1916 Proclamation Day Assembly

Like thousands of other schools across Ireland, the children of St Patrick’s put on a special assembly to tell the story of the Easter Rising. The classes of Mr McConville and Mr Flanagan have been learning about the Rising in World Around Us and were keen to share their knowledge with the rest of the school. The events were retold through music, dance and poetry.

The assembly began with Connor McGrath introducing the musicians of the school Traditional Music Group who played the Irish tune Iniseer. This was followed by a rendition of the 1916 inspired song ‘The Foggy Dew’.

The children then read out the story of the events of Easter 1916. This included a reading of The Proclamation which was originally read on the steps of the GPO on Easter Monday 1916, signalling the start of the Easter Rising.

Callum Donnan performed the emotional song ‘Grace’ which tells the story of Joseph Plunkett’s marriage to Grace Gifford in Kilmainham Gaol hours before he was executed.

The audience were then treated to some Irish dancing and more traditional music before Aaron Fitzpatrick recited the poem by the 1916 leader Padraig Pearse, ‘I Am Ireland’.

The children had been working on a new proclamation for a modern Ireland in 2016 and this included such things as free health care, jobs for everyone and bully-free schools. It was read by Katie McCoy before the national flag was raised and everyone present was lead in a rendition of the National Anthem by Jordan McPolin.

Miss Lawless thanked everyone involved in the production of the assembly for a wonderful celebration of our culture, heritage and history. All the staff are very proud of all our children and how they respectfully commemorated the events of one hundred years ago.