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The Centenary of the First Dáil 21St January 1919

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The Centenary of the First Dáil 21st January 1919 Commemorated by Cork County Council on 21st January 2019 at a Special Meeting convened by the Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Patrick Gerard Murphy Comóradh Céad Bliain den Chéad Dáil An 21 Eanáir, 1919 Tugtha chun cuimhne ag Comhairle Contae Chorcaí Ag tionól speisialta a ghairm Méara Chontae Chorcaí an Comhairleoir Patrick Gerard Murphy FOREWORD RéamhRá BY MAYOR OF THE COUNTY OF ó Méara Chontae Chorcaí, CORK CLLR. PATRICK GERARD an Comhairleoir Patrick Gerard Murphy, MURPHY AND agus an Príomhfheidhmeannach CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF CORK de Comhairle Contae Chorcaí COUNTY COUNCIL TIM LUCEY an tUasal Tim Lucey As citizens of Ireland, today is a special Is lá speisialta é seo duinn mar day when we commemorate the Shaoránaigh na hÉireann, nuair a centenary of the First Dáil, which took chuimhnímid comóradh céad bhliain an place in the Mansion House in Dublin Chéad Dáil, a tharla i dTeach an Ard- on Tuesday, the 21st of January, 1919. Mhéara i mBaile Átha Cliath Dé Máirt, an 21ú Eanáir, 1919. This was a most momentous occasion, Ba seo ócáid an-tábhachtach, rud a chuir which resolutely conveyed Ireland’s in iúl go diongbháilte an chreideamh firm belief in the ownership of its own laidir atá ag Éireann in úinéireacht a destiny by having a government of the chinniúint féin trí rialtas na daoine, ag na people, by the people, for the people. daoine, ar son na daoine. Is lá a bhí ann It was a day when Ireland stood up to nuair a sheas Éire suas le chomhaireamh be counted among the Nations of the i measc Náisiún an Domhain - lá a World - a day that draws our attention tharraingíonn ár n-aird leis an bhród with the utmost pride and belief. agus an creideamh is mó. Cork is proud of the role it has played Tá Corcaigh bródúil as an ról a bhí aice, and continues to play in the story of agus an ról atá aice fós i scéal na hÉireann. Ireland. Of the 73 Seats in the First As na 73 suíocháin ins an Chéad Dáil bhí Dáil, nine representatives were from 9 ionadaithe ó Corcaigh, lena n-áirítear; Cork; these being: Michael Collins Mícheál Ó Coileáin(Corcaigh Theas); (Cork South); Seán Hayes (Cork West), Seán Ó hAodha (Iarthair Chorcaí); Tomás Thomas Hunter (Cork North East), Ó Fiachra (Corcaigh Thoir Thuaidh); David Kent (Cork East), Diarmuid Lynch Dáithí Ceannt (Oirthear Chorcaí); (Cork South East), Terence MacSwiney Diarmuid Ó Loingsigh (Corcaigh Thoir (Mid-Cork), Pádraig O’Keeffe (Cork Theas); Toirdhealbhach Mac Suibhne North) and Liam De Róiste and J.J. (Corcaigh Lárnach); Pádraig Ó Caoimh Walsh, both Cork City. From these (Corcaigh Thuaidh), agus Liam De Róiste historic beginnings to the present day, & JJ Breatnach araon i Cathair Chorcaí. representatives of the County of Cork Ón tús stairiúil sin go dtí an lá inniu have continued to serve the people of leanann ionadaithe ó Contae Chorcaí ag Ireland with distinction at both the local obair chuig ardchaighdeán ar son daoine and national level. na hÉireann ag leibhéal áitiúla agus leibhéal náisiúnta. One hundred years ago today, the Chéad bliain ó shin bhí Liam R Ceannt Cathaoirleach of Cork County Council ina Cathaoirleach ar Comhairle Contae 1 was none other than William R. Kent, Chorcaí . Bhí se ina deartháir le Tomás brother of Thomas Kent and Richard agus Risteard Ceannt a fuair bás ar son Kent, who had both died for Ireland, na tíre, agus deartháir freisin le Dáithí and brother of David Kent –Cork Ceannt – Ionadaí do Oirthear Chorcaí sa East’s representation in the first Dáil chéad Dáil. Bhí Comóradh Chéad Bliain Éireann. Their mother Mary Rice Kent de bás Mary Rice Kent, máthair de na fir was commemorated in this Council seo, i Seomra na Chomhairle i Mí Eanáir Chamber on the Centenary of her 2017. Tá súil againn do mbeadh Liam R. passing in January 2017 and it is hoped Ceannt bródúil, mar iar-Cathaoirleach, that William R. Kent would have looked as an Chomhairle seo agus an cruinniú upon today with pride as the Council speisialta seo atá curtha ar siúl againn that he once chaired himself, gathered chun aitheantas a thabhairt do gach in a special meeting, to remember and rud a rinneadar ar son na tíre seo céad admire all that was done for Ireland one bliain ó shin, agus déanfaimíd iarracht an hundred years ago – endeavouring to oidhreacht sin a leanúint. ensure this as a lasting legacy. Here in the County of Cork there is Anseo i gContae Chorcaí tá bród an unsurpassed pride in our history neamh-sáraithe againn inár stair agus ar and heritage and in 2018 this was ár n-oidhreacht agus i 2018 aithníodh recognised on the national level, with é seo