Beschreibung:

A 1916 Tricolour An Irish linen Tricolour flag sewn in three parts and dyed yellow, white and green believed to have flown from the GPO, Dublin 1916, 74 x 159cm (29.1 x 62.6'') PROVENANCE: Captured by British Troops, Dublin 1916 and given by a British Officer to the Sweetman Family (see notes) The property of the Sweetman Family The history of the Tricolour begins in 19th Century Revolutionary France, the French Tricolour being the model upon which the Irish Tricolour is based. The popular account of the unveiling of the Tricolour states that it occurred in 1848 in Dublin at a meeting of the Irish Confederation at which Thomas Francis Meagher produced the Tricolour and presented it as a gift from ''Our Revolutionary Brothers in France''. The Tricolour of green, white and orange vertical stripes was said to be a new flag and not a reworking of any ancient standard. The colours chosen represented the two traditions on the Island, the white space between them signifying peace. The clear intent being a unifying standard under which all could stand. Indeed John Mitchell commented at the time that he wished to see the flag flying as our national emblem. In the years that followed the 1916 rebellion the flag continued to be supported by Fenian elements in America and the IRB. However it appears at the time that the unifying symbolism of the green and orange grew weak with the substitution of yellow or gold for orange. A report from an Irish American General who was sent by American Fenians to Ireland to assess the IRB states that the flag should be green, white and yellow with a sunburst in the centre. This theme of green, white and yellow is further evidenced by a watercolour of the 1883 presentation to Charles Stewart Parnell in Dublin of a public subscription fund of ?40,000. In pride of place in the proceedings is a Tricolour of green, white and yellow vertical stripes. In 1914 J.J. Scallan, Commandant of The Hibernian Rifles (the militant wing of the Ancient Order of Hibernians) stated ''many of us shall live to see our own immortal green interwoven with the yellow and white of the Irish Republic, waving proudly''. The Riffles played an active role in 1916. It is apparent that this change from orange to yellow or gold was widespread. Sean O'Casey commented that the orange stripe of the colour is weakening to the yellow of the Vatican and Orangemen are not colour blind. In the run up to 1916 Sean MacDiarmada ordered green, white and yellow favours from a Dublin drapery company, presumably to be worn by Volunteers of Finna Eireann Boy Scouts. In the event the company incorrectly assembled the order of the colours and MacDiarmada refused to pay for them. Sean Heuston's sister reassembled and re-stitched some of these (Fr. John Heuston OP). It is possible that this order included armbands of a type found in Liberty Hall after the Rebellion and now in The National Museum. On the day of the Rising James Connolly ordered Sean T. O'Kelly to go to Liberty Hall and from a cupboard return with two flags. One was a Tricolour, the other the Green Flag with the words Irish Republic emblazoned across it in gold (National Museum of Ireland). This flag was later captured and up until 1960 when it was returned to Ireland, was held in the Imperial War Museum. Both flags flew together over the GPO as Pearse read out the proclamation. The Tricolour, because of its lack of recognition, was still flying on the Monday following the Rebellion. Ernie O'Malley reported seeing the flag on the Monday and Dr James Ryan reported the flag was still flying as he and his comrades were led away. It was in the aftermath of the Rebellion that the public imagination became captured by the Tricolour and it became popularised by songs such as ''The Dying Rebel'' which mentions green, white and gold and Peader Kearney's ''Three Coloured Ribbon''. From 1922 the Tricolour became the de facto flag of the State and it was during this period that the orange was firmly esta