Lusk 1916 Memorial

The Lusk 1916 Memorial stands on the Village Green in honour of the men and women of Lusk and North County Dublin who took part in the 1916 Easter Rising.

Developed and built by Lusk Community Council with the financial support of Lusk Community Council, Fingal County Council, and the local community. It was created to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising and formally dedicated on 24 September 2016.

At the centre of the memorial is the complete text of the 1916 Proclamation, carved into panels of Kilkenny Blue limestone. The stonework was produced by McKeon Stone at its workshop in Stradbally, County Laois.

Lusk and the Easter Rising

Lusk and the surrounding area played an important role during Easter Week 1916. Volunteers from Lusk served with the Fingal Battalion of the Irish Volunteers under Commandant Thomas Ashe. While activity outside Dublin city was limited in many areas, the Fingal Volunteers conducted a sustained campaign across North County Dublin and achieved one of the most significant rebel victories of the Rising at the Battle of Ashbourne.

Thomas Ashe also had strong personal connections with Lusk. He taught at Corduff National School, was active in the Gaelic League and helped to establish the Black Raven Pipe Band. During his time in the area, he became part of a thriving network of cultural, sporting and nationalist activity from which the Fingal Volunteers emerged.

The Proclamation

The memorial's principal inscription is the complete text of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, which begins:

"Irishmen and Irishwomen: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom."

The Proclamation was read by Patrick Pearse outside Dublin's General Post Office on 24 April 1916. It declared an independent Irish Republic and promised religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities for all citizens.

By displaying the full Proclamation, the Lusk monument serves not only as a memorial to the events and participants of 1916, but also as a lasting reminder of the principles expressed in that historic document.

Created through the shared efforts of local residents, the memorial continues Lusk's strong tradition of community cooperation. It provides a permanent place for remembrance, reflection and commemorations connected with the Easter Rising and Thomas Ashe.