Munster Express Online

Now in its seventh year, Waterford City’s 1848 Tricolour Celebration continues to grow, with the 2017 edition (March 3rd to 5th) set to be the best yet according to its organisers.
According to Committee Chair, Paul Dower: “We have yet again been able to deliver a very wide and varied programme for 2017, with the support, help and guidance of Waterford Council. It was always going to be difficult to follow last year’s 1916-2016 Centenary Year Celebrations, but I do believe that we have managed to, at the very least, equal what we did last year. Being able to organise another re-enactment will once again put the Celebrations on a national footing.”
The programme will include what may prove to be Ireland’s largest re-enactment event this year. Titled ‘The Road to Independence’, this will take place on Saturday, March 4th at 2pm, outside the City’s Bishop’s Place and on The Mall.
The re-enactment will involve the co-ordination of over 80 participants, dressed in period uniforms from the Royal Irish Constabulary, Irish Volunteers, Irregular Irish Units and regular British.

So expect some loud bangs and plenty of noise at this event, where thousands of rounds of blank ammunition will be fired to make the re-enactment as realistic and authentic as possible. Re-enactor Robert O’Brien, whose are from Dungarvan, really enjoyed last year’s event which was a source of great local interest and national news coverage. There will be some minor road closures to accommodate the re-enactment.
The LE Ciara is also expected in the city over the weekend, as is the LE James Joyce, which is twinned with Waterford.
Among the invited guests shall be military personnel from the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, New York and their current Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Don Makay, will be one of the keynote guest speakers at the Gala Dinner, which takes place on Saturday, March 5th at 7pm at the Granville Hotel, the birthplace of Thomas Francis Meagher).
A visiting contingent of guests will also be travelling from the USA to Waterford City, specifically for the Celebration, from as far afield as New York, Montana and Massachusetts, while senior membership of the Irish Defence Forces also due to attend.
On Sunday, March 5th. the main Flag Raising ceremony will take place outside the House of Waterford Crystal, on The Mall, from 2:45pm.
The event will be attended by dignitaries and Embassy representatives, members of the Irish Defence and US Armed Forces, the Military Veteran’s Associations, with musical accompaniment from Thomas Frances Meagher Fife and Drum Band, Barrack Street Concert Band and The Island of Ireland Peace Choir.
The weekend is supported by a weeklong schools education series, which will see Thomas Frances Meagher visit literally thousands of local school children. The promotion of the symbolism of the Irish Flag, is the theme of these visits and will happen in conjunction with a Waterford City Museums awareness programme. Paul Dower told this newspaper he was delighted with the reaction from the schools.
Further information can be found at http://www.1848tricolour.com