ar leibhéal náisiúnta, nuair a ‘Community Commemorations in the bhuaigh Contae Chorcaí an Gradam County of Cork’ winning Best National “Tionscnamh Pobail Náisiúnta is Fearr” Community Initiative at the IPB and lenár ‘Comóradh Pobail i gContae LAMA Community and Council Awards. Chorcaí’ ag na Gradaim Pobail agus Cork County Council, and particularly Comhairle 2018 curtha ar siúl ag IPB through its Commemorations & LAMA. Leanfaidh Comhairle Contae Committee, will continue to have a firm Chorcaí, go háirithe tríd an gCoiste regard for the county’s and indeed the Comórtha, go mbeidh meas láidir ar nation’s historic moments and today is a chuimhneacháin stairiúla an chontae most fitting event in this regard. agus an tír , agus inniu imeacht feiliúnaí maidir leis seo. Today we look back with pride on the Feicimíd siar inniu le bród ar an Chéad sitting of the First Dáil and discuss how Dáil , agus pléimid cé chomh faide as atá far we have come, as we embark upon muid tar éis teacht, agus muidne ag dul the next one hundred years of history ar aghaidh sa todhcaí chuig an céad éile lena chéile. lena chéile. 2 THE FIRST DÁIL: AN CHÉAD DAIL: Democracy is described as ‘a system of Déantar cur síos ar an daonlathas mar government in which people choose their ‘córas rialtais ina roghnaíonn daoine a rulers by voting for them in elections’ . gcuid rialtóirí trí vótáil dóibh i dtoghcháin’. This is precisely what occurred in Ireland Is é seo go díreach an méid a tharla in in December 1918, leading to the sitting Éirinn i mí na Nollag 1918, agus mar of the First Dáil on Tuesday 21st of thoradh ar seo, do shuigh an Chéad Dáil January, 1919. ar an Máirt 2ú Eanáir, 1919. Following the enacting of the Tar éis an tAcht um ‘Ionadaíocht an ‘Representation of the People Act 1918’ Phobail 1918’ a achtú níos luaithe sa earlier in the year, the 1918 Election on bhliain, ba é Toghchán ar an 14ú Nollag December 14th was the first time that all 1918 an chéad uair a raibh an ceart ag men over the age of 21, and women over gach fear os cionn 21 bliain d’aois agus the age of 30, had the right to cast a vote mná os cionn 30 bliain d’aois, a vóta a or indeed stand for British Parliament. chaitheamh, nó go deimhin seasamh On Election day, December 14th 1918, do Pharlaimint na Breataine. Ar lá an the Women and Men of Ireland spoke. Toghcháin, 14ú Nollag 1918, labhair Mná agus Fir na hÉireann. Of the 707 Seats available in the British As na 707 Suíochán a bhí ar fáil i Parliament, 105 seats were to be bParlaimint na Breataine, bhí 105 filled from across the island of Ireland. suíochán le líonadh ó oileán na hÉireann. There was a Unionist majority in the Bhí tromlach ag na nAontachtaithe sa North and the Irish Parliamentary Party Tuaisceart agus bhí an-chuid tacaíochta le had seen much support in previous Páirtí Parlaiminte na hÉireann sna blianta decades; however, it was those with beaga roimhe sin; áfach, i 1918, bhuaigh Republican beliefs that won the majority na iarrthóirí le idéal Poblachtach formhór of seats in the 1918 Election. Ireland’s na suíochán sa Toghchán. Bhuaigh Páirtí Republican Party, Sinn Féin, won 73 Poblachtach na hÉireann, Sinn Féin, Seats, with the Irish Unionist Party and 73 Suíochán, Níor bhuaigh an Páirtí Irish Parliamentary Party securing only Aontachtach na hÉireann agus Páirtí a combined 32 seats (26 and 6 seats Parlaiminte na hÉireann ach 32 suíochán respectively). In keeping with the Election idir eatarthu (26 agus 6 suíochán faoi Manifesto and having run their campaign seach). De Réir an Forógra Toghcháin on a platform of self-determination , Sinn a bhí acu, agus tar éis a bhfeachtas a Féin decided on 19 December 1918 to reáchtáil ar ardán féinchinntithe, rinne establish Dáil Éireann, refusing to take Sinn Féin cinneadh ar an 19ú Nollag up their seats in Westminster. 1918 Dáil Éireann a bhunú, ag diúltú a gcuid suíochán a thógáil i Westminster. 3 The First Dáil had a number of notable Bhí roinnt ionadaithe suntasacha ag an representatives from Cork - nine men gCéad Dáil ó Chorcaigh - naoi ndaoine in total. These were Michael Collins san iomlán. Ba iad seo Micheál Ó Coileáin (Cork South); Seán Hayes (Cork West), (Corcaigh Theas); Seán Ó hAodha Thomas Hunter (Cork North East), David (Corcaigh Thiar), Tomás Ó Fiachra Kent (Cork East), Diarmuid Lynch (Cork (Corcaigh Thoir Thuaidh), Dáithí Ceannt South East), Terence MacSwiney (Mid- (Corcaigh Thoir), Diarmuid Ó Loingsigh Cork), Pádraig O’Keeffe (Cork North), (Corcaigh Thoir Theas), Toirdhealbhach and Liam De Róiste and J.J. Walsh, both Mac Suibhne (Corcaigh-Lárnach), Pádraig Cork City. All ran unopposed in the O’Caoimh (Corcaigh Thuaidh), agus Liam Election with the exception of Liam De De Róiste & JJ Ó Breathnach, ó gCathair Róiste and J.J.
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