The 1848 Tricolour Celebration
A Celebration of Irish Culture at the Birthplace of the Irish Flag
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Thomas Francis Meagher
Thomas Francis Meagher (August 3, 1823 – July 1, 1867) was a brave Irish man who was willing to give up his life for the sake of freedom and equality. He spoke out against the oppressive regime in Ireland at the time and called for all Irish people to stand up together to overcome it. He captured his dream for freedom and unity in our national flag. Frustrated and devastated by the deaths of millions of Irish people during the famine, he and a group of Young Ireland revolutionaries took part in the rebellion of 1848. For this action and his seditious speeches he was convicted of high treason and sentenced to he hung drawn and quartered. The sentence was lessened and he was instead exiled to Tasmania. After 2 years in exile, he escaped and made his way to America (via Brazil) where he eventually became a Brigadier-General in the US Army during the American Civil War. Always true to his principles he fought selflessly for the Union, for the ideals of freedom and equality for all people.