Easter Rising exhibition opens in Athlone Library

A major exhibition opened today (Wednesday) in the Aidan Heavey Public Library in Athlone as part of the Centenary Programme for Westmeath 2016.

Running until March 12 next, 'A Terrible Beauty is Born’ deals with the national figures of the Rising including the seven signatories of the Proclamation and the nine others who were executed during 1916.

It’s the first of two library exhibitions focusing on the Rising. A second exhibition - 'Ripples in the Rockpool’ - will be launched in April.

This will focus on the Westmeath connections to the Rising and if readers have material they feel might be suitable for display during this exhibition they should contact Gearoid O’Brien in Athlone Library with details.

The current 'A Terrible Beauty is Born’ exhibition includes rare material from the Library Collection including a half-sheet of the original printing of the Proclamation and a conjuring book which once belonged to Thomas Clarke.

The exhibition also features a number of gems from the Aidan Heavey Collection.

Aidan Heavey (1927-2015) had a particular interest in the history and literature of the Easter Rising and the exhibition will include several unique items: books and memorabilia relating to such figures as Padraig Pearse, Roger Casement, Thomas MacDonagh, Eamonn Ceannt and Joseph Mary Plunkett.

One particularly poignant item is a copy of Joseph Plunkett’s poetry collection 'The Circle and the Sword’ which he inscribed to his fiancée, Grace Gifford, and is dated New Year 1916.