12 July 2001 Edition

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Emmet bicentenary plans announced

At a packed meeting in Dublin Castle on Wednesday, 4 July, plans were unveiled to mark the bicentenary of the 1803 Rising and the death of Robert Emmet.

The commemorative plans will include art, music, street theatre, sports, schools' competitions, lectures, seminars, documentaries and much more. The plans are in their infancy, said Aengus Ó Snodaigh, spokesperson for Emmet 200, the coordinating body for the commemoration.

He added: ``I hope that the year's celebrations will have a strong community involvement, especially in those areas that were associated with Emmet's failed rising in 1803, areas such as the Liberties, Harold's Cross and Rathfarnham. Over the next two years, the germs of ideas which are there will be developed and others added until we have a full programme of events to appropriately mark the short life of a great Dublin patriot.''

The evening was officially opened by 26-County minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Síle de Valera, standing in for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. The gatherign was also addressed by Supreme Court Judge Susan Denham who said: ``The project will shed light on a young hero of Ireland. Now, as then, heroes are needed.''

The final speaker on the night was Dr Ruan O'Donnell, whose new biography of Robert Emmet will show the full stature and importance of this young man and the full extent of his preparations for a rising. In a short address, Ruan tantalised his audience with newly-emerged facts about the Rising.

The evening concluded with an evocative rendition of Robert Emmet's famous speech from the dock by Dublin actor Brent Hearne.


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