With the launch of Trinity’s programme of events to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising last week by Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, discussion surrounding the nature of the commemoration began in earnest. The College has endured a mixed relationship with the rising and its legacy, with rumblings from discomforted students of English heritage as they look towards the centenary. The programme itself however, “Trinity and the Rising”, has a distinct focus on the cultural aspect of the Rising, which will facilitate the opinions and heritage of all students.
The motion on a student-led 1916 centenary initiative passed with near unanimity at Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) council earlier this year, which shows the appetite that students have to engage with the commemoration. The diversity of events planned as part of the campaign, led by third-year history and political science student Liam Crowley, is designed to encourage discussion of the cultural aspects of the Rising, the language, and the music.
Trinity’s central location meant that it was used as a barracks for the Crown forces. This unique history, and the continued partnership between English students and the College, creates the necessity for a more nuanced commemoration of the Rising itself. Indeed as the centenary grew closer, there was the perception amongst certain students of English heritage that the commemorations could be rather uncomfortable for them. The nature of the College’s commemorative programme however, with a series of lectures, walking tours, and debates, places the emphasis on the cultural revolution rather than the physical revolution, and will welcome a wider spectrum of students to the discussion.
Minister Heather Humphreys, in praising the “thought-provoking” and “imaginative” programme, acknowledged that Trinity’s students and staff will “ask the tough questions” surrounding the Rising. In university, where the exchange of ideas and opinions is central to the formative development of students, the opportunity to query and debate is vital. Trinity’s history is characterised by the partnership between Ireland and England. Therefore, a nuanced approach to the 1916 commemorations displays a maturity of identity that welcomes all of its students to the discussion.
