Some flying Irish tricolour dishonour our national flag, Taoiseach says

The Taoiseach has said people who use the tricolour to suggest they “alone represent Irishness”, “dishonour our national flag”.

He made the comments as he delivered a rain-soaked speech at Bodenstown Graveyard during Fianna Fail’s annual commemoration of the 18th century Irish revolutionary Theobald Wolfe Tone.

Wolfe Tone led a French military force to Ireland during the 1798 Rebellion and, standing by his grave, the Taoiseach said Tone was celebrated by the “generation of idealists” who “gave us our national flag”.

He said those who “try and claim that there is a fixed national identity” do not understand Irish history or “that our identity has survived because we have been willing to evolve and be more inclusive”.

His comments come after a rise in the number of Irish flags being attached to lampposts, railings and street signs over recent months.

Many have been put up by different groups as an expression of pride in national identity, but have been criticised by others who believe the tricolour is being used to intimidate people from migrant backgrounds.

There have been similar disputes in the UK after a campaign dubbed Operation Raise the Colours encouraged Union and St George’s flags to be displayed in public places.