The Irish Tricolour could fly over the council building in an English town next year to mark the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

Irish residents in the northern English town of Preston in Lancashire have asked the local council to fly the Tricolour to mark the historic event. Preston has been heavily populated by the Irish since the 19th century.

There is precedent for such a move, as Preston’s council flew the flag of Jamaica to mark 50 years of Jamaican independence. The council also flew a Palestinian flag last July, but it was taken down after a protest.

Labour councillor Robert Boswell stated there was precedent. “We fly the rainbow flag for gay pride week and an armed forces flag to celebrate armed forces day. These flags replaced the Union Jack on the top of the town hall. Were they all acts of treason?" the Irish Times reports.

”One British Army veteran corresponding with a local Labour Party politician expressed his dismay over the prospect of a Tricolour flying in Preston to mark the 100th anniversary.

“To raise the Irish Tricolour in support of the Easter Rising? I find also hard to stomach in support of an uprising against your own people?” the veteran said.

“As far as I’m aware Jamaica has never done anything wrong to Britain unlike the Easter uprising (sic) which in effect started off the IRA who proceeded to murder over 3,000 British soldiers and innocent men, women and children. It appears to me that your local council supports anything and anyone which goes against British values.”