Ireland's Cork commemorates Genocide with special exhibit

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Community of Ireland has launched on Monday, November 16, a photo exhibition dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide in the Central Library of Cork.

The initiator and organizer of the exhibition Jimmy Lynch from the local community hosted the event.

The exhibition was launched by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr. Mick Nugent. Nugent's speech focused on the international process of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Referring to the number of countries and international organizations which have already recognized the 1915's atrocities, and the overwhelming spoken, written, and diplomatic evidence, he stressed that the actions of the Ottoman Empire against Armenians must be classified as genocide. Nugent represents Sinn Féin political party that earlier this year has called on the Irish Government to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide ahead of the centenary commemoration April 24.

A descendant of the Genocide survivor, Armenian Honorary Consul in Ireland Ohan Yergainharsian gave a brief historical introduction on the Armenian Genocide based on his family story.

Among the invitees was a Limerick-born Irish writer Martine Madden, the author of “Anyush” - a heart-breaking story told with great passion and feeling, based on factual events during the First World War and the terrible events that befell the Armenian population in Ottoman Empire in that era. In her very passionate and emotional speech Martine provided a comprehensive historical background on the Armenian Genocide, concluding with a famous quote from Adolf Hitler’s speech a week before the German invasion of Poland - “Who, after all, speaks today about the annihilation of the Armenians?”

Aram Hakhumyan, representing the Armenian Community in Ireland, gave an introduction to the exhibition panels and briefed the audience on the historical documents discovered in 2015 during the cataloguing of a collection of law books by Jennefer Aston, an Irish law librarian and book seller.

The documents were kindly provided for the exhibition by Johana and Anna Dunlop - an Armenian-Irish mother and daughter. Mr. Hakhumyan highlighted the importance of raising the awareness on the Genocide and expressed his gratitude to the Cork Central Library for hosting the exhibit.

The exhibition will run till the end of November.