The 1916 Tricolour.
THE historic Irish tricolour flag flown over the headquarters of the Irish Volunteers during the Easter Rising of 1916 is headed for the United States. The flag will be presented on loan to the American Irish Historical Society at Fifth Avenue, New York across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Now insured for $1 million the flag was captured by British soldiers after the surrender. It was later given to a doctor in Lisburn, Co. Antrium whose son in law donated it to the family of John Sweetman (1844-1936). He was one of the founders of Sinn Fein.
The Sweetman family have loaned the flag to the American Irish Historical Society. Ian Whyte of Dublin auctioneers will formally hand over the flat to Kevin M Cahill MD, President-General of the American Irish Historical Society, at the AIHS building, 991 Fifth Avenue, on June 8.
Mr Whyte said: “the family are delighted to have this important icon of Irish history displayed in the AIHS in New York. The other flag that flew over the GPO during the Rising is in the National Museum of Ireland, and it is fitting that this tricolour is now in the USA, home to over forty million people of Irish descent”. It is hoped that the flag will be a focal point for the American commemorations of the Centenary of the Rising in 2016.