One of the greatest gaps in ceremonies commemorating the Rising is recent years was the lack of certainty about the Irish language version of the proclamation. The leaders of the Rising didn’t produce a version in Irish themselves, but there are several in circulation, and indeed several translations have been used publicly over the years.
Feedback from the public made it clear to us that a satisfactory Irish language version of the Proclamation that could be used in commemorative events was not available, despite the great interest the 1916 leaders had in the Irish language, and the central role the Irish language played in the events which culminated in Easter Week 1916.
During the year, Conradh na Gaeilge called on the public to assist us in resolving this situation and asked for their input in providing a satisfactory translation of one of the most important founding documents of the state in the south.
The various versions and suggestions from the public were reviewed by a panel of experts from all over Ireland, who in turn crafted a new, authoritative version of the Easter Proclaimation in Irish. The results of their combined efforts can seen on the image above, and this Irish-language version is now available to the public via our bookshop An Siopa Leabhar here
