Wicklow Sinn Féin Councillor John Brady who is a member of the Wicklow County Council 2016 Steering Group has welcomed the launch of the new Wicklow Life App. The App along the programme of events planned in Wicklow for the Centenary of the 1916 Rising were launched on Monday in County Buildings. The hope of the App is to evoke a sense of everyday life in County Wicklow during the year of the Rising.
Speaking after the launch Councillor Brady said “I welcome both the launch of the new Wicklow Life App and the programme of events that are planned to commemorate the Centenary of the 1916 Rising and the declaration of the Republic. Wicklow people played a leading role in the Rising and the preparations for it, so it’s only right that they are remembered, but more importantly we remember what it was they fought for and the Republic that was declared on the steps of the GPO on Easter Monday morning 1916.”
“In 1914 in the build up to the Rising, Kilcoole beach was used to land a considerable number of German guns that went on to be used in the Rising, many volunteers from Wicklow were involved in that operation. Another Wicklow man Robert Monteith from Newtownmountkennedy was a member of Rodger Casements Irish Brigade, along with Casement he landed on Banna Strand in Co. Kerry in a German U-Boat while trying to land guns there from the Aud in 1916. Other volunteers from right across Wicklow took an active role in the fighting during Easter week. Volunteers such as, Steenie Mulvey and Tom Sutton from Bray, Tom Cullen and Patrick Kavanagh from Blessington and Mick McDonnell and Tom Keogh from Knockananna, are just a few of the volunteers from Wicklow, who went out and fought for the Republic during Easter week.”
Cllr Brady continued “I’m particularly pleased that €30,000 has been secured to develop 5 Gardens of Remembrance across the County, one in each of the Municipal Districts, this is something that I’ve been pushing for at committee level since last year. The Glór na Cásca project will all have a number of elements in common: an engraved life size typographical replica of the 1916 Proclamation, a maintenance-free flag pole with Tricolour and 7 trees that would represent the 7 signatories of the Proclamation. I would also like to see Time Capsules been put together by local school children and buried in the gardens; these would be opened for the 150th anniversary of the Rising.”
“I want to pay tribute to all members of the Wicklow County Council 2016 Steering Group, particularly Catherine Wright who is the Councils Archivist and Genealogist for putting together the Wicklow Life App, In the app its hoped to evoke a sense of everyday life in County Wicklow during the year of the Rising through weekly updates of newspaper snippets featuring local news stories, advertisements and events as presented in the two main County Wicklow newspapers of the day – The Wicklow People and The Wicklow News-Letter. The App can be downloaded free at http://www.wicklow1916.ie/1916-wicklow-life-app.html.”
Cllr Brady concluded by saying “I also want to congratulate all the community groups from across the County that have come together to commemorate the 1916 Rising and the Republic that was declared. It’s important that everybody gets involved in the events that are planned throughout the year in Wicklow. Sinn Féin has also launched an exciting programme of events and I’m looking forward to the discussions and debates that will take place throughout the year. This is an ideal time for people to rededicate themselves to the true Republic that was declared in 1916, one that truly does cherish all the children equally.”
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