Appearance of flags could be ‘a provocation tactic’

THE sudden and random appearance of Irish flags on lamp posts in Carlow town has caused consternation among local people.

The flags appeared on lamp posts in Ashgrove and along O’Brien Road some weeks ago, but no-one has claimed responsibility for putting them up so it is not known why they were erected in the first place.

The erection of the flags locally is part of a growing trend of flying the Irish Tricolour in public places, including areas in Dublin city and other urban areas around the country. While it is tradition for the flag to be flown on special occasions at official buildings, there is no reason why they should be flown on random lamp posts in Carlow town.

In other areas where the flags were erected, they were accompanied by anti-immigration slogans on posters, but there were no such posters in Carlow.

One community volunteer who works with new residents in Carlow town, but who doesn’t wish to be named, feels that it’s a provocation tactic by the far right.

“I haven’t heard anything about who’s responsible,” he said. “Our economy and services depend on different nationalities. I don’t really understand the logic of ‘Ireland for the Irish’.

“If that was the case, there would be no health service running here, no-one to take care of our older people, and there would be no construction work done either. Most people who come here from abroad want to get to work as quickly as they can, and that’s a fact. That’s not an inflammatory statement.

“There’s a scarcity of people working in Ireland. There are not enough people to work in our hospitals, as is the case with gardaí or other sectors. We are so dependent on so many people who aren’t Irish. I can understand why people are critical of the asylum system, but that’s another issue. This whole flag flying thing is confusing. What does it mean?” Councillor Adrienne Wallace said she has no idea who put up the flags and sees the Irish Tricolour as a unifying symbol.

She said: “The Irish flag is a symbol of unity and peace; it’s a sign of peace and inclusion. Carlow is a diverse and inclusive town. We’ve a great community of Gaeilgeoirí, Nigerians, Rohingyas and others here. We all get on very well and share cultures.” Carlow County Council declined to make a statement on the situation, but it’s understood that many local authorities around the country have decided not to remove flags erected in similar circumstances to avoid provoking protests from those who put them up and giving their cause the oxygen of publicity.