The National Flag of Ireland

The National Flag of Ireland

The National Flag of Ireland, often referred to as the tricolour, consists of three colours – green, white and orange, vertically disposed. The flag is twice as wide as it is high. The three colours are of equal size and the green goes next to the flagstaff.

It was adopted as the flag of the Irish Free State in 1922. It was formally confirmed as the National Flag in the 1937 Constitution, in Article 7:

‘..The national flag is the tricolour of green, white and orange.’

'..An bhratach trí dhath i uaine, bán, agus flannbhuí, an suaitheantas náisiúnta’.

The Irish Tricolour is intended to symbolise the inclusion and hoped-for union of the people of different traditions on this island, which is now expressed in the Constitution as the entitlement of every person born in the island of Ireland to be part of the Irish nation (regardless of ethnic origin, religion or political conviction).

A green flag with harp was an older symbol used by Irish nationalists, going back at least to Confederate Ireland and Owen Roe O’Neill in the 1640s. It was also widely adopted by the Irish Volunteers in the 1780s and especial- ly by the United Irishmen in the 1798 rebellion. The flag shown in this image was recovered from the ruins of Liberty Hall in Dublin following its shelling by the British gunboat The Helga during the Easter Rising 1916.

A rival organisation, the Orange Order, which was exclusively Protestant, was founded in 1795 in memory of King William of Orange and the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1689. Following the 1798 Rebellion, the ideal of a later Nationalist genera- tion in the mid-nineteenth century was to make peace between them and, if possible, to found a self-governing Ireland on such peace and union.

Irish tricolours were mentioned in 1830 and 1844, but widespread recognition was not accorded to the flag until 1848. From March of that year, Irish tricolours appeared side by side with French ones at meetings held all over the country to celebrate the revolution that had just taken place in France. On 7 March 1848, Thomas Francis Meagher, the Young Ireland leader, flew a tricolour from 33 The Mall in Waterford, where it flew continuously for a week until removed by the authorities. On the same day, a tricolour was reported to have been carried in a parade to Vinegar Hill, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. In April, Meagher brought a tricolour from Paris, presented it to a Dublin meeting and outlined the significance of the colours:

“The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between Orange and Green and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood.”

John Mitchel, also a member of the Young Ireland Movement, said: “I hope to see that flag one day waving as our national banner.”

Although the tricolour was not forgotten as a symbol of hoped-for union and a banner associated with the Young Irelanders and revolution, it was little used between 1848 and 1916. Even up to the eve of the Rising in 1916, the green flag with harp held undisputed sway.

The arrangement of the early tricolours was not standardised. All of the 1848 tricolours showed green, white and orange, but orange was sometimes put next to the staff, and in at least one flag the order was orange, green and white. In 1850 a flag of green for the Catholics, orange for the Protestants of the Established Church and blue for the Presbyterians was proposed. In 1883 a Parnellite tricolour of yellow, white and green, arranged horizontally, is recorded. Down to modern times yellow or gold has occasionally been used instead of orange, but this substitution destroys the symbolism of the National Flag.

The Irish Tricolour flag was flown over the General Post Office on Easter Monday, 1916, along with a large green flag inscribed with the words “Irish Republic”.

The Irish Citizen Army Flag flew on the Imperial Hotel on O’Connell St. during the Rising. This flag shows a stylised representation of a plough with a representation of the constellation Ursa Major superimposed on it, all on a green field bordered by a gilt fringe.

Associated with separatism in the past, flown during the Rising of 1916 and capturing the national imagination as the banner of the new revolutionary Ireland, the tricolour came to be accepted as the National Flag. It continued to be used officially during the period 1922- 1937, and in the latter year its position as the National Flag was formally confirmed by the new Constitution.

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The Irish National Anthem

The National Anthem of Ireland

The National Anthem, called The Soldier's Song was written in 1907 by Peadar Kearney, an uncle of Brendan Behan. It was first published in the newspaper, Irish Freedom in 1912, but was not widely known until it was sung at the GPO during the Easter Rising of 1916.

The chorus was formally adopted as the National Anthem in 1926.

Amhrán na bhFiann	The Soldier’s Song
Seo díbh a chairde duan óglaigh, Caithréimeach bríomhar ceolmhar, Ár dtinte cnámh go buacach táid, 'S an spéir go mín réaltógach Is fonnmhar faobhrach sinn chun gleo 'S go tiúnmhar glé roimh thíocht don ló Faoi chiúnas chaomh na hoíche ar seol: Seo libh canaigí Amhrán na bhFiann.	We'll sing a song, a soldier's song, With cheering rousing chorus, As round our blazing fires we throng, The starry heavens o'er us; Impatient for the coming fight, And as we wait the morning's light, Here in the silence of the night, We'll chant a soldier's song.
Curfá:	Chorus:
Sinne Fianna Fáil Atá faoi gheall ag Éirinn, Buíon dár slua Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn. Faoi mhóid bheith saor, Seantír ár sinsir feasta Ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráil Anocht a théim sa bhearna baoil, Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil Le gunnascréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar Seo libh canaigí Amhrán na bhFiann.	Soldiers are we whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave. Sworn to be free, No more our ancient sire land Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the gap of danger In Erin's cause, come woe or weal Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal, We'll chant a soldier's song.
Cois bánta réidh, ar arda sléibhe, Ba bhuach ár sinsir romhainn, Ag lámhach go tréan faoin sárbhrat séin Tá thuas sa ghaoth go seolta Ba dhúchas riamh dár gcine cháidh Gan iompáil siar ó imirt áir, 'S ag siúl mar iad i gcoinne namhad Seo libh, canaigí Amhrán na bhFiann.	In valley green, on towering crag, Our fathers fought before us, And conquered 'neath the same old flag That's proudly floating o'er us. We're children of a fighting race, That never yet has known disgrace, And as we march, the foe to face, We'll chant a soldier's song.
Curfá	Chorus
A bhuíon nach fann d'fhuil Ghaeil is Gall, Sin breacadh lae na saoirse, Ta sceimhle 's scanradh i gcroithe namhad, Roimh ranna laochra ár dtíre. Ár dtinte is tréith gan spréach anois, Sin luisne ghlé san spéir anoir, 'S an bíobha i raon na bpiléar agaibh: Seo libh, canaigí Amhrán na bhFiann.	Sons of the Gael! Men of the Pale! The long watched day is breaking; The serried ranks of Inisfail Shall set the Tyrant quaking. Our camp fires now are burning low; See in the east a silv'ry glow, Out yonder waits the Saxon foe, So chant a soldier's song.
Curfá	Chorus

