1960s Timeline +
Cuimhneachán 1916: the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising
1965
In March 1965, Cuimhneachán 1916, a committee set up by the Government to organise ceremonies for the fiftieth anniversary of the Easter Rising, sought the advice of the Arts Council on various proposals to commemorate the event:
- An exhibition of books relating to the Republican movement from 1791 onwards (the year of the founding of the Society of United Irishmen).
- A special commemorative medal for presentation to survivors, based on Ivan Mestrovic’s design for Saorstát Eireann coins.
- The production of ‘souvenir badges’ with a suitable design for the occasion.
In their reply, the Arts Council approved of the inclusion of the exhibition of books relating to the Republican movement and advised the committee to commission one of the following artists, Oisin Kelly, Gerda Fromel, Werner Schurman or Micheal Biggs, for the special commemorative medal. The Council also informed the committee that they were willing to organise a competition for the design of badges and ‘meet from their funds the cost of organising it, including advertising’. This suggestion was accepted by the committee who asked the Arts Council to proceed with the competition. The competition and prizes were advertised in the press, in August 1965:
A first prize of £100, a second prize of £50, a third prize of £25 and subsidiary prizes of £10 to other competitors whose work is recommended by the judges.
43 competitors submitted their designs of badges to the Arts Council by the closing date of 15 October 1965. They were subsequently examined by the adjudicators of the competition, Director Father Donal O’Sullivan and Council members Michael Scott and Dr C.S. Andrews.
On the 28 October 1965, the Arts Council informed the committee of the judges’ decision:
The general standard was poor, and they were firmly of the opinion that they could not recommend any of the designs for a prize. [… ] Your Committee should directly commission an artist to design a badge and they have suggested the following artists for your consideration, Oisin Kelly, Louis Le Brocquy, Patrick Scott or Gerda Fromel.
However, a design by Una Watters entitled An Claiomh Solasis No.1 deemed ‘the best of a bad lot’ by the judges, was subsequently accepted by the committee.
Archive material: 15 items
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![Letter from Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, Secretary to the Office of Public Works to the Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/001_50thAnn.jpg "Letter from Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, Secretary to the Office of Public Works to the Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]")
![Letter from Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, Secretary to the Office of Public Works to the Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/002_50thAnn.jpg "Letter from Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, Secretary to the Office of Public Works to the Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]")
![Letter from Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, Secretary of the Office of Public Works to the Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/004_50thAnn.jpg "Letter from Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, Secretary of the Office of Public Works to the Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]")
![Letter from Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, Secretary of the Office of Public Works to Mervyn Wall, Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/005_50thAnn.jpg "Letter from Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, Secretary of the Office of Public Works to Mervyn Wall, Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]")
![Letter from Piaras Mac Lochlainn, Office of Public Works, to Mervyn Wall, Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/010_50thAnn.jpg "Letter from Piaras Mac Lochlainn, Office of Public Works, to Mervyn Wall, Secretary of the Arts Council. [Letter reproduced courtesy of the Office of Public Works]")
![Irish Press article entitled, 'Will not see people wearing her badge'. [Copyright courtesy of the Irish Press].](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/016_50thAnn.jpg "Irish Press article entitled, 'Will not see people wearing her badge'. [Copyright courtesy of the Irish Press].")
![Regulations [continued] (Page 4 of 10)](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/021_50thAnn.jpg "Regulations [continued] (Page 4 of 10)")
![List of competitions [continued] (Page 6 of 10)](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/023_50thAnn.jpg "List of competitions [continued] (Page 6 of 10)")
![List of competitions [continued] (Page 7 of 10)](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/024_50thAnn.jpg "List of competitions [continued] (Page 7 of 10)")
![Painting [continued], Sculpture (Page 9 of 10)](http://archivestories.artscouncil.ie/wp-content/gallery/1966-50th Anniversary of 1916/026_50thAnn.jpg "Painting [continued], Sculpture (Page 9 of 10)")
Detail from the 1916 Commemoration, Literature, Music and Art Competition booklet cover