Emyvale artist reclaims tricolour

EMYVALE designer, Helen Steele, has teamed up with Nigerian-Irish artist, Farouk Alao, and international aid charity, GOAL, on a campaign to “reclaim the Irish tricolour as a symbol of welcome and belonging”.

The Céad Míle Collection is inspired by Ireland’s reputation for Céad Míle Fáilte or a hundred thousand welcomes, and asks the question: what should the Irish flag represent?

For the designers and GOAL NextGen the answer is clear: the tricolour should mean welcome, belonging, solidarity and community.

Research conducted by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in 2025 found that 66% of non-white people in Ireland experienced racism in the past 12 months.

Against this backdrop, the Céad Míle Collection challenges the idea that national pride and inclusion are opposing forces, and instead celebrates an Ireland where the two belong together.

Artist and fashion designer, Helen Steele, works out of a former duck hatchery linked to the Silverhill Duck plant in Emyvale. She is best-known for her use of vibrant colours, wearable art and streetwear available to buy in Dunnes Stores.

Originally from Kilkenny, Helen Steele said she feels there is “something deeply sad about seeing the Irish flag and immediately assuming it means hostility rather than pride.

“Our national flag should be a symbol that makes people feel welcome, not wary,” she said.

Farouk Alao is an Irish creative whose work has graced the Tate Britain and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. He moved to Dublin from Nigeria when he was around eight.

Helen Steele said collaborating with Farouk on the Céad Míle Collection “gives us the chance to reclaim that symbol and reimagine it as a reflection of the Ireland so many of us believe in: one built on kindness, hospitality and shared humanity.

“I hope it encourages people to see the flag, and what it means to belong here, in a different light,” the designer said.The Céad Míle Collection will be unveiled at a public launch event in Dublin this autumn.