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The centennial of the Bloody Sunday massacre at Croke Park has been commemorated in a moving ceremony at the stadium tonight.
Resident Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Micheál Martin were greeted at the site by GAA President John Horan and GAA CEO Tom Ryan.
Brendan Gleeson delivered a moving prayer from Hill 16. As the actor read aloud each of the 14 names of the victims, a torch was lit in his memory.
Mr. Gleeson, in a moving speech in which he named each of the 14 victims, stated: “Tonight we remember each victim and honor the pain their families have borne throughout the decades. We keep the memory of your loved ones close, bringing them to life again through the sharing of their stories.
“They return to live in the stadium in the 10-year-old boy excited by the prospect of a day in Croke Park, in the couple in love at a football game holding hands, lost in the game and with each other.
“They live again in the young people who make their trip to Croke Park part of a long weekend adventure, they live in the old ones by going to the games following the tradition that was handed down to them.
“They are our family, our friends, our people.”
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MC Brendan Gleeson talks about one of the 14 Bloody Sunday victims during the GAA Bloody Sunday Centennial Commemoration at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus / Sportsfile
SPORTS ARCHIVE
President Higgins laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Ireland in honor of the 14 innocent people who lost their lives when security forces opened fire on people attending a football match between Dublin and Tipperary on November 21, 1920 .
The crown was placed on the field spot where Tipperary player Michael Hogan was fatally shot.
Mr. Horan and Mr. Ryan also placed flower crowns.
Composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire performed his musical composition ‘More Than A Game’ on Hill 16.
The ceremony took place before the Leinster Senior Football final between Dublin and Meath. The Dublin team wore commemorative centenary shirts with the names of the 14 victims.
A statement issued on behalf of President Higgins also referred to the killings of British intelligence officers and military officers that same day in Dublin, as well as the ensuing massacre in Croke Park.
He stated that the death of 32 people that day, including three children, was a reminder “of the hard-won peace to which we have grown accustomed and the consequences that flow from the abuse of power and the failure of diplomacy and politics. “.
“People of different origins on the island can reflect on Bloody Sunday in different ways. We must respect this and be open to different perspectives, and encourage hospitality for these different narratives, ”he said.
Having the courage to honestly remember past events will help you take responsibility for a shared and peaceful future together, he said.
Earlier today, Dublin City Councilor Nial Ring placed a wreath near the stadium where his grandfather Joseph Ring helped carry Joe Traynor, one of the spectators who was fatally shot.
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