Plans to commemorate William the Conqueror 'a step too far', says Sinn Féin TD
Fianna Fáil has been blasted by Sinn Féin over what it described as an 'offensive' plan to commemorate William the Conqueror.
Housing minister James Browne on Tuesday announced plans to engage with a trans-European cultural initiative known as '2027 The Year of the Normans'.
The year-long commemoration in 2027 aims to celebrate "a shared history that has shaped the island of Ireland and Europe".
Mr Browne said Ireland's Norman heritage is shared across the island, both north and south, and in the UK and wider Europe.
'From their arrival in Wexford in the late 12th century, the Normans left their mark in monumental ways across our urban and rural landscapes, building towns and castles, abbeys and cathedrals that stand to this day,' Mr Browne said.
'Through our engagement with this initiative, we will build and strengthen links with the Normandy region and further afield, and grow our wonderful tourism offering here.
As we work with stakeholders, we are confident that this initiative will have a lasting legacy, delivering concrete achievements with economic and social benefits, and all carried out in a respectful, sensitive manner as all historical commemorations must be.
However, Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has lambasted the proposal, comparing it to a controversial Fine Gael proposal to commemorate the Royal Irish Constabulary, the police force when Ireland was occupied by the UK until independence, and of which the notorious Black and Tans were part.
The Fine Gael proposal had a significantly negative effect on the party's 2020 general election campaign.
'Only a short time has passed since Fine Gael tried to commemorate the Black and Tans, and now Fianna Fáil is trying to go further by dedicating an entire year in celebration of 1,000 years since the birth of William the Conqueror,' Mr Ó Snodaigh said.
William the Conqueror was the first Norman king of England, ruling from 1066 until his death in 1087. The Normans arrived in Ireland less than a century later, conquering large parts of the country.
Mr Ó Snodaigh said Ireland knows 'well enough the legacy of William's successors invading and subjugating Ireland in the name of his English crown, with Strongbow ushering in the 900 years of occupation, with the North still under the descendents of William the Conqueror's Crown'.
What will they think of next: A Festival of Cromwell? A Famine Queen Jubilee?
He said Ireland should acknowledge, protect, and take pride in the 'rich architectural, cultural, and literary heritage that stands testament to Anglo-Norman Ireland'.
'We should make the most of Ireland's Norman heritage to boost tourism, to create jobs, to support communities, and reinforce links with families tracing their Norman Irish roots and with other places who share a Norman heritage, but celebrating England's William the Conqueror, however, is a step too far.' he said
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