Congressman Richard Neal, chair of the congressional friends of Ireland was the guest of honour at the permanent exhibition of the Irish flag at the GPO Museum on Monday 23rd May, where he unveiled the replica plaque of the Irish proclamation as installed inside the Washington monument.
THE IRISH PLAQUE AND THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT
The commemorative plaque from the people of Ireland is comprised of a replica of the 1916 proclamation and refers to Thomas F. Meagher as the embodiment of the links between Ireland and the United States of America. The plaque acknowledges that he fought for the ideals of both nations and created the national flag of Ireland which was raised again during the 1916 rising and it’s message of peace and unity he intended for the Irish flag to represent.
In September 2019 congressman Richard Neal ensured that this plaque from the President of Ireland was placed within the Washington Monument. This was a unique honour, as it was the first plaque to be placed within the monument at that time since 1982.
In 2018, the foundation in partnership with An Post and the GPO Museum, installed the first ever permanent exhibition on the Irish flag. The exhibition on the Irish flag sits in the GPO Museum which was first opened in 2016 as a flagship project to commemorate the 1916 easter rising. The museum tells the story of modern Irish history from early 1900’s to present time. Students and visitors learn not only about the pivotal moment in Irish history of the 1916 easter rising but also the Irish war of independence, Irish civil war and the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Manager of the GPO Museum Aline Fitzgerald commented “It is a great honour to welcome Congressman Richard Neal and the delegation from the US House of Representatives, US Ambassador of Ireland – Ambassador Cronin to the museum today. Acknowledged as a centre for peace and reconciliation, it is fitting that we include the replica of the commemorative plaque within our exhibition on the Irish flag. We are grateful to the Thomas F. Meagher Foundation for their continued partnership.”
