Sports stars such as Rhasidat Adeleke should be kept away from the ‘weaponisation’ of the Irish flag, according to one columnist. 

There are several photos of each of Ms Adeleke and other athletes with the Irish Tricolour draped around their shoulders following their success at the 2024 European Championships. 

Irish Examiner columnist Colin Sheridan, however, warned there is something more “nefarious at play” with the tricolour these days. 

“What we’ve gone through in recent weeks with local and European elections – that's a weaponisation of a different kind,” he told Moncrieff. 

“There’s a softer, well-intentioned weaponisation that can have a negative effect.” 

He said there is an “assumption” that athletes must drape themselves with the Irish flag after they win something, even if they don’t want to. 

Many people, according to Mr Sheridan, want athletes to be “as Irish as we want them to be” - even though flags have nothing to do with nationality.  

Ciara Mageean celebrating with the Irish flag after the Women's 1500m Final at the European Athletics Championship 2022. Image:Mark Easton / Alamy Stock Photo

He recalled when athlete Sonia O’Sullivan was criticised for handing back the Irish flag when she won gold at the 1995 World Championships. 

“She said the reason that happened was because she was absolutely goosed after running the race of her life,” he said. 

“Even in that instance, she received quite a lot of flak from well-established journalists and people. 

“If one of those athletes – Adeleke in this instance, who seems to be the subject of the most [abuse] – if she had dropped the flag when it was thrown to her for whatever reason, you can imagine the backlash being far more severe than it ever should be.” 

Being 'careful' with the Irish flag

People should be more “careful and cognizant” about the Irish flag – even if it’s being used to celebrate someone. 

“Even in celebrating Adeleke last week, every picture that was posted to celebrate was trying to show, look she is Irish, she’s holding the flag,” he said. 

Ireland is still a “relatively young” country, according to Mr Sheridan and it might still “graduate to a new meaning”. 

“We see how the American flag is heavily weaponised in the military sense and the sporting sense,” he said. 

“Even the poppy in the UK, people are forced into certain situations that if you don’t wear a poppy you don't stand for something.” 

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the Irish – but Mr Sheridan said symbols like the flag shouldn’t be “imposed” on people without question. 

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