I'm often asked "who flew the flags above the GPO." Well it's a hard one to answer because there are a few answers. So here it goes:

On the roof, the republican tricolour flag of green, white and orange was hoisted at the Henry Street corner. On the Prince’s Street side floated a green banner bearing the inscription ‘Irish Republic’.

Michael Staines said that he hoisted the tricolour above the GPO. ‘I went on to the roof where I hoisted a flag on the corner near to Henry St. on the front. It was a tricolour, probably about 6ft. by 3ft. green next the flag post.’

However, it has also been suggested that Gearóid O’Sullivan, the youngest officer in the GPO, raised the tricolour. Harry Walpole dismissed this, saying that O’Sullivan was in Cabra that morning.

Walpole said that he and Seán Hegarty hoisted the Prince’s Street banner (IRISH REPUBLIC). Kitty O’Doherty said in her witness statement: ‘Walpole is the man who claims it; but my own firm belief is that Seán Hegarty was the man who hoisted the flag.’

Eamon Bulfin also claimed that he hoisted up the Prince’s Street flag. He remembered Willie Pearse giving it to him: ‘I have no recollection as to who put up the other flag, but I think it was a chap whom we afterwards knew as Redmond. He was one of the Liverpool-Irish....

....in the Kimmage Garrison, and I think his real name was Joe Gleeson. I don’t remember Gearóid O’Sullivan being there, but I did not know him at the time and he may have been there.’

Fintan Murphy stated: ‘I believe I saw Eamon Bulfin and Willie Pearse together at the flag-post in Prince’s Street.’ Tomorrow I'll tell you about the Starry Plough and the other Garrison flags.