Leitrim also, as a county which respects and seeks to reach out to different traditions on our island, would especially like to see 2016 belonging to everyone here, regardless of background, including their friends and families overseas. This would also make our commemoration a particularly fitting reflection of that distinctive nobility and political selflessness which we associate with Seán Mac Diarmada and the other six visionaries of the Proclamation.
While historians always hesitate to project the thinking of national leaders into subsequent periods, we would argue that the 1916 men, including Seán Mac Diarmada, would have been both proud and strongly supportive of the new political and reconciling developments and structures put in place in recent years on our island, and between Britain and Ireland. Moreover, as 1916 set in motion a new political dynamic and a new beginning in modern Irish history, we believe that Mac Diarmada and his colleagues could only be proud that in our present era the transcending Good Friday Agreement of 1998 delivered, in its own words “a truly historic opportunity for a new beginning” to relationships on our island and between Britain and Ireland.
Against this historic and exciting background of new beginnings, our wish now is that all of us in Leitrim and beyond, with pride and respect, would ensure that 2016 takes its own proud place in Irish life as an inclusive commemoration of the remembrance of noble – including Leitrim - leadership, and of the ever deepening reconciliation between the two traditions on our island and between Britain and Ireland.
Bainimis uile sult agus mórtas as an ócáid stairiúil seo atá romhainn.
The Main Themes and Aspirations of the Programme
Our main theme is commemorating the life of Leitrim’s signatory Seán Mac Diarmada, creating
awareness of the part he played in this important moment in Irish History. We would like to bring
his story to a new generation and create an understanding of how important a role he played.
Role of Communities
Communities will be vital in the planning and delivery of the programme for commemoration at County level. The wider community in Leitrim has been involved with the development of this plan, through a public workshop held on the 30th April 2015.
Contributions to the workshop outlined what communities across Leitrim were already planning for the commemoration of 1916, and also detailed what individuals and groups believe should happen at both county and a wider level for the commemorations.
In addition, a community grant scheme was launched in June 2015 and 24 applications for support were received by the closing date. Details of community projects approved for funding under this scheme are included in the relevant sections of this plan, categorised under what is considered to be the relevant programme strand.
Community Grants to date have been allocated for projects taking place in 2015, either as stand alone projects, or in preparation for events and projects that will place in 2016. A further call for submissions for funding of 2016 projects will be launched in autumn 2015.
Distinctive Features of the County Programme
The plan for county Leitrim will include a key event centred on the life and times of Seán Mac Diarmada. The programme is comprised of 7 themed elements which will take place throughout 2016 in his home village of Kiltyclogher. The events are as follows:
1. Sean Mac Diarmada Summer School - a 5 day summer school with 7 lectures from national and
international speakers
2. Twilight Vigil
3. St Patrick’s Day Parade
4. Corranmore Music Session at Sean Mac Diarmada’s cottage
5. Walking in the footsteps of History
6. Sean Mac Diarmada Exhibition
7. Leácht as Gaeilge
Other events will include a play especially written for the 2016 commemoration which will highlight the connecting links between Thomas Clarke and County Leitrim, and a diversity project focusing on how Seán Mac Diarmada struggled with his own physical disability and his reliance on a walking stick. This project aims to construct 33 walking sticks, one for every year of his life. Finally a youth project working with secondary school students will examine life in 1916 and 2016 – and will imagine life in 2016.
The Programme
The main plan for the commemoration of 1916 in Leitrim will follow the seven strands of the national commemoration, with projects and events presented under each of the seven strands: Ceremonial, Historical reflection, the Irish language programme an Teanga Bheo, Youth and Imagination, Cultural Expression, Community Participation, and Global and Diaspora.
The programme of engagement will start in 2015 with a period of reflection on the people and events of 1916 both at national and local level, and with projects to encourage public debate on the topics and themes of the commemoration. Projects and events to take place in 2016 will also be planned and organised throughout 2015. This calendar will be added to and modified as plans for 2016 are firmed up over the coming months. In addition to the published calendar, we will create a digital calendar of events, which will allow groups making plans for the commemoration of 1916 throughout the remainder of this year and into next year, to plan and organise their events while taking note of other events planned for the county.
