The Battle of Ashbourne Commemoration Committee
BOACC LIVING HISTORY FESTIVAL
APRIL 22nd and 23rd DONAGHMORE ASHBOURNE GAA CLUB BOACC Chairman Tola Collier interview on LMFM, April 10th, 2017
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The BOACC Ashbourne Living History Festival and Thomas Ashe Centenary Commemoration took place last weekend, 22 & 23 April, 2017. It was the largest assembly of historians and Living History Groups that Ashbourne or South Meath has ever seen. All of history was there including Vikings, Romans, Williamite and Jacobite soldiers, 1798 Redcoats, Wexford Pikemen and women, Irish Volunteers, RIC and Citizens Army officers and soldiers from WW1 and more modern times. In addition the festival featured unique exhibits on the struggle for Irish independence including the history of Mountjoy Jail, the Irish Volunteers, the Irish Citizen Army and the Irish War of Independence.
This year the festival was part of the Thomas Ashe Centenary and commemorated the life and tragic death of Thomas Ashe with re-enactments and displays all weekend and the screening of Tile Media’s ‘Fingal’s Finest’ on Saturday night. The film told the story of Thomas Ashe’s victory at the Battle of Ashbourne in 1916 and his death in 1917 on hunger strike for prisoner of war status. The festival continued on Sunday with more historical displays including a re-enactment of a battle from the Irish War of Independence. The battle featured an armoured car and vintage truck as well as Irish Volunteers, RIC, DMP and Black and Tans who fought each other in a spectacular battle with rifles and machine guns. The Festival concluded on Sunday afternoon with a parade and ceremony to honour the memory of Thomas Ashe. The parade featured a full national colour party provided by the Organisation of National Ex-service Personnel with a lone piper and an honour guard of Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army together with representatives of Meath’s sporting and cultural institutions. Thomas Ashe’s poem ‘’Let Me Carry Your Cross for Ireland Lord’’ was read by Béibhinn Collier and a firing party fired three volleys which were followed by a recital of Michael Collin’s graveside oration at Thomas Ashe’s funeral. A wreath was laid by Seán Boylan and Mick McGill on behalf of the people of Ashbourne and Meath in honour of Thomas Ashe and the wreath-laying was followed by the playing of the last post. The Chairman of BOACC, Tóla Collier, made a brief speech and the commemoration concluded with the National Anthem after which the parade marched off the field. BOACC would like to thank Lord Edwards Own, the Enniscorthy historical and re-enactment society, The Auld Brigade, Hands on History, Fingal Living History Society, the Irish Volunteers Commemorative Organisation, The Dublin Brigade Historical Society, St. John Ambulance Historical Society The Irish Military Vehicles Club, Fred Reed and Dominic Mulvany, Ashbourne Historical Society, Dominic Mcloughlin, The Organisation of National Ex-service personnel, Gordon Carroll, The OPW Battle of the Boyne Interpretative Centre, Tile Media, The 1916 Relatives Association, Irish Arms, Marcus Howard, Sean Reynolds and the Irish Prison Service. Donaghmore Ashbourne GAA Club, Dr Gabriel Doherty of UCC Noel French, Meath County Council, the Department of Arts Heritage Regional and Rural Affairs and all of our friends in History too numerous to mention. BOACC will continue to research and commemorate Irish History throughout the Decade of Centenaries. We look forward to meeting you at our growing list of events throughout the coming year and in Ashbourne again in 2018 |
BOACC Ashbourne Living History Festival and Thomas Ashe Ashbourne Centenary Commemoration 22nd & 23rd April 2017
Saturday 22nd April festival open to the public at 10:00 am
10:00 am: Official opening of festival.
10: 00 am: Living history showcase in the indoor arena, Military vehicles and vintage cars from the past 100 years in the outdoor display area.
11:30 am: 1st Display: Battle of the Boyne Display at the outdoor re-enactment area.
12.30 pm: Thomas Ashe history talks and lectures in the function room upstairs on first floor.
12:30 pm: Gabriel Doherty: ‘Political prisoners in Ireland 1877-1920: the public evolution of policy’
13:00 pm: Padraig Allen: St John Ambulance & the Easter Rising
13:30 pm: Noel French: 1916, Meath and more.
