After a 20 year wait a memorial to the leaders of the Rising is to be erected in Mayo.
Commemoration committee members Des Prendergast, Tom Keane and Coleman O'Raghallaigh speak to reporter Colm Connolly.
In 1966 a committee comprising of sixty four people asked sculptor Edward Delaney, a native of Claremorris, to create a memorial for the town square. The bronze monument containing a cross for each person killed in the rising was erected but the following January the monument was blown down by strong winds. It was decided to try to rebuild it but there were lack of funds. The remains of the memorial stood in the town square for 20 years. Throughout the years several committees had been established with the mission to reinstate the sculpture but with no success.
Des Prendergast finally came up with a design to cover the original Edward Delaney work. At last Claremorris is to have its 1966 Golden Jubilee Memorial officially unveiled in 1986.
We feel that 1916 should not be forgotten
The long overdue unveiling will take place on Easter Monday 1986.
This RTÉ News report by Colm Connolly was broadcast on 24 March 1986.
