Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Issue 1 | Page 54

Contested Monuments
In ���� a small plaque was erected on Edinburgh’s Cowgate to commemorate
James Connolly, born there, exactly one hundred years before. Shortly after,
the plaque was stolen. And though a replacement remains safely there to this
day, the initial theft is testament to the extent to which Connolly’s memory
has been contested from the moment of his execution on the ��th May ����
for his role in Ireland’s Easter Rising.
Roderick Buchanan’s new film explores the complex relationship between
Edinburgh and its socialist and revolutionary son. Understanding versus
Sympathy is, in the artist’s words, ‘a shadow portrait’; an exploration of
Connolly’s life as viewed through the lens of the Irish historian and
Edinburgh resident, Owen Dudley Edwards. Connolly was born and raised
in extreme poverty in Edinburgh in ����, ultimately moving to Ireland in ����
to work for the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. Owen Dudley
Edwards was born and raised in Dublin, before moving to Edinburgh to
take up a position at the university.
Buchanan’s film focuses on the captivating face and voice of Dudley Edwards,
as he speaks about the life and times of James Connolly. Dudley Edwards
has a strong professional interest in Connolly, having written several books
on the Easter Rising and its wider historical context. But he also has a
strong personal connection with the period. He recounts, for example,
how his own grandfather attended a lecture by Arthur Griffiths (founder
of Sinn Féin) and on attempting to ask a question, was promptly rebuffed
by Griffiths for being an Englishman. Understanding versus Sympathy offers
an extended reflection on different forms of memory, as Dudley Edwards’
commentary weaves seamlessly from erudite historical observation to
personal remembrance.
Scan here to watch an interview with
Ciara Phillips
https://vimeo.com/���������
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