Misplaced Pages

The Freedom of the City of Dublin is awarded by Dublin City Council after approving a person nominated by the Lord Mayor. Eighty-two people have been honoured under the current process introduced in 1876. Most honourees have made a contribution to the life of the city or of Ireland in general, including politicians, public servants, humanitarians, artists and entertainers; others were distinguished members of the Irish diaspora and foreign leaders, honoured visiting Dublin. Honourees sign the roll of freedmen in a ceremony at City Hall or the Mansion House and are presented with an illuminated scroll by the Lord Mayor.

Ancient privileges and duties

In ancient boroughs such as Dublin, a royal charter established the privileges of the "burgesses" (or "citizens" in places like Dublin with city status). Admission as a freeman or citizen was principally granted to members of the Guilds of the City of Dublin and others by "special grace", as well as by marriage or descent from existing citizens. The wealthy could buy freedom by paying a "fine", and some of the penal laws facilitated Protestant immigrants' becoming freemen.

Ancient charters were superseded for municipal governance purposes by the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 and for all other non-ceremonial purposes by the Local Government Act 2001. Nevertheless, ancient privileges and duties of freemen are sometimes cited in relation to the modern award. Rights included:

• Exemption from octroi charged on goods brought through the city gates.
• Pasturage of sheep on city commons, which included College Green and St Stephen's Green. This right was exercised as a publicity stunt by U2 members the day after their 2000 conferring.
• The right to vote in municipal elections, and in the Irish parliamentary borough of Dublin (after the Acts of Union 1800 in the UK parliamentary borough of Dublin).

Freedmen had a duty to defend the city and could be called into the militia at short notice. In 1454, apprentices to be admitted freemen needed a bow and sword, while merchants additionally needed a coat of mail and helmet.

Honorary Freedom

While the Representation of the People Act 1918 abolished the franchise rights of freemen, the Municipal Privileges Ireland Act 1876 allowed the establishment of the title of "Honorary Freemen". This was retained by Local Government Act 1991 and currently the Local Government Act 2001.

Notes

1. ^ The missing numbers 40 to 43 correspond to the four earlier non-numeric values, inserted for those who signed the roll late or never. Since 1955, numbering is from resolution rather than signature.
2. Those associated with Dublin in particular are noted

Sources

• Clark, Mary (Spring 2000). "Freedom of the City of Dublin". Dublin Historical Record. 53 (1): 33–37. JSTOR 30101245.

References

1. ^ Clark (2000) p.34
2. Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the municipal corporations in Ireland (1835). First report, appendix: Report on the City of Dublin, Part I. Command papers. Vol. 27. William Clowes for HMSO. pp. 17–19, §§60–63.
3. "Local Government Act, 2001, Section 11 (16)". Irish Statute Book. 21 July 2001. Retrieved 2 April 2015. Subject to this Act, royal charters and letters patent relating to local authorities shall continue to apply for ceremonial and related purposes in accordance with local civic tradition but shall otherwise cease to have effect.
4. ^ "Why are Bono and The Edge grazing sheep in Stephen's Green in 2000? It's their right as Freemen of the City". TheJournal.ie. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
5. AP (20 March 2000). "Bono asserts public sheep-grazing right". Rome News-Tribune. Rome, Georgia. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
6. Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. (9 October 2007). U2 by U2. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-077674-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
7. Berry, Henry F. (1900). "The Records of the Dublin Gild of Merchants, known as the Gild of the Holy Trinity, 1438-1671". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 10 (5th ser.) 30 (continuing) (1): 59.
8. Gilbert, John T. (1889). "Dublin Assembly Roll, 1454". Calendar of ancient records of Dublin in the possession of the municipal corporation of that city. Vol. 1. Joseph Dollard. p. 283.
9. "Local Government Act, 1991, Section 48". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
10. "Local Government Act, 2001, Section 74". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
11. "Previous Recipients of Keys to the City". Dublin City Council. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
12. ^ Clark (2000) p.37
13. "Report of the Commander of the Relief Ship Constellation". Irish Emigration Database. DIPPAM. 15 June 1880. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
14. ^ "The Freedom of Dublin". Chicago Tribune. 4 February 1888. p. 9. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
15. Lee-Warner, William (1912). "Robinson, George Frederick Samuel" . Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). Vol. 3. pp. 216–221.
16. Haggard, Robert F. (2001). The Persistence of Victorian Liberalism: The Politics of Social Reform in Britain, 1870-1900. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 134–135. ISBN 9780313313059. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
17. "Harty, Emanuel Spencer". Dictionary of Irish Architects. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
18. Clark (2000) p.36
19. "Cardinal Gregory Peter Agagianian, Oak Room, Mansion House". Digital Collections » Freedom of the City. Dublin City Council libraries. 22 June 1961. p. FOC001. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
20. "50 Years Ago: Cardinal to be Freeman of city" (PDF). Limerick Leader. 13 August 2012. p. 19. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
21. "Cardinal Browne receives Freedom of Borough of Drogheda". Holdings. National Library of Ireland. 31 July 1962. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
22. ^ "Lord Mayor Michael O'Halloran, Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko of Japan, Oak Room, Mansion House". zzz. 4 March 1985. p. FOC019. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
23. FOC032 Mandela 1990 Archived 2013-12-12 at the Wayback Machine Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive, 2013-01-16.
24. Happy memories of asking the Nelson Mandela about his first vote Irish Times, 2013-12-06.
25. "Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi leaves Ireland after awards". RTÉ News. 18 June 2012. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
26. ^ "Councillors vote to revoke award from Aung San Suu Kyi". RTÉ News. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
27. ^ "Aung San Suu Kyi has Freedom of Dublin award revoked". The Guardian. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017 – via Agence France-Presse.
28. ^ "Minutes of Special Meeting held on 5 March 2006 outside the Mansion House at 4.00 pm" (PDF). Dublin City Council. 5 March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
29. Bennett, Isabel (13 November 2017). "Bob Geldof renounces honour also held by Aung San Suu Kyi". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
30. Kilraine, John (13 December 2017). "Dublin councillors voted 37 in favour with 7 against and 5 abstentions to also remove Bob Geldof's name from the Roll of Honorary Freemen #rtenews" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017 – via Twitter.
31. ^ Irish Independent, 2014-23-03.
32. ^ "Dublin grants Obamas Freedom of the City". BBC News. 7 February 2017.
33. Power, Jack (18 January 2020). "Jim Gavin awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin". The Irish Times.
34. Boland, Lauren (16 June 2021). "Chief Medical Officer accepts Freedom of the City on behalf of all healthcare workers". TheJournal.ie.
35. "Freedom of Dublin to be awarded to three 'inspiring' women". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
36. "Greta Thunberg to be given honorary freedom of Dublin city". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
37. "Agenda item - To present Duncan Stewart and Greta Thunberg with the Certificate of Honorary Freedom of the City and to witness the affixing of their signatures to the Roll of Honorary Freedom of Dublin". councilmeetings.dublincity.ie. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2024.

External links

• Freedom of the City 88 photographs from the Dublin City Council public libraries website

• Culture in Dublin (city)
• Freedom of the City
• Dublin (city)-related lists
• Irish awards