Dr. Nicholas Allen, director of the Willson Center and Franklin Professor of English at the University of Georgia, will speak at the McClelland Library in the Phoenix Irish Cultural Center on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. as part of the centenary commemoration of the Irish Easter Rising of 1916.
The 1916 Easter Rising was a result of the growing tensions between Ireland and Great Britain after British parliament joined the two kingdoms together.
A small group of determined Irish citizens broke orders on April 24, 1916 and seized the now-capital of Ireland, Dublin. This group of schoolteachers, writers and activist leaders became the turning point in Ireland’s grueling fight for independence.
“In 1800 there was a bill passed, an act of union, which merged Ireland and England politically as the so called United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,” Patrick Bixby, ASU Humanities Arts and Cultural associate professor, said. “That act was opposed in various ways at various times over the course of the 19th century.”
The rising took place on Easter Monday as an attempt to free Ireland from Britain’s rule, but instead ended in turmoil in the city of Dublin.
“They chose this day, Easter Monday, of 1916 because it would be a quiet day, there would be relatively little traffic in the city and the British would be off their guard,” Bixby said.
The leaders of the planned rebellion decided to countermand the nationwide rebellion, but the small group in Dublin continued with the attack.
“The country stood down except for these forces in Dublin which decided to go ahead anyway which was kind of a fool’s errand, a suicide mission of sorts,” Bixby said.
While the rebellion was not successful, Bixby emphasized the importance of the rising to Ireland’s eventual independence.
“Although it was a failed rebellion, it really was the beginning of independence,” Bixby said. “The easiest way to understand the significance of the Easter Rising is that its something like the 1776 of our history.”
Allen said he hopes his lecture will help listeners gain a greater understanding of the importance of the Rising not only for Ireland but also for the world.
“I’ve been doing a lot of historical and literary work on 1916,” Allen said. “You don’t have to know anything about Ireland to come to the talk.”
The post-rebellion aftermath encouraged the people of Ireland to continue fighting for independence, which has impacted Irish culture since 1916.
“[Allen] is going to focus on the cultural impact and legacy of the Easter Rising in literature, theatre, music and nation building, and he is going to lay out a historical ground and give a literary guide from then until now,” Caroline Woodiel, librarian and public services coordinator of McClelland Library, said.
The lecture is part of a larger centenary remembrance of the 1916 Easter Rising called the 1916 Commemoration Series. The series is focused on giving the public context as to how the Rising is important around the world.
Communities across the globe are participating in this centennial commemoration, from Phoenix to New York to Australia. Cities along the east coast are participating in festivals and exhibitions to commemorate the Rising.
“Its all over the place, so its kind of a worldwide endeavor,” Woodiel said.
The Rising has importance in a global context, as it took place during the middle of World War I.
“All these empires fighting and falling apart and Ireland was an important part of that,” Allen said.
The Irish Cultural Center is putting on several events throughout the course of the year to commemorate the Rising. It features an exhibit, book discussions and a multimedia presentation.
“We are trying to bring together academic and individual perspectives [of the Rising] into one,” Woodiel said.
The exhibit is open to the public until June 2016.
“[It] has a historical overview of the time period and explains the historical context and cultural legacies of the 1916 Easter rising here at the center,” Woodiel said.
The worldwide commemoration is focused on bringing attention to the importance of Ireland’s history and culture. The Irish government itself is contributing to the event, by sponsoring the festivities around the world.
“[They] put aside funds and they are focusing a lot of their support in order to help get the word out and commemorate such an important piece of their history,” Woodiel said.
Contact the reporter at Nicole.E.Hernandez@asu.edu