14:30 pm: Marcus Howard: The Louth Volunteers in the 1916 Rising
15:00 pm: Tóla Collier: Thomas Ashe and the Battle of Ashbourne 1916-1917
15:30 pm: 2nd Display, 1798 Rebellion skirmish on at the outdoor re-enactment area.
16:30 pm: Main arena and outdoor displays close.
17:00pm: Irish history on film in the function room upstairs on the first floor free but tickets must be obtained in advance from the BOACC stand in the indoor arena
Screening: Reel Women of 1916: Irish women in the 1916 Rising
Screening: Fingal’s Finest: Thomas Ashe and the Battle of Ashbourne 1916
Directors question and answer session.
19:15 pm: Closing speech & thanks
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Sunday 23rd April festival open to the public at 10:00 am
10: 00 am: Living history showcase in the indoor arena, Military vehicles and vintage cars from the past 100 years in the outdoor display area.
11:00-11.05 am: BOACC fire volleys to start Trad-Dash 5K and 10K Road Races.
13:20 pm: Living history showcase indoor arena closes for duration of main battle re-enactment reopens at 14:25 pm.
13:30 pm: Irish War of Independence main battle re-enactment on pitch number 3.
14:15 pm: Irish War of Independence battle re-enactment concludes.
14:25pm: Living history showcase in indoor arena reopens after Irish War of Independence battle re-enactment.
16:20 pm: Living history showcase indoor arena closes for final ceremony.
16:30 pm: Thomas Ashe centenary commemoration parade and ceremony on the main pitch at Donaghmore-Ashbourne GAA.
17:00 pm: Thomas Ashe centenary commemoration and festival concludes.
Saturday 22nd April festival open to the public at 10:00 am
10:00 am: Official opening of festival.
10: 00 am: Living history showcase in the indoor arena, Military vehicles and vintage cars from the past 100 years in the outdoor display area.
11:30 am: 1st Display: Battle of the Boyne Display at the outdoor re-enactment area.
12.30 pm: Thomas Ashe history talks and lectures in the function room upstairs on first floor.
12:30 pm: Gabriel Doherty: ‘Political prisoners in Ireland 1877-1920: the public evolution of policy’
13:00 pm: Padraig Allen: St John Ambulance & the Easter Rising
13:30 pm: Noel French: 1916, Meath and more.
14:30 pm: Marcus Howard: The Louth Volunteers in the 1916 Rising
15:00 pm: Tóla Collier: Thomas Ashe and the Battle of Ashbourne 1916-1917
15:30 pm: 2nd Display, 1798 Rebellion skirmish on at the outdoor re-enactment area.
16:30 pm: Main arena and outdoor displays close.
17:00pm: Irish history on film in the function room upstairs on the first floor free but tickets must be obtained in advance from the BOACC stand in the indoor arena
Screening: Reel Women of 1916: Irish women in the 1916 Rising
Screening: Fingal’s Finest: Thomas Ashe and the Battle of Ashbourne 1916
Directors question and answer session.
19:15 pm: Closing speech & thanks
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Sunday 23rd April festival open to the public at 10:00 am
10: 00 am: Living history showcase in the indoor arena, Military vehicles and vintage cars from the past 100 years in the outdoor display area.
11:00-11.05 am: BOACC fire volleys to start Trad-Dash 5K and 10K Road Races.
13:20 pm: Living history showcase indoor arena closes for duration of main battle re-enactment reopens at 14:25 pm.
13:30 pm: Irish War of Independence main battle re-enactment on pitch number 3.
14:15 pm: Irish War of Independence battle re-enactment concludes.
14:25pm: Living history showcase in indoor arena reopens after Irish War of Independence battle re-enactment.
16:20 pm: Living history showcase indoor arena closes for final ceremony.
16:30 pm: Thomas Ashe centenary commemoration parade and ceremony on the main pitch at Donaghmore-Ashbourne GAA.
17:00 pm: Thomas Ashe centenary commemoration and festival concludes.