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OUR NATIONAL FLAG OUR NATIONAL FLAG Children the focus

for flag Eileen Rowden folds the handmade flags at the factory of Project Design Irish Flag manufacturers. Left: A Tricolour flies outside .

ROM Bundoran to Ballybunion and after, so that this flag could be flown and Dundalk to Dunquin, school by its people, and that this nation could children are being visited by take its place among the world’s free Fmembers of the nations.” courtesy of the ‘2016 Flags for Schools Minister Humphreys said “our flag project Initiative’. symbolises the aspiration for peace By the end of February next year, between the different traditions on this teams of army personnel will have island” — a theme explained to pupils visited more than 3,200 national schools when the new flags are presented. Every school in the State delivering an Irish flag to every school For the Defence Force personnel the and a copy of the 1916 Proclamation as initiative also provides them with an will be getting a new national well as a pack, containing a booklet on opportunity to meet and speak with how to care for the Flag, and a poster children who otherwise might not have with the words of our national anthem, had any interaction with those in the flag, writes Graham Clifford Amhrán na bhFiann. armed services. “Logistically it’s a challenging “To a degree it allows us to come out initiative for the Defence Forces but one from behind the barrack walls and that’s that’s very important and rewarding. great for both the children and for us The welcome we’ve received from school also,” explains Commandant MacEoin. children and teachers across Ireland so “Each team that visits a school is led far has been phenomenal,” explained by an Officer or senior NCO and we Commandant Stephen MacEoin who allow time for questions and chat with is coordinating the Flags for Schools the children. As well as learning about Initiative on behalf of the flag, of which the Defence Forces. we in the Defence The high- forces are guardians, quality hand-made the children are also national flags are learning about the s Junior infants’ pupil Daragh O’Donnell, a great- manufactured by work we do on a day- DISCOVER nephew of Sean MacDiarmada, one of the Prospect Design, a to-day basis both here signatories of the 1916 Proclamation, receiving the family-run business in Ireland and around MORE ABOUT THE national flag from Lt. Emma Harney at Maynooth Boys’ off Camden Street the world.” FLAGS FOR SCHOOLS National School, Co Kildare. Darragh’s mother, Denise in Dublin which has The initial O’Donnell, grew up near Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, been making flags logistical focus is INITIATIVE very close to the Kiltyclogher village birthplace of since 1947, and can on getting the flags MacDiarmada. Denise is a grand-daughter of Annie be mounted both to schools in more N the shadow of the McGillicuddy McDermott, a first cousin of Sean Mac Diarmada. outdoors and indoors. remote parts of the I Reeks, Curraheen National Annie’s father, Denis McMorrow was a brother of Sean When the Defence The ‘Flags for Schools’ programme country first before School in Glenbeigh was amongst MacDiarmada’s mother, Mary McMorrow. Forces team visit each was launched on September 14th adverse winter the first in the country to receive school they present when the Enda Kenny weather conditions its tricolour and copy of the the flag to a nominated oversaw the delivery of make travelling to Proclamation under the ‘Flags for student or group of the national flag to his rural parts of the Schools’ initiative. students. former primary school in country more The picturesque 32-pupil school At the Portarlington Cornanool, outside difficult and time- outside the village of Glenbeigh Presentation Primary School, . consuming. on the Ring of Kerry was first Sergeant Rena Kennedy had the Meanwhile, the Thomas F opened in 1909 but this is thought honour of presenting the flag to her Meagher Foundation, named after to be the first time it has possessed daughter Ruth who is in second class. the man credited with unveiling the its very own national flag — a And Commandant MacEoin told of how tricolour for the first time in 1848, will fact celebrated by the children other such special moments are being present a new flag to every secondary attending the school. replicated across the country. school in the country in time for next “Two army personnel presented “We do have other stories already year’s Easter commemorations. the flag to our youngest and eldest of army personnel returning to their The ‘Flags for Schools’ programme children, Kevin Walsh (4) and own primary schools to present the flag will culminate in Proclamation Day Samantha Riordan (12),” explains and Proclamation. It’s a very special on March 15, 2016, where every school Principal Evelyn O’Shea who Kevin Walsh (4) the youngest pupil holds the Proclamation while moment for each of them and great for will raise the national flag in special believes the initiative also offers Samantha Riordan (12) the eldest holds the Tricolour with principal the children to see one of their own in ceremonies and the 1916 Proclamation children across the country the Evelyn O’Shea at Curraheen National School, Glenbeigh, . uniform.” will be read out. chance to meet members of the The ‘Flags for Schools’ programme “That will be such a special day for the Defence Forces for the first time. And fourth class students and fly our flag we’re learning was launched on September 14 when country. To see our national flag flying “A lot of our pupils were so Darragh Lynch and Leona Clifford why 1916 was so important for our s Mary Hannon (10) a pupil of the Taoiseach Enda Kenny oversaw the high from every educational institution excited to see the soldiers coming (both 10) says the visit helped country. The soldiers spoke to us St Raphael’s Special School, delivery of the national flag to his former in the country,” said Commandant here in uniform,” she says. “For them to better understand the for well over an hour and it was so Celbridge, Co Kildare, proudly primary school in Cornanool, outside MacEoin. most it was the first time they had significance of what happened in great that we could ask them our wearing the Old IRA service Castlebar. And throughout 2016, there will spoken to anyone from the army 1916. questions and have them in our medal awarded to her great- The Taoiseach, who was joined by be more ceremonies, events and and they asked them questions “We’re looking forward to flying school.” grandfather, Michael Lynch (right) Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan and programmes marking the significance about their roles. An officer spoke the flag outside our school in March Teachers and pupils at the school of Milford, Kilmaine, Co Mayo at the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the of our national flag. On New Years’ Day simply and clearly to our pupils and next year along with other schools are also planning to work on a presentation of a flag by members , said 2016 a flag raising ceremony will take spent a lot of time explaining the across Ireland,” says Darragh, while project and exhibition recalling the of the Defence Forces to her school. the purpose of the ‘Flags for Schools’ place at and the tricolour significance of this event and the Leona adds: “By listening to the role the local community played in Michael Lynch was a commandant in the initiative is to “remember the great will be raised every day during 2016 on work that they do, especially with Proclamation being read out and the events of 1916 and the fight for South Mayo Brigade of the Old IRA. Mary is pictured sacrifice of the people who fought in 1916 O’Connell Street, outside the GPO. regards to peace keeping abroad.” understanding how to look after Independence. with Sgt Amy Hopkins and Lt Stephen Cunningham.

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