Speech at the unveiling of the Tom Clarke Bridge
Dublin, 3rd May 2016
Is mór an pléisiúir dom a bheith anseo ar maidin chun Droichead Thomáis Uí Chléirigh a athainmniú. Is mian liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le Brendan Kenny as cuireadh a thabhairt dom páirt a ghlacadh san ócáid seo, agus libhse ar fad as an fíorchaoin fáilte sin.
[It is a great pleasure to be here this morning at the official naming of the Tom Clarke Bridge. I would like to thank Brendan Kenny for inviting me to take part in this event, and all of you for that generous welcome.]
I am delighted that we are joined by members of the Clarke family, the Tom Clarke Memorial Committee and members and officials of Dublin City Council.
In recent weeks we have, as a nation, been reflecting on the Proclamation of 1916, the idealism that inspired it, and the great debt of gratitude we owe to the many brave men and women who offered their lives in order that Ireland could become a free and independent state.
The names of the leaders of the 1916 Rising are written indelibly into the history books of Ireland. Some of them have also been immortalised in the names of Dublin streets and buildings, becoming embedded into the daily lives of thousands of citizens as they go about their normal business.
Today the name of Tom Clarke, the first signatory to the Proclamation, will join that honourable roll call. It is, perhaps, an honour that many would consider overdue. There can be no doubt that he is a figure that links the revolutionary generations.
Tom Clarke stands alongside figures like O'Donovan Rossa, John Devoy, and Robert Emmet. He also symbolises the integration of the variety of experiences of prison; exile; return; IRB, Volunteer and military action, finally of course leading to his execution. When names such as Patrick Pearse, James Connolly and Joseph Plunkett spring to mind in recalling the seismic events of that Easter week of 1916, we should always remember that Tom Clarke is the connection to the previous generation and the Irish across the Atlantic.
Kathleen Clarke is symbolic of those widows who, while suffering great loss, turned their efforts into providing relief for others and continuing a struggle for equality.
Tom Clarke has rightfully been described as one of the key architects of the Easter Rising.
Born in England in 1857 to Irish parents, Tom Clarke joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood as a young man and thereafter devoted his life to the liberation of Ireland from British rule.
Clarke’s road to the Rising was not an easy one, requiring much sacrifice and hardship; but it was a road defined by great resilience and determination as he resolutely proceeded in the direction of an independent Ireland. Having gone to New York as a young man he joined Clan na nGael and became active in their campaign for Irish independence. He was arrested in London in 1883. He endured many years of harsh imprisonment and was later to describe his time in prison as an ‘earthly hell’, adding that:
“the horror of those nights and days will never leave my memory”.
He remained, however, committed in his resolve to strike against the British Empire. He spent some further years in America after his release from prison and returned to Ireland in 1908 with the intention of initiating an armed insurrection.
Because of his criminal convictions, Tom Clarke maintained a low profile back in his home country. He sought a tactical rather than a visible presence amongst the revolutionaries who dreamt and spoke of a new Ireland in the years leading up to the Rising. His was, however, a profoundly influential presence, one of planning and pragmatism, as he played a key role in the revitalisation of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
His tobacconists shop was a centre for the exchange of intelligence and not only among those of the IRB. Photographs show advertisements for literature and pamphlets in both English and Irish on display. It was closely watched by British Intelligence, yet business continued, the business of preparing for a Rising.
Later, Tom Clarke would stand beside Patrick Pearse in front of the GPO during that iconic moment when the Proclamation was read aloud for the very first time on the twenty fourth of April 1916.
Following the Rising, Tom Clarke faced death bravely. The actions of 1916 gave, he believed, hope for a future Ireland of freedom and great possibility. He, and all of the leaders of 1916, died sharing a vision of a brave new Ireland; a nation rooted in courage, vision and a profound spirit of generous humanity.
As we continue to commemorate the centenary of the Easter Rising, we are invited to continue the work of building a Republic of which our founders would be proud; to seek to achieve the unfulfilled promises of the past as we imagine, together, new possibilities for our present and collective future.
For thirty-two years this bridge has served Dublin well; providing a vital link between the north and south sides of our capital city. It is greatly apt that a structure so strongly symbolic of unity, connection and the overcoming of obstacles be named after the committed, determined and inspirational Tom Clarke, a man who dedicated his entire adult life to the vision of a liberated and just Ireland.
Mar fhocal scoir, is mian liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le Coiste Cuimhneachán Thomáis Uí Chléirigh agus le Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath as Droichead an Nascbhóthair Thoir a athainmniú. Molaim sibh as bhur gcinneadh aitheantas atá thar ré a thabhairt don laochra mór agus don ceannaire Tomás Ó Cléirigh. Is mian liom chomh maith buíochas a ghabháil libh ar fad atá bailithe i gcuimhne ar Tomás Ó Cléirigh, fear a bhfuilimíd ar fad faoi chomaoin aige.
[May I conclude by thanking the Tom Clarke Memorial Committee and Dublin City Council for the renaming of the East Link Bridge. I commend you for choosing to honour a great hero and leader for whom recognition is long overdue. I also thank all those who have gathered here today in memory of Tom Clarke, a man to whom our nation is so indebted.]
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.