Congressman Richard Neal visits the Irish Flag Exhibition at the GPO Museum May 2022
Congressman Richard Neal, Chair of the Congressional Friends of Ireland was the Guest of Honour at the permanent exhibition of the Irish Flag at the GPO Museum on Monday 23rd May, where he unveiled the replica plaque of the Irish Proclamation as installed inside the Washington Monument.
The Irish Plaque and the Washington Monument
The commemorative plaque from the people of Ireland is comprised of a replica of the 1916 Proclamation and refers to Thomas F. Meagher as the embodiment of the links between Ireland and the United States of America. The plaque acknowledges that he fought for the ideals of both Nations and created the national flag of Ireland which was raised again during the 1916 Rising and it’s message of peace and unity he intended for the Irish Flag to represent.
In September 2019 Congressman Richard Neal ensured that this plaque from the President of Ireland was placed within the Washington Monument. This was a unique honour, as it was the first plaque to be placed within the monument at that time since 1982.
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Flag Day 2022
on 16th March 2022, over 400 Secondary sCHOOLS from AROUND THE COUNTRY CELEBRATEd FLAG DAY IN THEIR SCHOOLS WITH POSTERS, FLAG-RAISING CEREMONIES, music, PERFORMANCE AND DANCE.
WE ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS EVERY YEAR TO participate in flag day, demonstrating their active citizenship and inclusivity, CELEBRATing WHAT THE irish FLAG MEANS TO THEM AND HOW THEY INTERPRET ITS MESSAGE OF PEACE, diversity AND INCLUSIon. we were delighted to see so many schools celebrating the flags of all nationalities from within their school communities.
this year we also dedicated flag day to our ukrainian neighbours as a symbol of our solidarity with them during this heartbreaking and extremely difficult time.
meanscoil castlegregory
Ballinamore community School
Beech hill college monaghan with cathaoirleach cllr aidan campbell
ardscoil rís limerick
cabra community college
CBC Monkstown park
coláiste dhúlaigh post primary school
carrick on shannon community college
christian brothers secondary school Kilkenny
coláiste CHIARáiN limerick
coláiste cholmchille indreabhan
coláiste eamonn Rís cork
coláiste mhichíl limerick
de la salle churchtown
coláiste eamonn rís callan
de la salle waterford with waterford city & county mayor joe kelly
dunmore community school
the highschool rathgar
kilrush community school
lanesboro community college
holy rosary college mountbellew
mary immaculata college dunmanway
our lady of mercy college beaumont
mercy secondary school navan with cathaoirleach cllr. francis deane
nagle community college cork with chair of tFM Foundation reverend michael cavanagh
oatlands community college
coláiste an átha gorey
patrician academy mallow
pobal scoil inbhear sceine, kenmare
ratoath colleGE
st. louis kiltimagh
presentation college listowel with td jimmy deenihan
Roscommon Community College
skerries community college with mayor seána ó'rodaigh
st. finian's community college mullingar
st. Mary's new ross
st. Brendan's college birr
st. joseph's rush
st. joseph's college lucan
st. mary's college naas
st. mary's secondary school baldoyle
st. mel's college longford
st. oliver's post primary college meath
st. paul's community college with waterford city & county mayor joe kelly
st. peter's college wexford
swords community college
2022 Supplement
HERE YOU CAN SEE THE PAGES FROM OUR SUPPLEMENT 'THE PEOPLE'S FLAG' IN THE IRISH INDEPENDENT published friday march 4th 2022.
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Awards & Scholarship 2022 Winners
Awards & Scholarship winners
"We of the Thomas Meagher Foundation were delighted with the number and quality of the entries to the Scholarship and Awards programme 2022. It is clear that the young people of Ireland are increasingly aware of the meaning and relevance of the Flag's symbolism in this decade of commemoration. The message of Unity and Peace was expressed with real creativity in each of the award categories - and it was particularly pleasing to see the number of entries from people from other birth nations who were eager to identify with Meagher's vision”.
Michael Cavanagh, Chair
scholarship winner
donal, hakim, olumide, wiktor - nagle community college, mahon, cork
The overall winning entry is a song: 'Children of the Flag' Written and performed by three 6th year students: Donal Ojiekhudu, Hakim Ali and Olumide Ogunlela from Nagle Community College Video filmed and edited by 6th year student Wiktor Owczarek. Available at the following youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgZRSj-M-Dk
Best overall entry senior cycle
jan ronan macatangay, coláiste muire mathair, galway
The Irish flag means and symbolises countless things to me. When I think about it in 2022, there are many pictures and words that come to my mind regarding it.
At the bottom on the art piece, we notice many different flags and hands of different races and ethnicities. This resembles unity and inclusion of many different countries and nationalities now living and working in Ireland. Today, I see an Ireland that fully embraces its diversity. It is at the bottom of the art piece as it portrays the foundation and the pillar of Ireland.
On the right, we see construction and roadwork. This symbolises how Ireland built itself into a wealthy and thriving country today. In the past Ireland went through great hardships and economic depressions in its history including the Famine, the 1930s Economic War, and the 1950s was an era known as ‘the disappearing Irish’.
On the left, we lay our eyes upon the much-talked about Covid-19 pandemic. We see a sense of intuition and innovation with the creation and distribution of vaccines in Ireland. Above that we also have famous drawings of traditional Irish emblems. These include the shamrock, the harp, the 4 leafed shamrock and of course hurling, Ireland’s famous sport.
Back to the middle of the poster, above the unity symbol we can spot a white dove. This white dove portrays peace in Ireland (which is what the white in the Irish flag also resembles.) The white dove also shows that Ireland and Irish people are pacifists and a friendly nation.
In front of the Irish flag we have our front line workers. These are the essential people without whose tireless efforts and hard work, we may have not entered 2022 safely or happily.
These front line workers include the medical workers, the Irish military and the Gardaí of Ireland. They stand in front of the flag because they are proud of their accomplishments and how they serve Ireland.
Last but most importantly, we notice the sun at the very top of the drawing. The bright sunset portrays the entirety of Ireland and its people. The sun peeking over the flag and everything resembles the hope and strength of the Irish during everything that we have experienced and gone through from the famine times to the current pandemic. Without our hope and strength, Ireland and its flag wouldn’t have flown quite so high. I am so proud of its impact on the world today.
This is what the Irish flag means to me in 2022.
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NAPD Conference 2021
we were absolutely thrilled when Mr. Clive Byrne, former Director of the NAPD and also an Honorary Board Member of the TFM Foundation recorded this video which featured over the two days of the NADP conference. You can view the video and read more here.
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