Today is the anniversary of our National Flag which was first unveiled by Thomas Francis Meagher at the Mall, Waterford in 1848

On Sunday 3rd March 2024 a ceremony was held on the Mall, Waterford for the Thomas Francis Meagher & Tricolour Celebration. The ceremony included a wreath laying, a Veteran’s Guard of Honour and a Naval Flag Raising Party.

On the 7th of March 1848, Thomas Francis Meagher flew a Tricolour flag at the Wolf Tone Club 33 The Mall, Waterford City, where it flew continuously for eight days and nights before being removed by the authorities.

The Tricolour was presented as a gift in 1848 to Thomas Francis Meagher from a small group of French women sympathetic to the Irish cause and was intended to symbolise the inclusion and hoped-for union between Roman Catholics (symbolised by the green colour) and Protestants (symbolised by the orange colour).

“The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the ‘Orange’ and the ‘Green’, and I trust that beneath its folds, the Irish Protestant [the ‘Orange’] and the Irish Catholic [the ‘Green’] may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood.’” – Thomas Francis Meagher, spoken in 1848, still has significance and relevance in Ireland today.

More excellent photos by Waterford in your Pocket here: