This project seeks to explore the impact of the Easter Rising and subsequent events in Irish political and cultural history through the lens of music. A symposium, funded by the Irish Research Council, was held at the RFMI in April 2015 during which several themes were explored including: musical cultures before, during and after the revolutionary years; music and the Great War, music and memory; music and politics, and composer responses to political change. A conference entitled ‘Music and Ireland: 1916 and Beyond’ will be held at the DIT Conservatory for Music and Drama in April 2016 to explore these and other themes further. Future plans include an edited volume with the working title of Sounds of a New State: Music in Ireland 1916 and Beyond. See here for the call for papers.
Lead Researcher: Dr Maria McHale
