Both of
these very important events will soon be upon us and whilst there is no set
date for the election, we are lead to believe that a date will be set shortly
after the delivery of the Banking Enquiry that is due, at present, to report by
the end of January.
We can
already witness the political jockeying that has started and despite the
devastation of the recent storms, Clodagh, Des et al, we are seeing more and
more of our TD’s out and about “doing their bit” to help flood sufferers. Rest
assured they are also out with a keen eye on the PR opportunities that these
situations bring, and as we know there is no bad PR and even the sinking of a
canoe in County Kilkenny brought laughter and PR opportunities for those
concerned.
We will
therefore literally have a few of weeks to make up our minds on how the country
will be run over the next number of years and we should ALL engage in that
process.
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| Edinburgh born James Connolly. |
The 1916
Easter Rising Commemoration will follow hotfoot on the back of E-Day and we
should be looking forward to seeing how these events materialise, as after all
the Government and TD Committees have, reportedly, been working on these celebrations
for months and years. So we should be wowed by what is in store and above all
we should at the very least be proud of the Commemoration that in many people’s
eyes celebrates the birth of a nation.
Both of the
above events should stir emotions and stir a sense of pride, no matter what
side of the political fence you may sit on.
The
election and the Commemoration will spark debate and ignite the fire in our
bellies that define who we are. No doubt there will be much fevered patriotism
and perhaps even some jingoism, but above all there will be much flag waving
and a lot of symbolism around both events.
Every time
an Irish tricolour is waved, we in Waterford should be proud of the fact that
Thomas Francis Meagher, born in what is now the Granville Hotel, is credited
with “inventing” the flag so widely identified with Ireland around the world. As
the first modern nation that voted for same sex marriage we must be mature
enough to know what this tricolour flag represents in today’s Ireland.
But how
many in Waterford, Ireland and the rest of the world know, that the flag so
proudly flown by Ireland and the Irish Diaspora around the globe, was first
flown in Waterford City, at 33 The Mall, in March 1848?
I would
hazard a guess that very few know of the origin of the Irish Tricolour and the
connection with Waterford City. In fact I would say more people associate
Waterford with crystal than this nation’s national flag.
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| Waterford born Thomas Francis Meagher. |
It is very
sad to think that we have such a great opportunity to promote Waterford City,
around the world, through our connection with Thomas Francis Meagher and the tricolour,
and we clearly do not utilise the vast potential for tourism and economic
development that this might bring.
Other towns
and cities in Ireland have identified connections and the strong economic
possibilities, particularly in the USA, that being associated with the
foundation of the state and the foundation of the national flag might bring. If
we are not careful our claim to the tricolour and it first being raised in
Waterford City could become another faded memory of Waterford’s historic past,
like so many of our current economic pillars.
As we rapidly
run towards E-Day and the 1916 Commemorations we should proudly remind everyone
of Waterford’s connection to the birth of this modern nation.
