Houses Of Oireachtas Hold Historic Joint Meeting In Mansion House

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the first meeting of Dáil Éireann.

This historic event took place on 21st of January 1919 in the Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin.

To mark this momentous occasion in Irish history, a joint sitting of both Houses of Oireachtas took place in the Round Room of the Mansion House on Tuesday. Members of the Dáil and Seanad attended together with invited guests, including the Northern Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

The Ceann Comhairle, Cathaoirleach, Taoiseach, other party leaders and political representatives addressed the meeting.

The Joint Sitting is the centrepiece to a progra of activities designed to mark this important date in the Irish parliamentary tradition.

Speaking about the event, Ceann Comhairle, John O'Donoghue T.D., said: "The commemorative sitting will salute the patriotism and courage of those elected representatives who through their meeting in the Mansion House ninety years ago, gave a voice to the people of Ireland's expression of self-determination in the 1918 general election.

"Nowadays, it is very easy for parliamentarians to take for granted our ability to put ourselves freely forward for election, to freely canvass the electorate and to propose our ideas without censorship.

"Maybe as a people, we can sometimes forget that some gave all so that we could cast our vote in our country for our government of choice.

"We owe a lot to those pioneers who took the first steps on the road.

"We should always remember that a people are defined by what they commemorate as much as by what they celebrate.

"I hope that the commemoration and the series of events surrounding it will help to serve both as a tribute to those parliamentarians who made the pioneering initial moves and as an inspiration to our present and future politicians."