Today was a very special day in our school as like every other school throughout the country we celebrated the centenary of the 1916 Rising. We raised the national flag which had earlier been delivered to us by the Defence Forces and we read out the “Proclamation for a New Generation” which we had written especially for the occasion. It was lovely to see our national flag fluttering under a bright blue sky and we are grateful to our parents and family members who came to celebrate this special day with us.
Proclamation for a new Generation
from the children of St. Joseph’s N.S., of the Irish Republic to the People of Ireland
One hundred years after the Easter Rising, we remember and honour the men, women and children who bravely fought and died in the past to secure our freedom.
We express our great pride in our country and we acknowledge and appreciate the progress we have made over the last century.
We are proud to be Irish and we pledge ourselves to work towards the promotion of our Irish language, games, traditions and customs but we are aware that though we wish to promote our “Irishness” we must also acknowledge the language, traditions and customs of others.
Remembering our struggles in the past for equal rights, equal opportunities and religious and civil liberty, we will peacefully join in the global fight against poverty, hunger, discrimination, inequality and war.
Within our own country, we pledge ourselves to work towards an educational and healthcare system which is equally accessible to all our citizens.
We accept all families, religions, races, cultures and opinions and we will be a voice for all those who suffer injustice of any kind in our country.
We mention especially the plight of those who are homeless and we urge our government to work towards providing a proper home to all those who reside within our country.
We appreciate the beautiful world which we have inherited and we will endeavour to reduce our “carbon footprint” so that our world may be enjoyed by countless future generations.
We, the children of St. Joseph’s National School, represent the future. In unity with children and adults everywhere, we can create a world dominated by peace, harmony, respect, tolerance and love.
Signed on behalf of St. Joseph’s N.S.