Series of events to mark the Battle of the Somme

THE National Library of Ireland (NLI) is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme with a series of events throughout the month of July. 

The programme will be headlined by ‘Words and Music from the War’, an evening of readings and music relating to World War I.

The British Ambassador to Ireland, Dominick Chilcott, will participate in the readings, and will be joined by Kevin Boushel, Niall Ó Sioradáin and actor Cathy Belton to present a selection of poems and letters from the NLI’s collections at 8pm on Wednesday, July 6.

Further events include public tours, film screenings and a panel discussion with History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham.

In association with the Imperial War Museum, London, the NLI will screen the documentary film ‘The Battle of the Somme’ a number of times between Monday, July 11 and Friday 22 in the NLI’s lecture theatre. The film was released in 1916 during the Somme Campaign, and was seen at the time by over 20 million people.

‘WWI Ireland: Exploring the Irish Experience’ is a public tour of the exhibition that will focus on the Irish experience of World War 1. The guided tour will take place at 2pm on Thursday, July 15.

History Ireland Hedge School on the Battle of the Somme is a panel discussion with History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, and guests as they mark the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme at 7pm on Tuesday, July 19.

Speaking about the series of events to mark the centenary of the battle, Catherine McSharry, Head of Outreach at the NLI, said: “The Battle of the Somme was the largest battle of World War I on the Western Front, with more than one million men wounded or killed. Among the dead were over 3,500 Irish soldiers, with many more wounded.

“The National Library of Ireland’s exhibition ‘World War Ireland: Exploring the Irish Experience’ shines a light on Irish involvement in this war that changed the world forever. To remember those impacted by the Battle of the Somme, we are hosting a series of events a century later. As part of the programme, we are very pleased to welcome British Ambassador to Ireland, Dominick Chilcott, to the headline event ‘Words and Music from the War’ on July 6.” 

For more information, visit www.nli.ie.