However, 1916 and its immediate aftermath is a watershed moment in Waterford history as it marks the change in public perception and support for the nationalist movement. Prior to 1916, Waterford City and County were broadly united in their support for Home Rule and for the Irish Parliamentary Party. Support for an independent Ireland was a minority view.
After 1916, support for the nationalist view and for the Sinn Féin party grew, particularly in the county. A division arose between city and county which was demonstrated in the results of the 1918 General Election with Cathal Brugha elected in Waterford County and William Redmond elected in Waterford City.
Many of those involved in the Irish volunteers, in Cumann na mBan and in Sinn Féin in Waterford were the same people involved in the Irish language revival who wrote extensively about the Irish language and Irish culture.
Thomas Francis Meagher and The National Flag
Thomas Francis Meagher, was born in the Mall, Waterford on August 23rd 1823. In 1843 Meagher he joined the Young Ireland Movement, the radical group which published “The Nation,” Meagher would eventually live move to America where he served in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Brigadier General.
In 1848 William Smith O’Brien and Thomas Francis Meagher led a delegation to Paris to congratulate the new French Republic. They returned to Ireland bearing a tricolour flag, a symbol of reconciliation between the Orange and Green on a neutral white background, made for them by French women who sympathised with the Irish cause. In Meagher’s words:
The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the “Orange” and the “Green,” and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood.
The Waterford Programme
The Waterford programme for 2016 will explore the following themes:
• The Irish Tricolour and its significance to Waterford and to Ireland as a whole
• The connection between the Irish language revival and the development of a national identity
• The issue of Home Rule versus Self-Determination and how public opinion can change and be changed.
Community participation will be a key element of the Waterford Commemoration Programme.
Many communities across Waterford City and County are making plans to include the commemoration of 1916 in their annual programmes or to organise events specifically for the commemoration. These will benefit from the community grant scheme launched at the community workshops in June 2015.
Waterford City and County offers a unique opportunity to explore public perceptions and changes in attitude following the 1916 Rising. In essence, Waterford represents a microcosm of Ireland at that time in history in terms of the reducing but not complete expiration of support for the Irish Parliamentary Party and Home Rule and the rapidly building support for Sinn Féin and a sovereign Irish state.
Our National Flag, the Tricolour, was first raised in Waterford in 1848 by Thomas Francis Meagher and was brought to Dublin prior to 1916 by Irish Volunteers from Waterford City. The celebration of the Irish flag and its significance will be a unique and important feature of Waterford’s celebrations.
In partnership with the Education Centres, local schools and the Archives & Library Services, there will be a schools debate on the unique resolutions made by Waterford City and County Councils, Rural District Councils in Waterford and Boards of Guardians; the retraction of resolutions due to changes in views and the changes in the views expressed in these resolutions, as demonstrated by the records of the time.
Waterford, as a county with a vibrant Gaeltacht community, will be in a special position to celebrate Irish language and culture.
Through cultural performances, publications, education programmes and a range of other community events and activities, we will explore the impact of the Easter Rising in Waterford.
The 2016 Commemoration Committee in Waterford includes elected members of Waterford City and County Council, the City & County Librarian, Heritage Officer and Archivist, as well as community members of the PPN (Public Participation Network) and representatives from the Waterford County Museum, the Heritage Centre in Portlaw and the Tricolour Committee. Engagement from all parts of the community is at the core of our proposed commemorations.
Ba thráth claochlaithe 1916 agus an tréimhse díreach ina dhiaidh, áfach, i stair Phort Láirge mar gheall gurb ionann é agus an t-athrú a tháinig ar mheon agus tacaíocht an phobail i leith ghluaiseacht na náisiúnaithe. Roimh 1916, bhí Contae agus Cathair Phort Láirge aontaithe den chuid ba mhó maidir lena dtacaíocht le Rialtas Dúchais agus le Páirtí Parlaiminteach na hÉireann. Meon mionlaigh a bhí sa tacaíocht le hÉirinn neamhspleách.
I ndiaidh 1916, chuaigh an tacaíocht leis an meon náisiúnach agus le páirtí Shinn Féin i méid, go háirithe sa Chontae. Tháinig deighilt chun cinn idir an Chathair agus an Contae a léiríodh i dtorthaí Olltoghchán 1918 nuair a toghadh Cathal Brugha i gContae Phort Láirge agus nuair a toghadh William Redmond i gCathair Phort Láirge.
B’ionann go leor de na daoine a raibh baint acu le hÓglaigh na hÉireann, Cumann na mBan agus Sinn Féin i bPort Láirge agus na daoine a raibh baint acu in athbheochan na Gaeilge a scríobh go fairsing faoin nGaeilge agus faoi chultúr na hÉireann.
