CUIMHNEACHÁN 1916

Today Monday the 24th of April, is note worthy in that it is the actual anniversary of the commencement of the 1916 rising. Today we are particularly honoured to have Father Joseph Mallin participating in these commemorative events. Father Mallin is the son of Comdt. Michael Mallin, who was Chief of Staff of the Irish Citizen Army in 1916. Comdt. Mallin was executed for his part in the Rising, ar dheis De go raibh a anam.

The 90th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising was commemorated on Easter Sunday last, I was honoured to participate in these official State commemorations here at the GPO with over 100,000 others. This ceremony recognised the significant place this historic building has played in the history of the State and in the events that shaped our nation. Of course this event was broadcast live on RTE offering many millions the opportunity to view this commemoration.

Historically, RTE has close associations with O’Connell Street. RTE radio was broadcast from the GPO here for many years. Also on 31 December 1961, RTE Television was launched from across the road in the Gresham Hotel. The first address to a television audience on that occasion was given by none other than President Eamonn De Valera - his involvement in the events of 1916 need no expansion by me on this occasion. On the first day of the 50th commemoration of the Rising, in 1966, President De Valera again addressed the nation on RTE.

At that time RTE was still a fledging television station. It is a no doubt a tribute to RTE that it captured and recorded the commemorative events of 40 years.

The first broadcasts in colour took place in 1968. In the early seventies colour broadcasts became a regular event on Irish television. However, the staff in RTE had the foresight to shoot the 1966 commemoration on colour film. Enabling us, here today, to view unique recordings in full colour.

RTE has undertaken a major digitising and cataloguing project in the last few years.
This will eventually see all audio visual holdings preserved to best international standards. This is an important development that preserves a unique record of Irish life. We as a people, may not always have appreciated and celebrated the past in a meaningful way.
People are, today I feel, much more conscious of history and their place in it and have keen interest in discovering and understanding the past. The archive material provided today by RTE will add further to peoples understanding of a very important time in our history. It gives them a perspective on the generation in 1966 and the sense of culture, history and commemoration at that time.

For students of history, people with an interest in history and people who are just curious, the easy accessibility provided by RTE by way of this archive will add a much greater understanding of what was celebrated in 1966.
It will assist us in understanding our role here today in the 90th celebrations and it will contribute to the preparation for the 100TH anniversary in 2016.

The material present here today is quite amazing. Much of this archive material has not been widely available prior to this. The quality of the material is remarkable, and it is evident that a lot of work went into its preservation and restoration.

Of course, sadly, some people featured in the old photographs and film clippages of people no longer with us.

I again wish to thank the staff of RTE for making this archive so widely available. Again, the provision of this archive demonstrates the foresight and vision exhibited by their predecessors in 1966. We are greatly indebted to them.

In conclusion we look to the future, but in doing so we hope that the confident, independent, prosperous country we live in today – the realisation of the 1916 vision- will also be recorded for prosperity in a creative, innovative and thought provoking way.

Thank you.

ENDS