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Dublin - Event Notice Thursday January 01 1970 Sale of historical artifacts
dublin |
history and heritage |
event notice
Tuesday April 11, 2006 14:28 by Joe
Protest- Wed 12th- 11:30-Adams and Sons- St Stephens Green
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Jump To Comment: 1Well done Joe on organising this. Here is a letter I sent today to the Irish Times:
11 April 2006
Dear Editor,
When I read that one of the offerings in the 'Independence' sale, which includes an original draft of the national anthem, is "The Tricolour believed to have flown over the GPO during the 1916 Rising," I couldn't believe my eyes. It is astounding that these and 281 other precious mementos, belonging to our shared national heritage, would be sold of for such a paltry sum of approximately one million euros, instead of being purchased by the State. (11 April)
The "Irish history sale" is symbolic of the current attitude of this State towards our national heritage. Everything is for sale. Every inch of land, from shore to shore, no matter how consecrated, has a price. Historical sites, graveyards, buildings, artefects, and national symbols of every description are up for auction, to the highest bidder. And the largest seller, rather than purchaser, is the State.
What self-respecting State can spend 9 million euros a day on roads, and not even 1 million for its own family heirlooms? Instead of seeking to link us with our past, there is a sense that we are being separated from it.
One million euros is also the amount of money currently being committed to the National Heritage Plan by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, set up under the Heritage Act of 2002. This is to be divided approximately 26 times, with each local authority getting 50,000 euros, to preserve, restore, and promote the county's heritage. The Act, earmarked 12 million euros, but the money was never allocated.
With the sale of publicly owed lands bringing in hundreds of millions of euros, perhaps a restriction should be placed on money earned, to ensure that a certain amount is spent preserving and purchasing other sites and objects of undeniable national importance?
Sincerely,
Vincent Salafia
TaraMac