To commemorate and celebrate Limerick’s major role in the eventful period of 1914-1922, Limerick Museum and Limerick Archives produced a number of projects that highlight Limerick men and women who participated, fought or died during this time.
Stand Up and Fight was a major exhibition launched in May 2015 that showcased the role of more than 4,000 men and women from Limerick that signed up for the British Army during the First World War.
The project was run with Limerick Museum, and was based on images and objects that were loaned from members of the public whose ancestors fought or participated in the First World War.
They Dreamed and Are Dead was the title of an exhibition and publication produced by Limerick Archives and Limerick Museum examining all aspects of life in Limerick in 1916, from its deeply nationalist roots and the role of Limerick in the planning of the Rising to a year-long snapshot of life in Limerick in 1916; from fashion, education , favourite past-times, housing system, and businesses to rise of nationalism in Limerick via Cumann na mBan, the Irish League, the GAA and the Volunteers. Written by Dr. Matthew Potter, Brian Hodkinson and William O’Neill and edited by Jacqui Hayes, the project highlighted the major role that Limerick played the Rising through the Daly family, examining how Limerick was to fit into the original plans for the rebellion.
A 'Songs Of Rebellion' concert was also held in June 2016, was organized by Limerick Archives with the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. Singers and historians collaborated to performed and commented on the role of the songs in nationalist history. The event was held in St. Mary’s Cathedral, and formed a part of the events for the 46th International Ballad Commission Annual Conference.
In The Name of Future Generations was a symposium organized by the Department of History in UL and supported by Limerick Archives in November 2016. Featuring speakers such as Fergal Keane, Kingsley Donaldson and Professor Patrick Geoghegan the event examined the impact and contemporary meaning of the 1916 rebellion. The event examined the topic from a number of aspects, with a varied field of view and diverse themes
