Launch of ‘1916: Tales from the Other Side’

On 23 April 2016, Joe Duffy launched the exhibition ‘1916: Tales from the Other Side’.

On 23 April 2016, Marsh’s Library welcomed Joe Duffy of RTÉ to launch the exhibition ‘1916: Tales from the Other Side’.

Mr Duffy spoke movingly about the similarities between the exhibition and his own work on the child casualties of the 1916 Rising.  He highlighted, especially, the teenage diaries of Jessica Taylor which feature in the exhibition, which reminded him so closely of the scrapbooks and notebooks kept by children who died in 1916.

The Keeper of the Library, Dr Jason McElligott, with Joe Duffy (left); Jessica Taylor’s family in front of her display (right)

Mr Duffy finished his speech by invoking the words of Seán O’Casey, whose watercolours also feature in the exhibition: ‘You died without a word of praise, you will be buried without even a shadowy ceremony… You will not be numbered among the accepted slain.’  Until relatively recently, Mr Duffy reminded us, the experiences of civilians were overlooked, an imbalance remedied by exhibitions such ‘1916: Tales from the Other Side’.

Viewing the exhibits (left); Dr Elaine Doyle with Alan Costello (right)

The library was delighted to welcome The Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin; The Very Reverend Victor Stacey, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral; and His Excellent The Most Reverend Charles John Brown, the Apostolic Nuncio, to the launch, along with many other guests.  Visitors mingled among the many exhibits, which include letters from Roger Casement and ‘bullet books’, ancient texts which were damaged by crossfire during Easter Week. Special thanks to our designer, Alan Costello.

The exhibition was on display until December 2016. An updated version is now available online.