Trinity College and the Irish Flag

Patrickisperfec

Im just wondering what the story is with TCD and them refusing to fly the tricolour, i heard some other similar stoies and was wondering if they're true.
Any info would be great

xeduCat

On an average day, there are no flags flying at the TCD main entrance. Flags are flown on particular days and particular occasions, for example when a foreign head of state (or similar) visits, three flags are flown (as seen from College Green): the nation of the visitor (left), the Irish flag (middle) and the college flag (right). There are different situations for certain State days, for deaths of certain College staff or former staff, for commencement (graduation) ceremonies, etc, but I can't recall them all (there is a 'protocol' on the topic floating around somewhere, I've read it...)

The Students' Union has campaigned for some years to have the Irish flag flown each day but this request was not accepted by the College (although the SU policy was ultimately adopted by referendum of the student body and thus is still - at least in a formal sense - an active policy, I don't know what sort of work is being done on it at present).

In terms of why the current position is not to fly flags, there are many different reasons, for now I can point towards the last time it was officially discussed (that I know of) (taken from the (public) minutes of a committee, Sites & Facilities. in March 2006:

A memorandum from the Students’ Union President was circulated to the Committee proposing a number of changes to the current College flag flying protocol. The SU President said that the issue had been raised at the Students Union Council. He argued that the flag poles at the front of College are dormant for the majority of the year and proposed flying the national Flag, College Flag and University Flag more regularly.

Following a discussion it was agreed that the current protocol which has evolved over time to reflect the various opinions remains appropriate. The Committee agreed that consideration should be given to an interpretation of the current protocol that might allow greater use of the flag poles on celebratory occasions, and that the College should follow recommendations from the Government in relation to celebrations of the Easter Rising.

My personal view is that I couldn't care less what flies from the roof (although I will accept suggestions on using dead lawyers to attract magpies, or something), but obviously a majority of students voting in the referendum disagree with me! I'm sure at least one poster here will be able to give better reasons for and against it...

Time Magazine

Patrickisperfec wrote: »

Im just wondering what the story is with TCD and them refusing to fly the tricolour, i heard some other similar stoies and was wondering if they're true.
Any info would be great

They don't refuse to fly the tricolour; they refuse (in general) to fly flags. Just as they don't fly the twelve stars of Europe, they didn't fly the Union Jack or St. Patrick's Flag or any other flag. It's nothing to do with the tricolour.

Timans

Why should they fly the Tricolour?

At the end of the day, who cares?

At least 2400 Trinity students agreed with the question put to them in recent years about the Irish Flag, so take from that what you will.

Patrickisperfec

thanks

Nehpets

Myth wrote: »

At least 2400 Trinity students agreed with the question put to them in recent years about the Irish Flag, so take from that what you will.

Was this a survey or a meeting for people who were serious about the flag being put up?

Time Magazine

A referendum.

sitstill

In UCD, a Leinster flag a tricolour and the UCD colours are flown from sunrise to sunset each day. I guess UCD is a much more patriotic university!!!

Moorsy

Myth wrote: »

At least 2400 Trinity students agreed with the question put to them in recent years about the Irish Flag, so take from that what you will.

Mmm and how many students were involved in campaigning for the ‘yes’ and the ‘no’ vote? A negligible amount, possibly two. If a normative question is put to anybody (students receive the ballot for the referendum whether they agree with it or not) and a question like ‘do you think it's wrong to kill cats’ or ‘do you think the flag should be flown above TCD’ the majority of people will answer in the affirmative. Simply because it’s not a hard decision to make.

The result of that referendum doesn't really show anything and furthermore the 25% of students who actually voted against it, I think, speak louder than the actual vote in favour. Mainly because the majority of people would have no objection to the flag being flow but 25% voting against shows an irregularity, possibly due to lack of information, not adverse opinion.

Flag should be flown, but other issues trump it. Saying that, if Student Union Council passes a motion, it is the voice of the Student body, but it will only actually become an issue if people are willing to spend time and resources actually fighting for it not simply ticking a box and passing on responsibility.

If people want the flag to be flown start a campaign, have a protest, do something other than a referendum that not a lot of people know (or knew) about it. People and actions will change things, not a vacuous referendum.

shay_562

sitstill wrote:

In UCD, a Leinster flag a tricolour and the UCD colours are flown from sunrise to sunset each day. I guess UCD is a much more patriotic university!!!

Yes, because "patriotism" is a quantitative property that can be measured by the amount of meaningless nationalistic acts you do in a given day and compared to others. Ugh.

I don't have the energy to rant about it, but "Hell yeah" to pretty much everything Moorsy said.

Myth wrote: »

At least 2400 Trinity students agreed with the question put to them in recent years about the Irish Flag, so take from that what you will.

Maybe they didn't (all) understand that there was usually no flag at all...?

<Jonny>

<Jonny> wrote: »

Maybe they didn't (all) understand that there was usually no flag at all...?

Maybe lots of things! Maybe 2400 people misunderstood the question