Photo illustration by Gary Wayne Gilbert
In April 1916, a small group of republicans began a week-long rebellion in Dublin, Ireland, seeking freedom from Britain. The republicans thought鈥攚ith Britain focused on World War I鈥攖hat the uprising could rally the Irish public to join the fight for independence. Within days, 16,000 British troops entered the city to suppress the insurrection; by the end of the week, Dublin was in ruins and 485 people had died, including civilians caught in the crossfire.
Referred to as the Easter Rising, this milestone in Ireland鈥檚 history was, says Mike Cronin, academic director of 乱伦小可爱 Ireland, a 鈥渕ilitary failure.鈥� However, due to Britain鈥檚 subsequent response to the Rising鈥攅xecuting 16 key leaders, interning 3,000 men and women and placing the country under military law鈥攑ublic opinion shifted. The event "ultimately transformed Ireland鈥檚 relationship to Britain and would eventually lead to the creation of an independent Ireland in 1922,鈥� said Cronin, who agrees with much of the Irish population that the Easter Rising is Ireland鈥檚 equivalent of America鈥檚 Independence Day.
鈥�1916 is important as it was a military move against Britain that would inspire others in their fight for democracy or colonial freedom.聽 [1916] was cited as inspiration by those who led the 1917 Russian Revolution and the nationalist movements in India and Southern Africa,鈥� he said.
One hundred years after the rebellion, 2016 鈥渕arks the idealism of the men and women who proclaimed the Irish Republic and challenged the might of the British Empire,鈥� said Cronin.
The centenary is being commemorated on both sides of the Atlantic. At 乱伦小可爱, U.S. Congressman Richard Neal and Boston Mayor and alumnus Marty Walsh reflected on the Rising during a visit to campus earlier this semester; and an were spearheaded by the Center for Irish Programs, which comprises all the University's Irish initiatives, including 乱伦小可爱 Ireland.
In Dublin, 乱伦小可爱's focus is on the myriad of events that would change Ireland between 1913-23鈥攚ith attention to ordinary life during the time period, as well鈥攖hrough the Century Ireland project, a collaboration among 乱伦小可爱 Ireland, state broadcaster RT脡, and national cultural institutions.
聽that details the events of 100 years ago in real time, as they occurred. It 鈥渉ighlights the big stories of the day, but also focuses on the mundane reality of life such as housing, sporting events, court cases, fashion, the cinema, or shopping,鈥� Cronin said, to offer visitors a glimpse into the lives of the Irish people during the years of the fight for freedom. The goal is to juxtapose "the historical context of the political changes in Ireland with the reality that most people were simply getting on with their lives," he said.
Though the events of the Easter Rising occurred a century ago, the history easily lent itself to modern technologies. 鈥淧eople across the globe can engage with the stories we are telling and access material from Irish archives and libraries that they otherwise couldn鈥檛 visit,鈥� noted Cronin.
Even social media plays a role: @CenturyIRL鈥攖he Century Ireland Twitter account, active since May 2013 to coincide with the start of the project鈥攊s聽, to allow followers to experience occurrence