*Members of Clare Sinn Féin at February’s election count. Photograph: Joe Buckley
Planned events to honour the 1916 Easter Rising by Sinn Féin in Clare have been cancelled.
Clare TD, Violet-Anne Wynne (SF) has confirmed that the County branch of Sinn Féin will privately remember the 1916 Easter Rising with planned events cancelled on account of COVID-19. She has encouraged “Clare Republicans” to privately reflect on the sacrifices made during and after the Rising “particularly when people in Clare are make huge sacrifices today”.
All public events organised by Sinn Féin have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. This includes the opening of Wynne’s constituency office which she has confirmed will be in Ennis, internal party meetings, public functions and commemorations for the 1916 Rising.
“With Sinn Féin responding to the need to practice political public isolation to protect our communities. I’m asking Clare Republicans, to privately reflect this Easter Sunday on the sacrifices made by Irishmen and Irishwomen during and after the 1916 Easter Rising. Particularly when so many in Clare are now making their own huge sacrifices facing the Coronavirus,” Violet stated.
She added, “Clare was an active county in the struggle to achieve Irish freedom and while all public commemorative events are now cancelled, in order to remember this struggle Sinn Féin will be hosting videos and photographic exhibitions online and are asking people to wear an Easter Lily and to put a tricolour in windows or gardens. I’m also encouraging children and families to put Easter 1916 Rising imagery and artwork online.”
Violet-Anne concluded, “While the aim of the 1916 Rising was to bring an end to British imperialism in Ireland, it was also about ending the socio-economic consequences of foreign rule. The spirit and idealism of Easter 1916 is hugely exemplified today in the dedication, commitment and selfishness (sic) of our front-line workers”.
