Spanish and Irish officials hit out at flag plans

THE Department of Foreign Affairs and the Spanish Embassy in Dublin have both written to Dublin City Council officials, hitting out at plans to fly the Catalan flag outside of City Hall.

A motion was passed in solidarity with Catalans, following violent treatment by Spanish police during an unofficial referendum held on their independence, and a vote will now go before full council.

It is understood that no decision has been made on which flag will be flown – with two possible Catalan flags in the reckoning.

The official Catalan flag is the ‘Senyera’, which consists of four red stripes on a golden background.

However, the ‘Estelada’ – the independence flag – includes the stripes and golden background but also has a blue triangle with a star to the left of it.

Spain’s Ambassador José Maria Rodriguez Coso wrote a lengthy letter of concern regarding use of the latter flag. “It saddens me to think that the Irish and Dublin solidarity identifies itself with a flag that does not include all Barcelonans, nor all Catalans, but that only represents a part of them, who have indeed the right to think and be what they are, but always within the framework of respect for the law and the constitution,” he said.

“Irish public opinion will be confused about who represents Catalonia and Spain and in turn, Spanish public opinion will be confused about the opinion of the Irish, causing great damage to the Catalan and Spanish community resident in Dublin, whose absolute majority is in favour of continuing being part of Spain.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs wrote to council CEO Owen Keegan, asking him to draw the council’s attention to the department’s stance that it does not recognise the referendum.