Killarney

By Sean Moriarty
<h3>Concerns for health and safety at Fitzgerald Stadium during last Sunday&rsquo;s storm forced stadium staff to breach Tri Colour Flag rules.</h3>
A flag was left at half-mast overnight on Sunday. This in breach of the many rules surrounding the flying the Irish national flag at public buildings.
The national flag should be displayed in the open only between sunrise and sunset, but flags that are flown at night must be lit-up. Flying the flag at half-mast is reserved for periods of national mourning and there are protocols in place, including the methods in which the flag is set at half-mast for such occasions.
Sunday was a very busy day at the stadium as County Championship matches were played at the venue, volunteers arrived on site before 10am and many were still there after 5pm that evening.
The flag was raised ahead of&nbsp;all the games, and in line with protocol, and it was intended to remove it on conclusion of the day&rsquo;s final game. It can only be accessed by climbing ladders to the top of the scoreboard.
A wind and rain storm ravaged the county making conditions very difficult for anyone to work in.
&ldquo;It was so bad that several other GAA matches were postponed in other venues,&rdquo; Stadium chairman Der Brosnan told the Killarney Advertiser.
&ldquo;The second game concluded at 5pm and conditions were still very bad. It was then that I, as chairman made the decision based on the health and safety of the caretaker to ask him not to attempt to climb the ladders as the winds were too strong and I feared for his safety. I was aware I was breaching protocol but I believed in this instance health and safety concerns were more significant.&rdquo;

Safety concerns forced national flag protocol breach

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