One of the original proclamations of the Irish Republic posted around Dublin on this day in 1916 was unveiled at the General Post Office (GPO) in O’Connell Street today.
|
|
The Proclamation of the Irish Republic on display at the GPO. An Post chief executive Mr John Hynes and the company's heritage director Mr Stephen Ferguson look on
|
The rare copy, acquired by An Post last year, was unveiled by the company’s chief executive Mr John Hynes at ceremony timed to coincide with the 86th anniversary of the Easter Rising. The document will be on permanent public display at the GPO’s philatelic shop.
Read from the steps of the GPO on Easter Monday 1916, the provisional government of the Irish Republic proclaimed the "right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland". The proclamation was read out by Padraig Pearse and signed by Eamonn Ceannt, Thomas Clarke, James Connolly, Sean Mac Diarmada, Thomas MacDonagh, Padraig Pearse and Joseph Plunkett.
They were all later executed.
The proclamation was drawn up at the old Liberty Hall on Easter Sunday and delivered for printing later that day with around 2,500 being made.
|
|
A magnifying glass shows the typographical discrepancy in the letter ‘E’
|
When the document was originally printed the press was dilapidated, the paper quality poor and there was a shortage of type, which led to several fonts being used. There was also a particular shortage of the letter ‘e’, which led to some impressive improvisation.
For instance, on the fifth line of the Proclamation, what looks like a capital E is a capital F with bottom leg made from sealing wax added on.
On the top left corner is a hand-written inscription: "Found in Easter 1916 by John Phillips". His identity is not known but it is thought he was member of the Irish Citizen Army.
The document is not only of historical importance and typographical interest but is also considered a radical proclamation of civil rights with the declaration of women’s right to vote being particularly prescient.
"The display of the proclamation is a significant addition to the history of this great building. The connection between the document and the building is striking," Mr Hynes said today.
"It is estimated that around 20 original copies have survived. There are about a dozen or so of these known, held in public libraries and the like. But there are some others held in private collections, the exact amount is not known," Mr Stephen Ferguson, Heritage Director at An Post said.
An Post paid around €25,000 for the copy at auction last December. Another copy recently fetched in excess of €25,000.