DESPITE THE fact that the 1916 Rising commemorations haven’t even got underway yet, there was more a tone of Civil War in Wexford Co. Council chamber at the recent monthly meeting when the notion of celebratory Bank Holiday was suggested.
Sinn Féin councillor Johnny Mythen proposed a motion for the council to call on the government to declare a bank holiday to mark the significant and historic occasion of the 1916 Rising.
He remarked: “It was a seminal moment in our history and there should be a national holiday commemorating it.
Cllr. Willie Fitzharris was the first out of the traps to respond, pointing out that people already had a bank holiday on Easter Monday and he was opposing the motion.
Cllr. Michael Sheehan pointed out that the actual starting date of the Rising was April 24 and so a bank holiday at that time should be observed as it was the historic date.
Cllr. Deirdre Wadding agreed with the motion, pointing out that lots of other countries who gained independence celebrated that moment every year. She was in favour of calling for a bank holiday not just for the centenary celebration but for each year on.
She pointed out that considering the fact that Easter was a ‘movable feast’, it was not appropriate to just celebrate Easter: the actual date should also be acknowledged.
Cllr. Paddy Kavanagh wondered if the motion was calling for a bank holiday just for 2016 or each year from then on. He asked if the council was in favour of not having a bank holiday on Easter Monday in exchange. He added: “Rather than putting extra cost on people paying for bank holidays, why not give one back?”
Meanwhile Cllr. Martin Murphy attempted to rile his colleagues even more by suggesting Sinn Féin agree to hold a commemoration on the ‘Glorious Twelfth’.
Cllr. Michael Sheehan re-entered the discussion to suggest that a unique bank holiday for 2016 should be agreeable to all. He also cheekily suggested that the council could also have a commemoration on January 21 as it was the date of the first Dáil session under Eamonn de Valera – an idea which sent the Fine Gael crowd on the far side of the chamber into battle mode.
Cllr. Keith Doyle pointed out that the country did not have that many bank holidays, adding that one commemorating such an event was more important than most of the others.
His party colleague Cllr. Malcolm Byrne echoed this, saying that Ireland had fewer public holidays than most other European countries. He believed it should be considered for 2016.
He also responded to the earlier mention of the July 12 date, saying that such a move would suggest unity, though he admitted that he had no issue with April 25 either as it happened to correspond with his birthday, a comment that drew cooing from the other councillors.
The motion was carried following a show of hands vote.
