The town of Renfrew will use the rest of the week to celebrate its Irish heritage.
Town Council have approved a request from a resident to fly the Irish National Flag outside Town Hall from 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13th, until Monday, March 18th, as part of the community’s recognition of St. Patrick’s Day.
In their request, the resident pointed out the prominent Irish roots in Renfrew, referencing family names who aided the early development of the area such as the Coyle’s and O’Brien’s.
While the town’s flag by-laws would not normally allow for another national flag to be flown outside Town Hall without an exception, one of the provisions makes it possible as the Irish flag has become a widely recognized symbol for the St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
Councilor John McDonald, who has raised concerns about the location and use of the community flag pole in the past, would support this instance, noting that Renfrew would join other communities in the Ottawa Valley that have already raised the Irish flag for the week, such as Petawawa.
One wrinkle in the celebrations is that the flag will have to be flown at half mast as municipalities across Canada continue to recognize the recent passing of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in the lead-up to his funeral service on March 23rd.
(written by Kasey Egan)