On Coronation Day, black flags were hoisted in certain areas across Ireland as a form of protest. In Limerick, the police took down five such flags from telegraph poles and other high locations. Concurrently, a shed containing fireworks intended for celebration was broken into and its contents destroyed. Similar incidents occurred near Dublin, where police removed numerous black flags at Rathfarnham, and in Castlebar, County Mayo, where a single black flag—raised from the United Irish League Rooms—was captured by the police without resistance.

These incidents of black flags on Coronation Day highlight the underlying tensions and contrasting sentiments within different Irish communities during that time. While many across the country were celebrating and partaking in festivities, others were dissenting and choosing to express their protest through these symbolic black flags. The police’s intervention in removing these flags and recovering destroyed fireworks reveals the authorities’ efforts to maintain peace and order amidst these conflicting viewpoints. Such instances serve as a stark reminder of Ireland’s complex political and social history, reflecting the diversity of opinions and emotions that have shaped the nation’s past and continue to influence its present.

Dundee Evening Telegraph – Wednesday 13 August 1902