Press Release. Kathy Sinnott, MEP, 21st. January 2008.
The Turning of the Sovereign Seal
Every year on January 21st. at 12 noon a significant though little known Irish ritual is performed in the Mansion House Dublin by a member of the Maguire clan.
This year William McGuire will be accompanied by Kathy Sinnott, MEP for Ireland South and by Laoise Kelly, the harper who organised the gathering of the harpers last September for Tara. Kathy Sinnott said "This is a significant year for Irish Heritage and sovereignty. Will we see the final destruction of our heritage in the Tara Skryne Valley to make way for a toll road? Will we see the end of Irish sovereignty with the acceptance of the EU Constitutional 'Lisbon' Treaty to make way for the new European Union? Or will an appreciation of Irish sovereignty and heritage come to their rescue even at this late stage?"
William Maguire of Askeaton Co. Limerick will perform this duty for the fortieth time, a duty carried out originally by his grandfather Tom McGuire and later by his father. Tom McGuire was owner of Vaughan's Hotel in Parnell Square, Dublin which was the secret headquarters of the first Dáil Éireann and where its sovereignty was established in 1919.
The Irish Harp, the reverse side of the Sovereign Seal, is the Brian Boru Harp also referred to as the Psaltery or musical instrument for accompanying the Psalms. The Harp is a symbol dense with meaning. In form it incorporates the ships compass, the horizon, the moon, the triangle and parallels of geometry and as such is an ancient compendium of knowledge. The Romans followed the Harp in their design of Rome. It's importance in Ireland for ceremonial and later official use makes it, as a symbol, key to Irish Celtic civilisation and history.
The Sovereign Seal of Dáil Éireann is the symbol of the power of the Irish people invested in the Oireachtas. It has 12 strings which makes reference to a Judeao Christian ordering of society. The twelve apostles, the twelve tribes of Israel, twelve months of the year, twelve inches in a foot, twelve in a dozen etc.
Other Irish Harp symbols vary in the number of strings as well as in the background colour and braiding in the official emblems in line with their origins and purpose. The GAA's 14 stringed Harp on our money, nine strings on our passports. In court our judges sit under a 13 string Harp which reference to the Trinity, 1 in 3, ties their work to the Irish Constitution for the same reason official Dáil documents use the 13 string Harp. Historically the Sovereign Seal of the Irish Republican Brotherhood had 6 strings while that of the Fenian Brotherhood had 5.
It is a strange anomaly of Irish history that the Seanad sit with their back to the Sovereign Seal which is on the back of their chairs. This happened because members of the house initially sat facing symbols of the British Crown. This practise is something that William McGuire would like to see changed.
The McGuires have been deeply involved in some of the most critical episodes of Irish history. A member of the family accompanied the Earls O'Neill and O'Donnell to Rome, another Sam Maguire served Michael Collins as intelligence officer and later was important in the GAA both on the field and in its administration. He is considered by many its founding father and always wore the Sovereign seal on his jersey. The Sam Maguire Cup for the winners of the All Ireland Senior Football Champions is named after him.
Mrs. Sinnott concluded "The turning of the Sovereign Seal of Dáil Éireann is an important reminder of the meaning, value and of the price of Irish democracy. And I congratulate Billy Maguire on his faithfulness to the Sovereign Seal".
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For further information, questions or comments, please contact Kathy on:
Mobile: +353 87 2786 552
Brussels office: +32 228 47692
Cork office: +353 21 4888 793