Keith Swanick of Fianna Fáil has proposed a bill which would see January 21st declared as Irish Independence Day.
The senator has signed off on a bill that would assign the 21st January as the Irish Declaration of Independence Day.
The prospective bill would not, unfortunately, warrant a public holiday but rather just bring about a day of recognition.
Speaking to Journal.ie, Swanick said the 21st January was a significant day in Irish history: "The 1918 general election and meeting of the first Dáil on 21 January 1919 transformed this island and changed the course of our history. It was an exciting and progressive period in Ireland, seeing the implementation of a new democratic programme as well as the extension of the vote to women aged 30 and over."
The date also saw the first introduction of women into politics: "The Representation of the People Act 1918 caused the electorate to almost triple. It also saw our first female representative Countess Markievicz elected."
He said his bill seeks to pay honour to the 21st January: "The Declaration of Independence Day Bill seeks to formally recognise 21st January and allow for it to be commemorated by schools, public bodies and community groups. I am not proposing a public holiday but I believe the importance of this occasion needs to be marked."
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