Liberty Hall, Four Courts, and Dublin Castle

Today we logged another five mile walk starting from Tara Station downtown, which was closed over the Easter weekend. Just across the river from the DART station, at Liberty Hall it appeared that another political rally was in progress. (We haven't previously mentioned the rally and march by the IRS--Irish Republican Soldiers group-- that we watched on Thursday.) 

Gardai surrounded today's event and when we finally got there it turned out to be a street side broadcast of an official event inside Liberty Hall. Ireland's Uachtarán (President) Michael Higgins spoke at length (after all, he *is* a politician) about James Connoly and the role of the Irish Citizen Army in the 1916 Rising. His theme was the unfulfilled promises of the Irish Republic and the need to continue to press for equality for all classes.

    Uachtarán Michael Higgins

Next we hopped a westbound Abbey Street Luas to Four Courts, Ireland's main court building and the site of fighting during 1916 and in the Irish Civil War that followed in 1922. The rotunda of Four Courts has a very nice group of posters detailing events and individuals of the 1916 period. Of particular interest were the details of women who formed a signifant portion of the rebels. Over 300 women fought or served right alongside their male counterparts.

    Dublin Castle, inner courtyard

Across the Liffey from Four Courts are Dublin Castle and Dublin City Hall. We found a wonderful exhibit in the basement of City Hall that includes an original printed copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic (the Poblacht) read by Patrick Pearse outside the GPO at the outset of the Rising. Also on display is a flag made by Countess Constance Markiewicz (currently property of the English Queen and on loan back to Ireland.)

    Countess Markiewicz