Commemorating Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins at Dublin City Hall

Dublin City Hall was a constant and majestic backdrop to the historic establishment of the Irish state in 1922.

Presented and commissioned by Dublin City Council and the Dublin City Council Culture Company, as part of the Council’s Decade of Centenaries Programme, two new shows will commemorate the lives of writer, editor and politician Arthur Griffith and revolutionary, soldier and politician Michael Collins during the time of the Irish Civil War.

TRACES OF TIME: SNAPSHOTS OF DUBLIN AND THE CIVIL WAR IN 1922

Three of Dublin City Council’s Historians in Residence present three X 15 minute snapshots of Dublin 1922; from the strategic importance of City Hall as a location, to the death of Cathal Brugha in the early stages of the Civil War and the role of Cumann na mBan in providing guards of honour for anti Treaty IRA men killed at this time.

• Cormac Moore will present The Importance of Dublin City Hall in 1922
• James Curry presents The Death of Cathal Brugha in the early stages of the Civil War
• Mary Muldowney presents Guardians of the anti-Treaty dead in the Civil War, shining a light on the role of Cumann na mBan in providing guards of honour for anti Treaty IRA men killed at this time.

The talks will be presented in Council Chambers in Dublin City Hall. Booking here is required: 11am, 25 & 26 August (Duration 60mins)

OF THE MOUTH OF FLOWERS

Presented by the multi-award-winning ANU, OF THE MOUTH OF FLOWERS is an interactive theatre experience that contains two performances, commemorating events of national mourning in 2022 – the public lying in state of Ireland’s revolutionary giants, Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith.

Focusing on distinctly private moments of those closest to each of the men, it asks the critical question “How do we choose to remember?”

Upon hearing of the assassination of her beloved brother Michael Collins, Hannie was not surprised.

During the night before she had had a premonition he had been killed.

“I know how unhappy he had been for so long— At the moment of death the load went… from his mind, so it went from mine.”

She travels alone from Euston station, London to Dublin.

She goes straight to City Hall where she meets squad member Ned Breslin.

Together they await the arrival of her brother’s body.

As Arthur Griffith lies in his coffin at City Hall, his longtime friend and comrade Sean T. O’Kelly lies nearby in a cell in Kilmainham Jail.

Unable to pay his respects in person, Sean ponders how best to eulogise his friend.

Imagining what it would be like to be there one final time, Sean finds himself in Arthur’s presence, standing side by side over the coffin as if at a wake.

What follows is a spirited debate and vicious argument at the centre of which lies the question: ‘What was it all for?’

Production Details:

Tickets are free (a limited number of 20 per performance) so booking is essential: Book here

Performances are accessible. Duration 45 mins.

August 25, 26, 27th  at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 6pm & Saturday 27 at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm

Directed by Louise Lowe, written by Robbie O’Connor and Louise Lowe.

Cast includes Una Kavanagh; Robbie O’Connor; Jamie O’Niell and Michael Glenn Murphy

Stage Manager: Ali Keohan

Producers: Matthew Smyth and Lynnette Moran

Presented and commissioned by Dublin City Council and the Culture Company, as part of the Council’s Decade of Centenaries programme.