Enniscorthy people ‘very angry’ after Irish flags removed from Seamus Rafter Bridge

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

With city councils in both Dublin and Cork removing unauthorised Irish flags from public areas questions have been asked about whether Wexford County Council (WCC) is now doing the same. At the October meeting of WCC, Councillor Jackser Owens said people in Enniscorthy were “very angry” after the tricolours on Seamus Rafter Bridge were taken down last weekend.

“People in the town want to know who gave the order to take the flags down,” he said. “I spoke to the workmen and they said just ‘management’ had told them to do it.”

Council officials were at a loss as to who had given the order.

“I don’t have any response to this,” said director of services Eamonn Hore. “I’m guessing it was a local district matter, there’s nobody here at this top table who gave the order.”

Given the rules and regulations regarding the flying of the tricolour, chief executive Eddie Taaffe asked whether the flags had been authorised in the first place before Cllr Owens’ Enniscorthy colleague, Cllr John O’Rourke, offered some context.

“They were put up for St Patrick’s Day,” he said. “They were left there for the commemoration of the Easter Rising, and left up when the Fleadh Cheoil was on.”

With no culprit in sight, it was left to Mr Hore to remind those in attendance of the protocols regarding the flying of our national flag.

“It’s not supposed to be flying after dusk, that’s what the protocol is. If we’re part of government and local authority we should lead by example.”