Polish
Exhibition
Honours Irish
Defence Forces
|9
Report by Ms Justyna Mazurek-Schramm
(Vice-Chairman Irish Culture Foundation)
T
he Irish Culture Foundation is a non-profit organisation in Poland
that has promoted Irish culture in all its aspects since 2003. Our
biggest project each year is organising St Patrick���s Day celebrations. This year we organised events in eight cities (Warsaw, Krak��w,
Lublin, Zamo����, Kalisz, Pozna��, Gda��sk, Wroc��aw) with Irish music
concerts, dancing workshops, Irish film festivals and events for children.
Many landmarks in Pozna��, including the City Hall in Old Market
Square, the Municipal Stadium, and Judges Tower at Lake Malta, were
illuminated in green from the 15th-17th of March to send ���green greetings��� to Ireland. The switching-on ceremony was attended by the Mayor
of Pozna��, the Irish Ambassador to Poland, the Irish Honorary Consul in
Pozna��, and the Foundation���s vice-chairman.
One very special event organised was an exhibition dedicated to the
Irish Defence Forces - a first in Poland - at the museum in Kalisz. The
opening of the exhibition on March 13th was attended by local media, a
representative of the Polish Army from the local barracks, a representative of Kalisz City Council, and many people interested in military history.
As a historian interested in the Irish Defence Forces I have a private
collection of memorabilia, which I put at the museum���s disposal. The exhibit referenced the history and activities of the Defence Forces through
information panels and displays from my collection, which included:
uniforms, cloth patches, publications (including a few An Cosant��irs)
and books. The exhibits also included a combat uniform loaned to the
museum by Comdt Padraic Kennedy of Military Archives, to whom the
organisers wish to extend special thanks for all his help.
The exhibition will be open to the public until 31st of May 2013.
During this period the Irish Culture Foundation will organise Irish
history lessons in the museum for local high schools. For more info
please visit: www.fki.home.pl or http://www.facebook.com/media/se
t/?set=a.54941993509071.1073741825.485156578183720&type=1
www.military.ie the defence forces magazine
