Dr Brian Hughes, Associate Editor for the Letters of 1916 project, gave a talk at the “Grave matters: Death and Dying in Dublin” symposium at The Milestone Gallery, Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, on Saturday, 12 April 2014.
Organised by the Dublin City Research Group, the conference addressed the social, economic, legal and medical aspects of dying in Dublin 1500-2000:
Funeral rites and practices, expressions of grief, and symbols of death including sculptures and literary descriptions tell us a great deal about a society, its values and concerns. For centuries Dubliners have left very visible signs and monuments throughout the landscape that allow us to gain some understanding about their attitudes towards death. But how did these societies really cope with death, loss and grief?
Dr Brian Hughes, in his talk “Well may we be proud of him”: family responses to the deaths of the leaders of the 1916 rising presented us with many many interesting and moving family stories, some to be found in the letters from 1916.
Click on the pictures to view the full size photographs: