'To Broaden Sympathies Without Having to Abandon Loyalties': The Official Commemoration of the Easter Rising Centenary
Abstract
This paper analyses and evaluates the character of the official commemorative programme of the Easter Rising centenary. Particular attention will be paid to the strategies and organisational innovations designed to adapt the founding myth to the current political, social, and cultural agendas.
As inclusivity featured among the central values of the programme, the proclaimed 'year for everyone' was characterised by yet unseen diversity of themes and recognitions, sometimes in stark contrast to the existing socio-economic inequalities. The state acted as a coordinator rather than a director; its aim was, nevertheless, to 'broaden sympathies, without having to abandon loyalties', in accordance with the typical post-revisionist values.
Moreover, the 'Decade of Centenaries' concept allowed the organisers to focus on particular moments in time from synchronic rather than diachronic perspective. Last but not least, the support of creative engagement, as seen in the Reflecting the Rising festival or some of the children programmes, contributed to widespread participation throughout the island as well as in the Diaspora.