Page 50 - WDT MAGAZINE IRELAND ISSUE WINTER 2018

As the son of Waterford’s successful and wealthy independence in 1921. The three colors were green
mayor, Meagher was educated in England winning for the Gaelic/Catholic natives, orange for the English/
accolades for his writing and debating. His infatuation Protestant planters who had been in Ireland since the
with Irish nationalism led him to join the radical Young 1600s, and a white “lasting truce and heroic brother-
Irelander movement which denounced the non-violent hood between the two communities.”
approach to gaining independence from Britain. He On March 7, 1848, Meagher flew the flag from the
was nicknamed “Meagher of the sword” because of Wolfe Tone Confederate Club in Waterford. Unfortu-
his fiery speeches advocating armed insurrection to nately, the country was too weak from starvation to
end British rule in Ireland. care much for any additional misery. After an abbrevi-
In 1845 Meagher blamed the potato famine that ated armed skirmish in County Tipperary, known as
crippled Ireland on the continued food exports to the “Battle for Widow McCormack’s cabbage patch,”
Britain. In France, as a delegate for the Young Ireland- Meagher and a few friends were sentenced to be
ers, the French gave him the first Irish tricolor flag hanged. The good news is that Queen Victoria com-
which became the official national flag upon Irish muted the death sentences, the bad news is she

50 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018