Green Party TD Patrick Costello today urged the Irish Government to designate the 12th of July as a "public holiday" in the Republic of Ireland.
Costello, also a member of the Good Friday Agreement Oireachtas Committee, delivered a statement via Twitter urging government to make the move which would "unite all the peoples" of the island.
"This day is an extremely important one historically for the island, and culturally for many people who live here," Costello wrote.
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The 12th of July, also known as "the Twelfth", marks the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, an act that secured a Protestant line of succession for the British crown in Ireland.
The Dublin South-Central TD reflected on legislative efforts made following the Good Friday Agreement which enabled peace, such as the amendment to Articles 3 of the Irish Constitution aimed at reflecting the desired oneness of nationalists and unionists, Catholics and Protestants, on the island of Ireland.
"The new Article 3 specifies that the State will work 'to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all diversity of their identities and traditions.'
"Indeed, in Northern Ireland, both the 12th and St. Patrick's Day are designated as public holidays, this too should be replicated here."
He sought to express the positive economic impact the celebration of the Twelfth could have in the Republic, pointing to tourism as a sector which could reap the rewards financially.
"For tourism there is huge untapped potential relating to the Jacobite-Williamite War. In particular I think of the Battle of the Boyne site itself where the OPW run a fantastic visitor site. In Limerick we could capitalise on the Treaty stone and in Galway on the Battle of Aughrim site."
He concluded by stating "if the Irish State truly aspires to unite all the peoples of this island, then all of those people need to feel represented and included."
The statement comes two days after a loyalist bonfire burned an Irish flag and an image of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Co. Tyrone, an act which is being investigated as a hate crime by the PSNI and ignited much resentment across the nationalist community, north and south.
Costello doubled down on his statement later on Monday when speaking on Moncrieff, though wanted to clarify his comments in light of the weekend's bonfire incident.
“I think the sectarian hate that goes with the bonfires - the burning of effigies, the abuse and offensive language - I don’t want to bring that with us.
“I think that flies in the face of reconciliation and shared understand that a new bank holiday on 12th July could help build.”
Reaction to Costello's statement posted on Twitter was largely negative, with one commenter writing "You need to lay off the green weed".
Another wrote: "In the event of unity, yes. No problem and a no brainer. Until then, it would be like celebrating a birthday party with the birthday child absent."
