The Famine Warhouse 1848 & The Irish Flag

The Irish Tricolour Flag, the national flag of Ireland, was first flown, during the 1848 rebellion, in Ballingarry. A National Flag Monument now stands in the Commons, Ballingarry to commerate this historical fact which has immense national significance.

Minister of State Noel Davern T.D.; An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Tony Ivors pictured at the Flag Monument Site at The Commons, Ballingarry.

Every morning the flag at the National Flag Monument is raised in rememberance to the 1848 Rebellion. For the last twenty years this solemn task has been undertaken by Anthony (Tony) Ivors. In recognition of his great service to the community, Anthony Ivors led this year's Famine 1848 Walk.

History of the Irish Flag - 1848

1848 was a year of revolutions throughout continental Europe. In February 1848, the King of France was overthrown and a Republic proclaimed in Paris. The French Revolution sent political shock waves across Europe. Revolutions broke out in Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Prague, Budapest and Cracow and, at least temporarily, absolutist governments were replaced by liberal administrations, near universal suffrage was introduced and elections were held to constituent assemblies to draw up new national constitutions.  It was described as the “springtime of the peoples”.

The Young Irelanders were deeply influenced by these events and the success of liberal, romantic nationalism on the European mainland inspired the movement to contemplate revolution in Ireland. O’Brien and Thomas Francis Meagher led a delegation to Paris to congratulate the new French Republic.

Meagher returned to Ireland with the tricolour flag (now the national flag) - a symbol of reconciliation between the Orange and Green.