Rebellion remembered: P.E.I. lecture series explores Easter Rising

A long-running P.E.I. lecture series on Irish history has a new focus this fall, paying tribute to the 100th anniversary of Ireland's Easter Rising.

The Island'sBenevolent Irish Society (BIS) has dedicated itsentire fall lecture series to the 1916 rebellion, whichhas come to be remembered and celebrated as a moment of national sacrifice.

At the time, the uprisingended in failure and death, but it eventually paved the way for independence.

George O'Connor, the president of the BIS, said the group has been offering the series for 30 years now, with the aim ofpreserving and promoting Irish history on the island.

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"There's not a lot of history in the schools generally and there certainly isn't a whole lot of Irish history," he told CBC Radio's Mainstreet P.E.I.

"If we're going to criticize in that regard, we better do something positive. We thought the lecture series would be very positive to do."

'General war of independence'

He said the Easter Rising incident marks a significant moment in Ireland's history and felt it warranted thefull fledged focus of an entire lecture series.

O'Connor said the uprising led to a "general war of indepedence."

"I think the people the poets, the intellectuals and so on those interested in the Irish language, culture and heritage felt that it was time to make a statement," he said.

Each of the lectures being offered focus ona different aspect of the rebellion, from literature to music. Here are the remaining topics being covered:

• The Women's Rising (Nov. 7)
• Politicizing The Folk: Gaelic Identities In The Founding of an Independent Ireland (Nov. 14)
• Recalling The Rising l'europene; Presenting George Morrison's Films Mise ire and Saoirse (Nov. 21)
• "A Terrible Beauty'A literary tour through the 'High Words'on the Easter Rising (Nov. 28)
• The Music Of The Rising (Dec. 5)

The series takes place at the Edward Whelan Irish Cultural Centre on North River Road in Charlottetown, with all talks startingat 7:30 p.m.

O'Connor said everyone is invited, whether they are a part of the society or not.

"You don't have to be Irish, you don't have to have a bit of Irish in you, you just have to be generally interested in history," he said.

"If you also happen to be interested in Irish history, that's a bonus as well."

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