In October, Phoenix joins much of the global community to celebrate the centennial of Ireland’s Easter Rebellion of 1916.
The “1916 Commemoration Series” includes an exhibition that opens Oct. 13 at the McClelland Library at the Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central Ave., and a 10-month calendar of lectures and book discussions by nationally respected historians, a multimedia presentation and a film series.
The events are sponsored by the library, the Irish Cultural Center and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and run through June.
A group of poets, teachers and labor leaders turned a typically peaceful Easter week in Dublin in 1916 into a six-day rebellion fighting for independence from England. The event was a key moment in the making of the modern independent Republic of Ireland.
The exhibit takes place in the library. Curators have secured period pieces, books, rare papers and photos to educate and engage visitors. Special themes in the exhibit include women in the Rising, the American connection and World War I, which will appeal to a wider public.
The lecture series begins with historian Robert K. O’Neill on Oct. 21. A book discussion on “How Many Miles to Babylon?” takes place on Oct. 31.
For more information on the series, visit http://www.azirishlibrary.org or call 602-864-2351. The cost of the exhibit is $10 adults, $5 children.