Ba mhaith le Liatroim freisin, mar chontae a bhfuil ómós againn do thraidisiúin éagsúla ar ár n-oileán, agus a fhéachann le dul i gcion ar na traidisiúin sin, go mbeadh 2016 i gcroílár shaol gach duine anseo, is cuma cén cúlra as a dtagann siad, chomh maith lena gcairde agus lena muintir thar lear. Leis sin léireofaí ár gcomóradh mar léiriú oiriúnach den uaisleacht agus den chásmhaireacht sin a bhí mar thréithe ag Seán Mac Diarmada agus ag an seisear eile a raibh fís acu uile agus a shínigh an Forógra.
Cé go mbíonn drogall i gcónaí ar staraithe an smaointeoireacht a bhí ar bun ag ceannairí náisiúnta a réamh-mheas ag dul isteach i dtréimhsí ina dhiaidh sin, is éard a déarfaimis féin ná go mbeadh fir 1916, Seán Mac Diarmada ina measc, mórtasach agus go dtabharfaidís tacaíocht láidir do na forbairtí agus do na struchtúir nua pholaitiúla agus athmhuintearais atá i bhfeidhm le blianta beaga anuas ar an oileán seo, agus idir an Bhreatain agus Éire. Ina theannta sin, toisc gur leagadh síos dinimic nua polaitíochta le 1916 agus tús nua i stair nua-aimseartha na hÉireann, creidimid nach mbeadh aon rogha eile ag Mac Diarmada ná ag a chomhghleacaithe ach a bheith mórtasach sa lá atá inniu ann gur chuir Comhaontú tarchéimnithe Aoine an Chéasta 1998, ina chuid focal féin “deis stairiúil i ndáiríre ar fáil le haghaidh tús nua” do na caidrimh ar ár n-oileán idir an Bhreatain agus Éire.
Le cúlra stairiúil agus beoga seo na dtús nua, guímid anois go ndéanfaimid go léir anseo i Liatroim agus níos faide ó bhaile, agus muid mórtasach agus umhal, a chinntiú go mbeidh áit bhreá ag 2016 i saol na hÉireann mar chomóradh uilechuimsitheach chun cuimhneamh siar ar cheannaireacht uasal – lena n-áirítear muintir Liatroma – agus ar an athmhuintearas domhain atá ag dul i méid i gcónaí idir an dá thraidisiún ar an oileán seo agus idir an Bhreatain agus Éire.
Bainimis uile sult agus mórtas as an ócáid stairiúil seo atá romhainn.
Príomhthéamaí agus Ardaidhmeanna an Chláir
Is é ár bpríomhthéama ná comóradh a dhéanamh ar shaol Sheáin Mhic Dhiarmada as Liatroim, agus feasacht a chruthú maidir leis an ról a bhí aige sa tréimhse thábhachtach seo de stair na hÉireann. Ba mhaith linn an scéal a bhain leis a insint do ghlúin nua anois agus tuiscint a chruthú maidir leis an ról tábhachtach a bhí aige.
Ról na bPobal
Beidh pobail lárnach i bpleanáil agus i seachadadh an chláir chun comóradh a dhéanamh ag leibhéal Contae. Bhí an pobal níos leithne i Liatroim páirteach i bhforbairt an phlean seo, tríd an gceardlann phoiblí a reáchtáladh an 30 Aibreán 2015.
Fuarthas tuairimí le linn na ceardlainne faoi na rudaí a bhí á bpleanáil ag pobail ar fud Liatroma cheana féin chun 1916 a chomóradh, agus chomh maith leis sin tugadh sonraí ar na rudaí a chreideann daoine agus grúpaí is ceart a tharlú ag leibhéal contae agus níos leithne don chomóradh.
