Easter Rising Art Exhibition

national | arts and media | other press Monday March 30, 2009 00:26 by Caoimhghin Ó Croidheáin - Artist caoimhghin at yahoo dot com

Radical Leaders' Portraits

Beginning tomorrow the Skerries Mills will show a political portraits art exhibition by Caoimhghin Ó Croidheáin entitled 'Uprising' for two weeks. The exhibition contains the seven signatories of the Proclamation as well as some other Irish radical / revolutionary leaders covering the last 300 years.

James Connolly

The idea of this exhibition is to explore Irish history in a visual way, to re-present well-known Irish figures not as strict historical paintings but more of a modern interpretation of their lives and their times. There are notable exceptions in the series, such as Daniel O'Connell who was essentially a monarchist and very much looked after his class interests. For example, O'Connell 'cherished a romantic attachment for his "darling little Queen" (Victoria)' and when he took his seat as a supporter of the Whig Government in the House of Commons 'voted against a proposal to shorten the hours of child labour in factories' in 1838. [See P. Berresford, Ellis, A History of the Irish Working Class. London, Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1972, pps 100 and 104/5]. Thus the exhibition concentrates on those leaders who were revolutionary and progressive and who were concerned with the ordinary people of Ireland. It is an interesting coincidence to note that the year 2016 will also be the 400th anniversary of the death of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. In terms of the struggle against colonialism the year 1616 marked the end of the beginning with the Flight of the Earls while the Easter Rising marked the beginning of the end.

Patrick Pearse

Thomas Clarke

Eamonn Ceannt

Thomas MacDonagh