Commemorative Events
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Charlie McConalogue (FF), Donegal

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am glad to be able to update her on behalf of the Department on appropriate commemorative funding programmes available through the commemorations unit of the Department. She laid out very well the background and history to this event. I encourage her to engage further with the commemorative unit in the Department after this.
There are four pillars through which historical events can be marked and remembered including State commemoration, artistic expression, historical analysis and community-led commemorations. The State has adopted a facilitative and partnership approach to commemorations whereby support is provided by the Department to key stakeholders and project partners for the delivery of commemorative events and initiatives. Last month, the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, approved a total funding allocation of €705,000 to local authorities for the development of community-led commemorative events and initiatives. The chief executives of each local authority have been written to and comprehensive guidelines have been shared that will assist our co-ordinators on their commemorative paths.
The framework of commemorations was established to ensure that key historical events and themes could be remembered appropriately, proportionately and with a focus on understanding and reconciliation. To ensure this was achieved, the State established an expert advisory group to provide independent and expert advice to the State on commemorative matters. The committee was chaired by Dr. Maurice Manning and the late Dr. Martin Mansergh was the deputy chair. The group established principles and guidance for the State in consultation with the all-party consultation group on commemorations. The recommendations from the expert advisory committee were very clear and there are a number of main points relevant to the matter the Senator presented today.
The expert advisory group recommended a State commemoration to remember and acknowledge all those who fought, died and were affected by the War of Independence. This moving ceremony was hosted by the Taoiseach and presided over by President Michael D. Higgins on the 11 July 2021 - the centenary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish truce.
Inclusivity is a core principle of commemorations. There is a mature understanding that the impact of the events and actions of the War of Independence did not simply end with the signing of the truce.
There were many individuals, families and communities across the country who continued, often silently, to deal with the ramifications and trauma of the events. There is no restrictive timeframe or established condition one must meet to be included or commemorated. To ensure everyone affected is remembered, all events during the decade of centenaries programme were about the collective rather than individual personalities.
Our approach towards memorials and monuments also aligns with the guidance of the expert advisory group in that, traditionally, the State has not provided support for the provision of new memorials, monuments, plaques, busts or statues for historical personages. It has favoured the creation of permanent and lasting legacies such as resources and research material that can be shared freely with the public to engage, educate and inform.
Local authorities may choose to provide support from their resources to local communities to erect and maintain monuments if they deem it an appropriate approach. I suggest that any community groups or interested individuals who have ideas for commemorative initiatives contact the commemorations co-ordinators in their local authorities. All projects selected for support are required to be in keeping with the principles of commemorations and are at the discretion of the local authority.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17