Rare copy of 1916 Proclamation to go on public display at UCC

Liam and Kaye Cronin who have gifted University College Cork with a first-issue copy of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. This copy of the Proclamation has an impeccable provenance, known to have been brought directly from the General Post Office during Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rising. Pictures: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

A rare copy of the 1916 Proclamation which can be traced directly to the General Post Office (GPO) during the Easter Rising has been gifted to University College Cork (UCC) and is set to go on public display.

The first issue copy of the historic document has been donated by Liam and Kaye Cronin, who are originally from Cork. 

Mr Cronin – who grew up on Gillabbey St, just yards from UCC, and who moved to London where he built a hugely successful clothing importing business with operations in Europe and the US – said it was originally in his will that he would bequeath the document, which hung for 23 years in their home, Seafield House in Dublin, to UCC along with some other items.

"But I decided when I sold Seafield House that I would hand it over while I was still standing. And to see it now on display in UCC, well, it's a lot better doing it now than being in the box," he said.

"I am sharing it, and ensuring the longevity of the document. It's going to be here, on the walls, for maybe 200 years. 

"And it's rather apt that it be in Cork, the strongest republican county. Trinity, UCD, and Galway had a copy, so we've put that right and we were happy to do it.

I would encourage people to be philanthropic while they are alive. 

"You get wonderful satisfaction, you can see your generosity in reality, and the reaction to it here stunned me and my wife. We always respected the document greatly, but here the excitement was fantastic."

Maeve McTaggart reading the Proclamation at the exhibit launch in the Glucksman Gallery, UCC.

The Proclamation of Irish independence was composed by Pádraig Pearse, with some changes and amendments made by James Connolly and Thomas MacDonagh.

While a print run of 2,500 copies was planned, printing difficulties meant that no more than 1,000 copies were printed in Liberty Hall on Easter Sunday, 1916.

It was read from the steps of the GPO on O’Connell St on Easter Monday morning by Pearse. 

The document was printed on an old Wharfdale Double-Crown printing machine by Christopher Brady, who found it hard to ink the type evenly and the rollers refused to maintain even pressure, with the result that nearly all copies show much smudging in some parts and faint printing in others.

The UCC copy has impeccable provenance and is known to have been brought directly from the GPO during the Rising by Richard Gogan, who was a stretcher-bearer for the wounded James Connolly.

Gogan, who came from a strongly republican family, joined the volunteers at the age of 14, and was reputedly the youngest member of the GPO garrison during the 1916 Rising.

He was later a founder member of Fianna Fáil, and a TD for Dublin North West from 1954 to 1977. He died in 1982.

The Cronins came into possession of the document in 1998 through Éamonn de Búrca who is considered one of the world’s leading dealers in Irish antiquarian books and manuscripts.

Crónán O Doibhlin, the head of collections at UCC Library, said it's believed that about 50 to 60 copies exist today, with about half in public institutions and the other half in private collections.

The Cronins have also gifted €500,000 to support students, at undergraduate and PhD level, from under-represented socio-economic backgrounds, through the Daniel and Margaret Cronin Advancing Access Scholarships in honour of Liam’s parents.

UCC President, Professor John O’Halloran, paid tribute to the Cronins for their generosity.

The Proclamation will be on display in the Glucksman Gallery from 10am to 5pm from June 8 to 12. It will eventually go on display in UCC's planned Treasures Gallery.