Elaine Byrne: Seanad’s centenary gives us the opportunity to celebrate our shared history
Sixteen southern unionists were appointed to the Seanad in 1922 by WT Cosgrave, giving a voice to minorities not represented in the Dáil, and bringing maturity in the form of amendments to major pieces of legislation
Despite the passage of time, Ireland still finds it difficult to commemorate contentious aspects of its past.
President Michael D Higgins caused controversy last September when he declined an invitation to a church service to mark Northern Ireland’s centenary.
The board of the Dublin Cemeteries Trust made the decision earlier his month to discontinue the memorial wall at Glasnevin Cemetery. The names of all those who died in the Irish revolution, including British soldiers killed ...