Thomas Francis Meagher agus an Bhratach Náisiúnta
Rugadh Thomas Francis Meagher sa Mheal, Port Láirge an 23 Lúnasa 1823. In 1843, chuaigh Meagher le Gluaiseacht Ógánach na hÉireann, an grúpa radacach a d’fhoilsigh “The Nation”. Bhogfadh Meagher go Meiriceá ar deireadh, áit ar fhóin sé in Arm na Stát Aontaithe, agus áit ar bhain sé céim Bhriogáidire-Ghinearál amach.
In 1848, thug William Smith O’Brien agus Thomas Francis Meagher toscaireacht go Páras chun comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le Poblacht nua na Fraince. D’fhill siad ar Éirinn agus bratach trí dhath ar iompar acu – siombail den athmhuintearas idir an dath Oráiste agus an dath Glas ar chúlra neodrach bán, a ndearna mná Francacha dóibh a raibh bá orthu le cúis na hÉireann. I bhfocail Meagher:
Is éard atá i gceist leis an dath bán i lár na brataí ná sos cogaidh marthanach idir an dath “Oráiste” agus an dath “Glas” agus tá súil agam gur féidir le Protastúnaigh agus le Caitlicigh na hÉireann lámha a chreathadh faoina bun i mbráithreachas flaithiúil agus laochúil.
Clár Phort Láirge Fiosróidh Clár Phort Láirge don bhliain 2016 na téamaí a leanas:
• Bratach Trí Dhath na hÉireann agus an tábhacht a bhaineann léi maidir le Port Láirge agus le hÉirinn ina hiomláine
• An ceangal idir athbheochan na Gaeilge agus féiniúlacht náisiúnta a fhorbairt
• Saincheist an Rialtais Dúchais i gcoinne Féinchinntiúcháin agus conas is féidir le tuairim pholaitiúil athrú a dhéanamh agus a bheith athraithe.
Beidh rannpháirtíocht an phobail ina príomhghné de Chlár Comórtha Phort Láirge.
Tá pleananna á ndéanamh ag go leor pobal ar fud Chathair agus Chontae Phort Láirge chun comóradh 1916 a chur san áireamh ina gcláir bhliantúla nó chun imeachtaí a eagrú go sonrach ar mhaithe leis an gcomóradh. Bainfidh siad seo sochar ón scéim deontas pobail a seoladh ag na ceardlanna pobail i Meitheamh 2015.
Cuireann Cathair agus Contae Phort Láirge deis uathúil ar fáil chun meonta poiblí agus athruithe ar dhearcadh a fhiosrú i ndiaidh Éirí Amach 1916. Go bunúsach, tá i bPort Láirge micreacosma d’Éirinn ag an tráth sin sa stair sa mhéid go raibh an tacaíocht le Páirtí Parlaiminteach na hÉireann agus Rialtas Dúchais ag dul i laghad, ach tugadh tacaíocht áirithe leo agus an tacaíocht a bhí ag dul i méid go tapa le Sinn Féin agus le stát ceannasach Éireannach.
D’ardaigh Thomas Francis Meagher ár mBratach Náisiúnta, an Bhratach Trí Dhath, i bPort Láirge in 1848 den chéad uair riamh agus thug Óglaigh na hÉireann ó Chathair Phort Láirge í go Baile Átha Cliath roimh 1916. Gné uathúil agus thábhachtach de chuid cheiliúradh Phort Láirge a bheidh i gceiliúradh bhratach na hÉireann agus an tábhacht a bhaineann léi.
I gcomhpháirtíocht leis na hIonaid Oideachais, na scoileanna áitiúla agus na Seirbhísí Cartlainne agus Leabharlainne, beidh díospóireacht scoile ar siúl ar na réitigh uathúla a rinne Comhairlí Cathrach agus Contae Phort Láirge, na Comhairlí Ceantair Thuaithe i bPort Láirge agus na Boird Bhardachta; aistarraingt réiteach mar gheall ar athruithe a tháinig ar mheonta agus ar athruithe ar mheonta a léirítear sna réitigh seo, faoi mar a léiríonn taifid na haimsire.
Beidh ar sárchumas Phort Láirge an Ghaeilge agus cultúr na hÉireann a cheiliúradh, mar gheall go bhfuil pobal beoga Gaeltachta ann.
Trí thaibhithe, foilseacháin, cláir chultúrtha oideachais agus réimse d’imeachtaí agus de ghníomhaíochtaí eile pobail, fiosróimid an tionchar a d’imir Éirí Amach na Cásca i bPort Láirge.
Áirítear leis an gCoiste Comórtha 2016 i bPort Láirge comhaltaí tofa Chomhairle Cathrach agus Contae Phort Láirge, an Leabharlannaí Cathrach agus Contae, an tOifigeach Oidhreachta agus an Cartlannaí, mar aon le comhaltaí pobail den PPN (Líonra Rannpháirtíochta Pobail) agus ionadaithe ó Mhúsaem Chontae Phort Láirge, an tIonad Oidhreachta i bPort Lách agus Coiste na Brataí Trí Dhath. Tá rannpháirtíocht ó gach cuid den phobal ag ceartlár ár gcomórtha bheartaithe.