Exhibition on the life of Major John MacBride

THE wonderful exhibition on the life of Major John MacBride, entitled Snatch Up The Torch From The Slumbering Fire, opens at 8 p.m. on Wednesday (August 17) in Áras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet.

MacBride, born in Westport in 1868, and was executed on May 5, 1916, in Kilmainham Gaol, shortly after the Rising in Dublin.

He underwent two transformations during his short life of 48 years. The first saw an ordinary middle class shop worker with links to the Irish Republican Brotherhood transformed into a folk hero of the Transvaal. The second saw a middle ranking corporation employee transformed into a national hero following the Easter Rising of 1916.

This will be the first time that a major exhibition has been researched, curated and designed to honour MacBride and recognise his role in our history. It includes many rarely seen artefacts and images.

Among the items on display will be MacBride’s watch, his walking cane, his Sam Brown belt, his 'lucky' coin and rare photographs and letters. It also includes items relating to his wife, Maud Gonne, which have been generously loaned by Clew Bay Heritage Centre, who worked jointly with Mayo County Council on the exhibition.

This exhibition is an initiative of Mayo county library and heritage office, and is part of Mayo County Council’s 1916 commemoration programme. It was researched by Pauline Scott, with much assistance from historian Anthony Jordan, and is beautifully designed by Hugh Trayer. Mayo County Council also received assistance from the National Library, the National Museum, Dublin City Library, the Jacob's Archive, the Jackie Clarke Collection, Ireland.ie, and a number of private individuals.

The launch is open to the general public and will feature a talk by Anthony Jordan on the night.