Selected students from St Colman's College, Fermoy were presented with a special commemorative Irish Tricolour at a ceremony in Waterford last week.

In preparation for the 1916 centenary celebrations next year, over 300 second level schools in Ireland have been invited to receive a flag presented by the Thomas Francis Meagher Foundation. The event in Waterford was attended by President Michael D Higgins, Mary Kennedy of RTE, Waterford's Mayor Lola O'Sullivan, as well as representatives from the Canadian Embassy and the US Army. Representing St Colman's were Fionn Dorgan, Ian Gunther, Seán Slattery and Adam D'Arcy.

Named after Thomas Francis Meagher, Irish patriot and US army general, who flew the first tricolour flag on 7th March 1848, the Foundation strives to ensure that every citizen of Ireland, and in particular, every schoolchild, knows the history and meaning behind the National Flag. The aim is to promote respect, inclusion and citizenship amongst young people through the symbolism of the tricolour.

The flag presented to the Fermoy school was one of 300 tricolours that actually flew over 33, The Mall, Waterford, the location where the first over one hundred and sixty years ago.

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