"Relative" exhibition Benburb Street

"Relative" is an exhibition of photographs displayed on Benburb Street between Blackhall Place and Collins Barracks which featues 19 photographs of men and women of the 1916 Four Courts Garrison along with photos of their descendants. It runs from March to December 2016 and was developed by the Complex arts organisation with assistance from the 1916 Four Courts Garrison relatives and commissioned by the Law Society of Ireland.

‘Paddy Holahan, grandson of Patrick Holahan, one of the volunteer leaders, contacted The Complex to collaborate on an artistic piece for the relatives of the 1916 Fourcourts Volunteers. We responded with this concept of photographs, showing a living relative alongside a volunteer, revealing the emancipation of the living relative, achieved by the brave actions of the volunteer. It was generously commissioned in partnership with the Law Society of Ireland’.

Vanessa Fielding, Artistic Director, the Complex

"Relative" exhibition, Benburb Street

‘The location of the exhibition is significant to the Rising. On Easter Monday 1916, Commandant Edward Daly mustered the 1st Battalion of the Irish Volunteers at Blackhall Street. They proceeded to occupy key buildings and construct barricades to control the streets west of O’Connell Street. Their centre of operations was Church Street and over three hundred Irish Volunteers, Cumann na mBan and Fianna Éireann took part. Some of the fiercest fighting of the Easter Rising took place along North King Street with many British, rebel and civilian casualties. The rebels surrendered at the Four Courts on Saturday 29th under the instruction of Patrick Pearse. A company of men separated from the main battalion surrendered on Sunday 30th.’

Paddy Holahan

The exhibition will run from March until December 2016. For more information see here.

Maria Dwane photographed with her grand uncle John Dwan, one of the 19 photographs in the "Relative" outdoor photo project on Benburb Street.

John Dwan, 1 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin, was educated in Richmond Street School and was later employed in the Railway works at Inchicore.

He was a member of the Irish Volunteers from the beginning. He was also a member of the Pioneer Temperance Association. John Dwan fought in 1916 as part of the Four Court's Garrison under Commandant Edward Daly.

John Dwan was aged 25 when he died whilst flighting for Ireland's freedom during Easter Rising 1916. His brother James Dwan was in WW1 as a member of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.