Reenactments have grown to nearly life-like representations of the events that unfolded so many years ago. The reenactment of these battles serve an important role for commemoration in both the United States and Ireland. These productions in both Ireland and America represent the bloodiest memories for either country. Money is spent on historically accurate uniforms and people are at will to interpret the historical event to their liking.
But why look at Ireland and America together like this? The cultures have similar intentions in that commemoration is the overall goal, but in both cases, the end result is much different than expected. Reenacting battles of the Civil War is extremely popular in the United States as it has grown to a grand spectacle and ultimately has become an obsessive hobby for people study the actions, events and materials of the era. Though popular, it is an aggressive and involved method for remembrance of possibly the most controversial and bloody event in United States history. It has main focus on the lifestyles of the men fighting rather than what they were fighting for. The reenactment culture in Ireland is not as material based as the American side however. Irish Rising reenactments are put on by military personnel and Rising enthusiasts alike during Easter week. The reenactments that take place are on much smaller scale and serve to acknowledge an important yet somber event of Ireland’s past. Both cultures commemorative practice of reenacting have crucial differences but they are both modes for people to become in touch with their nation’s history as it gives people actual hands on activity for remembrance rather just learning what happened in a museum.