Mar aon leis sin, seoladh scéim deontais pobail i mí an Mheithimh 2015 agus fuarthas 24 iarratas ar thacaíocht faoin dáta deiridh. Áirítear sonraí ar thionscadail phobail a faomhadh le haghaidh maoiniú sna codanna ábhartha den phlean seo, arna gcatagóiriú faoin snáithe cláir ábhartha.
Leithdháileadh Deontais Pobail go dtí seo do thionscadail a tharlóidh in 2015, mar thionscadail astu féin, nó mar réiteach d’imeachtaí agus do thionscadail a bheidh ag tarlú in 2016. Seolfar gairm eile ar iarratais ar mhaoiniú thionscadail 2016 i bhfómhar 2015.
Gnéithe Faoi Leith de Chlár an Chontae
Áireofar i bplean Chontae Liatroma príomhimeacht a bheidh dírithe ar shaol agus ar bheatha Sheáin Mhic Dhiarmada. Tá seacht ngné théamacha sa clár a bheidh ar bun ar feadh 2016 ina bhaile dúchais, Coillte Clochair. Is iad seo a leanas na himeachtaí:
1. Scoil Samhraidh Sheáin Mhic Dhiarmada – scoil samhraidh cúig lá ina mbeidh seacht léacht ó chainteoirí náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta
2. Bigil sa Bhreacsholas
3. Mórshiúl Lá Fhéile Pádraig
4. Seisiún Ceoil Corranmore ag teachín Sheáin Mhic Dhiarmada
5. Ag leanúint lorg na Staire
6. Taispeántas in ómós Sheáin Mhic Dhiarmada
7. Léacht as Gaeilge
I measc imeachtaí eile beidh dráma a scríobhadh go speisialta le haghaidh chomóradh 2016 ina dtarraingeofar aird ar an gceangal idir Tomás Ó Cléirigh agus Contae Liatroma, agus tionscadal éagsúlachta ina ndíreofar ar mar a bhí Seán Mac Diarmada ag streachailt lena mhíchumas fisiceach féin agus a mhaide siúil mar thaca aige. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an tionscadal seo 33 maide siúil a dhéanamh, ceann le haghaidh gach bliain dá shaol. Ar deireadh déanfar iniúchadh i dtionscadal óige ina n-oibreofar le scoláirí meánscoile, ar an saol i 1916 agus in 2016 – agus samhlófar an saol in 2016.
An Clár
Leanfaidh ár bpríomhphlean do chomóradh 1916 i Liatroim seacht snáithe an chomóraidh náisiúnta, le tionscadail agus imeachtaí a chuirtear i láthair anseo faoi gach ceann de na seacht snáithe: Searmanas, Machnamh ar an Stair, an Teanga Bheo, an Óige agus an tSamhlaíocht, Léiriú Cultúrtha, Rannpháirtíocht Phobail agus Éireannaigh ar fud an Domhain agus Diaspóra.
Tosóidh an clár rannpháirtíochta in 2015 le tréimhse machnaimh ar dhaoine agus ar imeachtaí 1916 ag leibhéal náisiúnta agus áitiúil araon, agus le tionscadail chun díospóireacht phoiblí a spreagadh ar ábhair agus ar théamaí an chomóraidh. Déanfar tionscadail agus imeachtaí a tharlóidh in 2016 a phleanáil agus a eagrú i rith 2015. Cuirfear leis an bhféilire seo agus athrófar é de réir mar a chinntítear pleananna le haghaidh 2016 sna míonna amach romhainn. Mar aon leis an bhféilire atá foilsithe, cruthóimid féilire digiteach d’imeachtaí, a cheadóidh do ghrúpaí a bhfuil pleananna á ndéanamh acu do chomóradh 1916 an chuid eile den bhliain agus an bhliain seo chugainn, a n-imeachtaí a phleanáil agus a eagrú fad is a chuireann siad imeachtaí eile sa chontae san áireamh.