The poignant events of the Easter weekend across Ireland were a source of pride across the country and beyond as the reality of 1916 was recalled, recognised and celebrated.
At home, and across the globe, Irish communities got together to remember the life changing period that shaped the past century.
Over 500,000 visitors poured into Dublin on Sunday for a civic parade and a number of ceremonies to mark the 1916 rebellion which paved the way towards independence.
Relatives of those involved in the rebellion played a full part as history was brought to life across the city in a way that the current generation could relate to.
Surprisingly there was one very public celebration of Irishness that failed entirely to acknowledge the occasion. Celtic Football Club.
Scottish voices and Celtic favours were prominent among the crowds that flocked to watch Sunday’s parade but in Glasgow there wasn’t a comment, statement or event by the club for the landmark.
As recently as last week it was announced that Celtic would be playing a summer friendly at the Aviva Stadium against Barcelona with the website of the organisers initially putting the tri-colour rather than St Andrews Cross against Celtic’s name!
Since 2009 Celtic have recognised Famine Memorial Day by wearing a crest on their shirt in the fixture closest to that day but it seems that remembering 1916 is an issue that sensitive Scotland can’t handle.
With various factors at play and social media ‘outrages’ to consider commenting on 1916 has been off limits for a club that is never slow to promote it’s Irish links.
Those links saw the nationalist Michael Davitt plant the first sod of turf, fresh from Donegal, at Celtic Park while in 1968 Jock Stein brought the European Cup over to present it to Eamon De Valera.
Eamon de Valera, Jock Stein and Billy McNeill
The Fields of Athenry and Let The People Sing are as much a part of the Celtic Park experience as You’ll Never Walk Alone but in an age of political correctness overkill, many in Scotland automatically link Ireland to sectarianism.
Earlier this month Police Scotland stepped in to prevent a Lanarkshire church from screening the 1950’s film Mise Eire with a local member of the Scottish Parliament angered by the agenda being followed.
MSP Michael McMahon said: “I’ve been a member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly. The Governments of these islands have signed up to working constructively around events commemorating World War One and the Easter Rising. They are of importance to the peace process.
“Someone somewhere in Police Scotland hasn’t received the memo. They should be buying into this, encouraging greater understanding rather than creating unnecessary problems.”
Despite hosting a large population of Irish descent Glasgow has refused plans to host a St Patrick’s Day Parade or create any sort of Famine Memorial.
Some might suggest that Celtic are a living breathing memorial to the Irish famine, over the Easter weekend the club appears to have adopted The Quiet Man approach to their own history.