Left: Teach an Phiarsaigh, Pearse's Cottage Main image: New Visitor’s Centre opened Nov. 2016.

Text by Cillian de Grás Photos © Seán Ó Mainín

Below: Some of the exhibits at the Visitor’s Centre.

planning. He set many of his short stories in the area, using the local placeneames to firmly root the stories on Ros Muc's rocky soil. These stories are the foundation stones of modern Irish-language literature. It was here that he composed his iconic oration for O'Donovan Rossa in which he declared his desire for an Ireland 'not free merely, but Gaelic as well; not Gaelic merely, but free as well.' As part of State's official commemoration of the 1916 Rising it was resolved to build a Visitor Centre close to Pearse's old cottage. The centre is one of the eight flagship capital projects which form a core part of the Historical Reflection strand of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, which will leave a permanent legacy from the commemorations. The centre further explores Pearse's time in Ros Muc, and allows visitors to experience some of Connemara's vibrant culture, which drew Pearse to the area in the first place. The centre was officially opened by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny on 20 November 2016, on what would have been Patrick Pearse's 137th birthday. The centre is located in a strikingly modern building, designed by Dermot McCabe of Simon J. Kelly architects. It takes its inspiration from the silhouette of the West of Ireland's traditional thatched cottage, and from the www.heritageireland.ie

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