Students Mark Easter Rising Centenary in Ireland

Nine Xavier students embarked on the trip of a lifetime last Thursday, March 3, as they traveled to Ireland to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising—one of the defining moments in the struggle for Irish independence.

Last fall, Irish Senator Mark Daly invited Xavier students to Ireland to receive an Irish tricolor as part of the Easter Rising Centenary Programme. On March 7, the Thomas F. Meagher Foundation, in partnership with the Irish Department of Arts and Heritage, presented tricolors that have flown from 33 The Mall in Waterford (where Meagher first flew the Irish flag) to secondary schools throughout Ireland and the world. Liam Fitzgibbon ’17 received the Irish tricolor on Xavier's behalf. Next week, members of Xavier's JROTC Regiment will carry the flag when they march in the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Xavier’s connection to Thomas Meagher is an interesting one. A Xavier alumnus saved Meagher’s life at the First Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War. After serving as governor of the Montana Territory, Meagher’s funeral was held in New York City at the Church of St. Francis Xavier.

In addition to the flag presentation, students (accompanied by Executive Vice President Dan Dougherty and Director of Annual Giving Shane Lavin '03) experienced an incredible amount of Irish history and culture during their journey, including Waterford’s Easter Rising reenactment; a Gaelic football match; visits to New Ross, the departure point for America for thousands of emigrants (including the ancestors of President John F. Kennedy), Kilmainham Gaol, Trinity College, Dublin’s Jesuit-run Belvedere College and Clongowes Wood College in Kildare, and Leinster House, seat of the Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament), where they were greeted by Sen. Daly himself.

To view photos of our delegation in Ireland, visit our Flickr album. A longer article about their journey will run in the summer edition of Xavier Magazine.