Irish Times animated about the state of Irish education in 1916 after war exposes faultlines

February 4th, 1916

The Irish Times was animated about the state of Irish education in an editorial. The war had exposed faultlines and it cried out for reform.

“Our national and intermediate schools have not generated an enlightened patriotism, have not advanced our greatest national industry, have not trained our farmers to appreciate the economies of a world crisis, have not developed in the towns the crafts of either peace or war.”

The Irish Times was not, however, advocating for more money to be spent on Irish education. On the contrary: “Home Rule or no Home Rule, the expenditure on Irish education must be reduced drastically in the near future. Heavy taxation and other results of the war will make the reduction necessary and Irish boards and Irish schoolmasters who refuse to face the prospect are living in a fool’s paradise.”

A Sligo national school teacher was indicted under the Defence of the Realm Act for having a quantity of gelignite and small arms ammunition in his possession at Sligo railway station. Anthony McCabe was acquitted by a jury and, at the request of the Crown, was put back for trial on a second charge.

News reached Galway that a series of shooting outrages had been committed on Thursday night in the Lough George district. Four farmers' houses were riddled with shots. No reasons were given for the crimes in the Corofin district.

February 4th, 2016

A new exhibition features large-format prints of photographs of central Dublin by antiquarian Thomas Westropp in the aftermath of the Rising, including one of the ruins of the GPO taken from Nelson's Pillar.

Westropp was a man of independent means who had been involved in photography antiquities around Ireland. When the Rising broke out, he turned his attention to its aftermath.

Between May and June, he took at least 44 photographs of the damaged city. Sets are in the National Library, Trinity College and Royal Irish Academy.

In volume 10 of the albums of antiquarian photographs held in the Irish Architectural Archive, there are 24 photographs headed "Dublin after the Sinn Féin Rebellion". The exhibition runs until August 31st in the Architecture Gallery, Irish Architectural Archive, 45 Merrion Square, Dublin.

The gallery is open to the public from 10am-5pm, Tuesdays to Fridays. Admission is free.