OConnell Street destruction, after the Easter Rising (1916)
RSU Public TV, the Tulsa chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Irish Club of Tulsa are hosting a watch party for the premiere and first episode of “1916-The Irish Rebellion” that is debuting on the station Sunday evening.
The screening will be held 6-8:30 p.m., Sunday, April 24 at the American Legion Post 1, 11328 E Admiral Place in Tulsa. Before the show airs at 7 p.m., there will Irish food for sale, music and commemorative ceremony.
Narrated by acclaimed actor and Irish native Liam Neeson, “1916-The Irish Rebellion” commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Uprising, an event that led to the establishment of an independent Irish State and, indirectly, to the breakup of the British Empire. During the rebellion, a small group of Irish rebels—including poets, teachers, actors, and workers—took on the might of the British Empire.
Although defeated militarily, the men and women of the Easter Rising would soon win a moral victory —with their actions leading to the creation of an independent Irish state and contributing to the eventual disintegration of the British Empire. Known as the Irish Uprising, the events of that day inspired countless freedom struggles throughout the world—from Ireland to India.
Each of the three 60-minute episodes features a combination of rarely seen archival footage, new segments filmed on location worldwide and interviews with leading international experts – elements that help to place these events in their proper historical, political, and cultural context as the precursor to an independent Irish state and the disintegration of colonial empires worldwide.
The show debuts at 7 p.m. on RSU Public TV, and Parts 2 and 3 of the series will air on the following nights.
Part One: Awakening
Sunday, April 24, 7 p.m.
This episode traces events in Ireland and abroad leading to the preparations for the Rising. The themes and events covered include the rise of cultural nationalism, the re-emergence of the separatist physical force tradition, the contested traditions of nationalism and unionism, the rise of organized labor, the role of women, the role of Irish America and the influence of the diaspora and international political movements.
Part Two: Insurrection
Monday, April 25, 7 p.m.
Episode two tells the dramatic story of the Rising itself; the way in which the clandestine and separatist Irish Republican Brotherhood infiltrated the Irish Volunteer Movement; the attempt to secure assistance from Britain’s enemy Germany; the arrest of Roger Casement and the botched gun-running off the coast of Ireland immediately before the Rising; the confusion surrounding the order and countermand for a call up of the Irish Volunteers on Easter Sunday; British Intelligence awareness of what was planned and an apparent lack of readiness to tackle what happened on Easter Monday.
Part Three: When Myth and History Rhyme
Tuesday, April 26, 7:00 p.m.
The concluding episode details the aftermath and response to the Rising in Ireland and abroad. The initial reaction of many Dubliners to the Rising gave way to a grudging respect that grew exponentially with the British response. The rebellion, while ostensibly a failure, created the conditions for a national revolution and changed the course of Irish history.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America is an Irish-Catholic Fraternal Organization founded in New York City in 1836. The Order can trace its roots back to a parent organization of the same name, which had existed in Ireland for over 300 years. The AOH in America was founded on May 4, 1836 at New York’s St. James Church, to protect the clergy and church property from the “Know Nothings” and their followers. Later the vast influx of Irish immigrants fleeing The Great Hunger, An Górta Mór, in Ireland, in the late 1840’s, prompted a growth of social societies in the United States to aid these refugees
For additional information about the screening or the event, contact Jennifer Sterling, manager of content and community engagement at 918-343-7882.