New clock unveiled in Donnycarney

A NEW clock has been erected on the Malahide Road to commemorate both the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising and 40 years of community partnership in Donnycarney.

The unveiling ceremony, which took place on November 19, was attended by several members of the Donnycarney West Community Association, as well as Cllr Deirdre Heney (FF) and David Dinnegan from Dublin City Council. 

Officially titled ‘The Donnycarney Community Clock’, the commemoration was co-funded by the association, alongside Dublin City Council and a grant for the 1916 Commemorative Fund for Communities. 

Stephen Coyne, chairperson of Donnycarney West Community Association, spoke about the the importance of the clock’s commemoration to the events surrounding the foundation of the State and Donnycarney’s links to this. 

“It is intended to mark a hugely important year for Ireland, being the centenary of the Easter Rising 1916, and to be a lasting commemoration to the events of that week,” Coyne said. 

“We have located the clock close to the junction with Collins Avenue, and this road was, of course, named for Michael Collins, who played no small part in 1916 and subsequent event.

“While the Donnycarney estates were built from the 1930s, we are very privileged still to have families in this area with connections back to the Volunteers of 1916.”

A second purpose of this clock is to mark the work done by the Community Association founded in 1976.

Donnycarney previously won an All-Ireland Pride of Place Award in 2012, and according to Coyne, the association “doesn’t just focus on making the area look better, we also work to build a stronger sense of community”.

“Whether you are a lifelong resident or a renter passing through for a while, we continue to encourage everyone to involve themselves in making our neighbourhood one of the best in Dublin,” he added.

The clock is engraved from one of the Rising’s memorable quotes from Michael Thomas O’Rahilly: ‘Well, I’ve helped to wind up the clock, I might as well hear it strike!’.

A grandson of The O’Rahilly, Prionsias O’Rathaille attended the unveiling ceremony and spoke about its importance to him, calling the clock “a very moving tribute to my grandfather”. 

Cllr Deirdre Heney, representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin at the event, also paid tribute to the clock and what it represents. 

“This is a fitting tribute to the men and women who fought for Irish freedom 100 years ago,” she said. “It celebrates the efforts of those who fought for our freedom and our language so we could be the rulers of our own destiny.”

REPORT:Daniel O’Connor