St Patrick’s Day flag raised at Town Hall

Date published: 16/03/2007

The Mayor of Rochdale Councillor Jean Hornby officially started the Borough’s St Patrick’s Day Celebrations by raising a flag outside Rochdale Town Hall.

Rochdale MP, Paul Rowen, whose mother hails from County Limerick, was the man behind the raising of the flag.

However, some people in the town have raised the question why public time and money should be "wasted" on flag raising ceremonies.

A passer by, who did not want to be identified, said: "It was wet and windy, virtually no one attended, and one man did not want the flag raised because he said it was the wrong flag! I agree with him, it shouldn't have been raised, because it is a waste of money; if they must waste money on raising flags over the Town Hall it should be the flag of Saint George, Rochdale is after all in England not Ireland."