HISTORIC relics which were used at the wedding of Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford are set to go on display next month.
Irish republican leader Plunkett married Gifford on the night of May 3, 1916, in the chapel of Kilmainham Gaol hours before he was executed by British forces.
A chalice and other altar vessels used at the marriage will be exhibited at Kilmainham Gaol Museum in October.
They have been lent to the Office of Public Works (OPW) by St. James’ Parish and the Archdiocese of Dublin.
The historic relics used during the wedding of Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford“The night before his execution on 3 May 1916, Joseph Plunkett married his fiancé Grace Gifford in Kilmainham Gaol,” an OPW spokesperson explained.
“The wedding was performed by candlelight in the prison chapel by one of the local priests, Father Eugene McCarthy, from St. James’ Parish.
“The chalice, ciborium and paten used at the wedding have been preserved by St. James’s Parish and will be shown in the museum’s ‘Last Words’ section, which explores the final days of the 14 leaders executed in Kilmainham after the 1916 Rising.”
Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin Moran said the relics mark “one of the most poignant moments in our national story”.
He said: “It is a privilege to see these rare objects go on display at Kilmainham Gaol Museum.
“I would like to thank St. James Parish and the Archdiocese of Dublin for entrusting us with these important historic artefacts”.
Also on display will be Rose McNamara’s diary account of mass at the Gaol on May 7, 1916, when she saw Con Colbert, Michael Mallin and Éamonn Ceannt in the prison chapel shortly before their execution the next day.
A letter written by Mallin to his wife that same day will also feature in the exhibition.
The priests of St. James’ Parish continued to minister to prisoners in Kilmainham Gaol during the War of Independence.
A photograph of mass being celebrated in the East Wing of the Gaol shortly before the release of the prisoners in December 1921 also features in the display.
‘The Prisoners’ Lens: Secret Photography in Kilmainham Gaol, 1921’ runs at Kilmainham Gaol Museum until October 28.
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