábhachtach in Éirí Amach 1916.
Ghlac breis agus aon chéad agus seachtó duine ón gceantar seo páirt san Éirí Amach. Ba líon suntasach é seo as an iomlán foriomlán. Bhí aithne mhaith ar chuid de na daoine seo. Ina measc, bhí Sir Roger Casement, a rugadh i gCuas an Ghainimh, a gabhadh ar Thrá na Beannaí an 21 Aibreán fad a rinneadh iarracht chun airm Ghearmánacha a thabhairt i dtír chun tacú leis an Éirí Amach, agus an Maor John MacBride, a d’fhág a theach i nGlas Tuathail Luan Cásca chun casadh lena dheartháir ag an traein, ach ansin a ghlac páirt san Éirí Amach. Cuireadh Casement agus MacBride chun báis mar gheall ar a ngníomhartha agus maraíodh Patrick Doyle sa troid i dTeach Chlann Liam. Tá a scéalta féin ag breis agus 160 duine eile ón gCarraig Dhubh, Stigh Lorgan, Deilginis, Baile na Manach, Cill Tiarnáin, Cill Iníon Léinín, Baile na nGabhar, Dún Laoghaire, Cluain Sceach, Cnoc Mhuirfean, Cábán tSíle, Áth an Ghainimh, Baile an Teampaill, Gráinseach an Déin, Baile an Bhóthair, Carraig an tSionnaigh, Carraig Mhaighin agus Gleann Cuilinn.
Tagann ár gclár faoi chuimsiú na gcatagóirí comórtha agus stairiúla, go príomha. Mar gheall go bhfuil an ceantar chomh gar sin do na himeachtaí agus na gníomhaíochtaí a bheidh ag titim amach i Lár Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath, díríonn an chuid is mó dár n-imeachtaí ar na ceangail áitiúla le hÉirí Amach 1916.
Ar ndóigh, déanfaidh muid na himeachtaí a éascú agus a spreagadh ar fud snáitheanna an chláir i gcaitheamh na mbliana, agus tabharfaidh muid tacaíocht ghníomhach don Chlár Comórtha Céad Bliain náisiúnta.
Beidh go leor d’iarrachtaí na Comhairle dírithe ar Reilig Ghráinseach an Déin. Tá os cionn 120 duine a bhaineann leis an Éirí Amach curtha sa reilig seo. Go dtí seo, tá go leor d’uaigheanna an tuairim is 50 sibhialtach a maraíodh san Éirí Amach, ar tugadh iad chuig an reilig mar ‘íospartaigh an chogaidh’, gan mharcáil. Tá seo á chur ina cheart ag foireann na reilige. Anuas air sin, beidh Taispeántas 1916 de chuid DL-RD ar siúl, coimisiúnófar saothar comórtha ealaíne, beidh turais threoraithe ar siúl, beidh imeacht tábhachtach stáit ar bun i rith 2016 agus foilseofar leabhar ar an Reilig agus ar Éirí Amach na Cásca.
Cuireann na himeachtaí pobail go mór le héagsúlacht na bliana agus léiríonn siad tuiscint shamhlaíoch agus dhomhain araon ar an Éirí Amach, agus ar an bpáirt a ghlac muintir an cheantair seo san imeacht ríthábhachtach seo i stair na hÉireann. Creidimid go bhfuil snáitheanna an-tréana amharclannaíochta agus ceolmhara fud fad ár gcláir.
Spreagaimid gach duine ní hamháin chun páirt a ghlacadh sna príomhimeachtaí náisiúnta, a bhfuil an t-ádh dearg orainn bheith chomh gar dóibh, ach chun na scéalta faoi Éirí Amach na Cásca atá ar leac an dorais a fhoghlaim agus a cheiliúradh.