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The Harp

Official State Emblem: The Harp

Ireland has the distinction of being the only nation to have a musical instrument as a national emblem. The Harp was first recorded as the arms of Ireland in medieval times. It is depicted as such alongside the coats of arms of a dozen or more medieval European kingdoms on a single folio of the Wijnbergen roll of arms (a Flemish roll of arms) compiled about 1270. The model for the current standard representation of the heraldic Harp is the 14th century harp now preserved in the Museum of Trinity College Dublin, popularly known as the Brian Boru or Brian Borumha Harp.

The State coat of arms is a gold Harp with silver strings on an azure field. This is adapted in flag form as the Presidential Standard, which is flown at the President's residence, Áras an Uachtaráin. The Government, its agencies and its representatives at home and abroad, also use the Harp as the ordinary emblem of the State. It is the principal element of the seals of the office of President and all Government Ministers. The Harp is also found on the obverse of Euro coins minted in Ireland.

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The Shamrock

Official State Emblem: The Shamrock

Tradition holds that St Patrick used the shamrock, a green trefoil, when preaching the Christian gospel in Ireland to explain the concept of the Trinity. The first records of it being used as a badge on St Patrick's Day date from the 17th Century. Today the shamrock is also used extensively as a badge by Irish sports teams and, to a lesser extent as a component of the logos of some Irish State organisations and companies, both semi-State and private. It is also displayed on the uniforms of Irish troops serving abroad.

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Other Well-Known Irish Symbols

Other Well-Known Irish Symbols

The Celtic High Cross

The High Cross is one of the most distinct symbols of Ireland. There is much speculation about the symbolism, ritual, and meaning expressed in the Celtic Cross. Its unique combination of circle and cross may suggest a melding of pagan sun-worship with early Christianity. The circle may be traced back to ancient concepts of the omphalos or center of the world. It might suggest a cosmic wheel, part of the constant movement of the heavens. Or it may derive from the Celtic artifact of the Torc or welded circle, symbolic of the strength of the gods. However we understand the Celtic Cross, it is richly representative of the distinct nature of Irish Christianity, which has always maintained its own unique traditions and its connections with the ancient Irish past and the Irish landscape.

High Crosses cover the landscape of Ireland, almost always associated with the remains of the great monasteries. Of particular importance are the magnificent crosses at Clonmacnois, Co. Offaly; Monasterboice, Co. Louth; and Kells, Co. Meath. The Irish High Cross is itself a kind of holy text: images from the Old and New Testaments, from the Lives of the Saints, and in some cases from pagan mythology, cover the crosses from top to bottom and side to side.

The Claddagh Ring

The Claddagh ring (Irish: fáinne Chladaigh) represents love, loyalty, and friendship. The clasped hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty.

The design and meanings associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, Galway in the west of Ireland. The ring, in its current form, was first produced in the 17th century. There are many legends about the origins of the ring, particularly concerning Richard Joyce, a silversmith from Galway circa 1700, who is said to have invented the Claddagh design as we know it. Legend has it that Joyce was captured and enslaved by Algerian Corsairs around 1675 while on a passage to the West Indies; he was sold into slavery to a Moorish goldsmith who taught him the craft. King William III sent an ambassador to Algeria to demand the release of any and all British subjects who were enslaved in that country, which at the time would have included Richard Joyce. After fourteen years, Joyce was released and returned to Galway and brought along with him the ring he had fashioned while in captivity: what we've come to know as the Claddagh. He gave the ring to his sweetheart, married, and became a goldsmith with "considerable success".

The Claddagh's distinctive design features two hands clasping a heart and usually surmounted by a crown. These elements symbolize the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown). A "Fenian" Claddagh ring, without a crown, is a slightly different take on the design but has not achieved the level of popularity of the crowned version. Claddagh rings are relatively popular among the Irish and those of Irish heritage as cultural symbols and as friendship, engagement and wedding rings.

While Claddagh rings are sometimes used as friendship rings, they are most commonly used as engagement and wedding rings. Mothers sometimes give these rings to daughters when they come of age. There are several mottos and wishes associated with the ring, such as: "Let love and friendship reign." In Ireland, and other parts of the Irish diaspora, the Claddagh ring is sometimes handed down mother-to-eldest daughter or grandmother-to-granddaughter.

The way that a Claddagh ring is worn on the hand is usually intended to convey the wearer's romantic availability, or lack thereof. Traditionally, if the ring is on the right hand with the heart facing outward and away from the body, this indicates that the person wearing the ring is not in any serious relationship, and may in fact be single and looking for a relationship: "their heart is open." When worn on the right hand but with the heart facing inward toward the body, this indicates the person wearing the ring is in a relationship, or that "someone has captured their heart". A Claddagh worn on the left hand ring finger facing outward away from the body generally indicates that the wearer is engaged. When the ring is on the left hand ring finger and facing inward toward the body, it generally means that the person wearing the ring is married.

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