THE 1916 Centenary Sub-committee of Mullingar Tidy Towns Committee has made a major contribution to the honouring of 1916 Rebellion and the Centenary by putting in place a very attractive new Memorial Park close to the Green Bridge, in one of the town’s busiest locations. The committee involved is non political.
The committee decided to erect a permanent monument adjacent to the Green Bridge in Mullingar because it is central to` where many activities during the revolutionary period between 1916 and 1923 occurred in Mullingar. It was at the Green Bridge that the famous Blacksmith of Ballinalee, Sean McEoin, made his escape bit from his captors. He was shot and brought to the Army Barracks, seriously wounded, in March, 1921. He was sentenced soon after, to death – and then became a bargaining figure in the subsequent negotiations.
The area of the monument which will be named “1916 Memorial Park” is simplistic in style being enclosed by a finely crafted masonry wall. Within the wall is a plinth on which the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, set in marble, will be placed, after time capsules have been placedjust prior to the opening. There will also be a flag pole allowing the Tricolour of Ireland to fly throughout the day, with it being floodlit at night, as it should be, in keeping with Department of An Taoiseach protocols and guidelines. Around the wall will be seven native Irish trees, which signify the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic.
The new monument will become a focal point for Mullingar and also a place of reflection, and is certain to be included in all future town tours. The Tidy Towns committee feels that within this “Decade of Centenaries” that this monument is an excellent way of both embellishing the town of Mullingar as part the Tidy Towns initiative and also as a way of remembering those courageous local men and women who took part in the fight for Irish Independence.
All in Mullingar are invited to attend and witness the unveiling of the 1916 Memorial Park at the Green Bridge Mullingar, on Easter Monday ,17 April 2017 at 12:00 noon.
