The Decade of Renewal: How the past allows us take stock of the present

‘The Decade of Renewal’ is the title of a series of talks at Cork City Library, talks that organiser Johnny Hanrahan, of creative projects company, ‘Chameleon,’ describes as a communal taking stock. City librarian, Liam Ronayne, has a long-term library project entitled ‘History is to Blame,’ also examining the relevance of Ireland’s period of rebellion.

“It’s almost identical in ethos to what Liam has conceived,” says Hanrahan. “Our mutual concern is the ‘Decade of Commemoration’, from 1913 to 1923. But the word ‘commemoration’ suggests being at a distance from events. Many people that I’ve spoken to feel that now is a golden opportunity for us, as a nation, to reflect on the revolution, the counter-revolution that followed it, and the many contortions we’ve been through over the last 100 years. It’s a good time to take stock, particularly after the last five years.”

Hanrahan describes the energy of the Celtic Tiger years as “naive and almost the equivalent of a teenage break-out. Now, a more mature thought process should be applied to who we are and where we’re going.”