Advent in the Archives - 22nd December

Today's item comes from the Prionsias Mac an Bheatha collection (G40) from the James Hardiman Library Archives. A full description of the collection is at http://www.calmhosting01.com/NUIG/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=G40 and it reflects his interests in the Irish language, his work in Irish language journalism, as well as his interest in northern writers in Irish and the trade union movement. This particular item, a Christmas card from Eamon de Valera as President of the Republic, is interesting because of its date 1965.

 

It is interesting in another way too. The image for such Christmas cards has always been the usual season's greetings, but the image this year reflected the fact that the following year would be the fiftieth anniversary of the Rising.

It is perhaps fitting, on the year that sees the 100th commemoration of the Dublin Insurrection, that we have a Christmas card from the last surviving Commandant of that Rising.