A plaque commemorating the men, women and young people who served with the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) during the revolutionary period will be unveiled outside The Cobblestone Pub, Smithfield, Dublin 7, on Saturday, 10th September, at 3.30 p.m. The ICA Re-enactment Group will lead a march by SIPTU activists and members of the local community to the unveiling site from Kavanagh’s Pub, Aughrim Street, at 3.00 p.m. The plaque will be officially unveiled by Esther Hyland, several of whose relatives served with the ICA. The event is jointly organised by the SIPTU Dublin District Council and Stoneybatter and Smithfield People’s History Project. SIPTU Dublin District Council secretary, Kevin Glackin, said: “During 2016, the SIPTU Dublin District Council in conjunction with local community groups and Dublin City Council are unveiling a series of plaques to commemorate the working class men, women and young people who served in the Irish Citizen Army in the areas where they lived.” He added: “The interest in the unveiling of these plaques has been considerable within local communities. People are organising events to coincide with the unveilings and undertaking research to rediscover the radical history of their communities during the revolutionary period.” Stoneybatter and Smithfield People’s History Project spokesperson, Alan MacSimoin, said: “This plaque will commemorate the local members of the ICA from the Markets, Smithfield and Stoneybatter communities. Many of the revolutionaries that emerged from these working class communities to serve with the ICA were not only fighting for Irish independence but also the liberation from exploitation of the workers of Ireland. “The unveiling of this plaque commemorating these men and women provides a valuable opportunity for communities to rediscover their history and the values that motivated people to risk all for a new future.” The unveiling will be followed by a talk on the history and politics of the ICA in the The Cobblestone by historian Daithí Mac An Mhaistir. Copies of the booklet The Irish Citizen Army in Smithfield, Stoneybatter and The Markets will be available to purchase during the event.
Unveiling of Irish Citizen Army plaque in Smithfield in Dublin on Saturday
