The flag of Ireland represents its history, symbols, and tradition.
But do you know what these meaningsare? To understand a little more about Irish culture, nothing better thanlearning about the greatest symbol of any country, its flag.
Just as many other Irish symbols, theIreland flag has a rich meaning and represents peace, above all.
So today’s article will be about the Irish flag, its weight in the history of the country, and the most important symbols of Ireland.
From Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland is filled with legends, tales, and castles worth discovering.
What is the flag of Ireland like?
The Irish flag is a rectangular shapewith three vertical stripes of the same size. Green, white, and orange. In thatexact order.
These three colors form the tricolorflag of Ireland.
Ireland flag: The story behind the flag
Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish nationalist, went to France in 1948 to study the revolutionary events in the country.
And as a gift, French women, who sympathized with the Irish cause, gave him the Irish tricolor.
However, the flag was only officially presented to the public in 1916.
And although at that time, some considered the tricolor flag to be the country’s official one, it was not until 1919, during the war of independence, that the flag began to be recognized as the official flag of Ireland.
Finally, in 1937, the tricolor Irishflag was formally confirmed by the new Constitution of Ireland.
Meaning of Irish flag’s colors
The white in the center signifies a lasting truce between the ‘Orange’ and the ‘Green’, and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood.
Thomas Francis Meagher, on presenting the flag to the people of Dublin in April 1848
The green
The first color on the Irish flagsymbolizes many things, such as the struggle for the country’s independence,republicanism, Gaelic tradition, and even the Catholic part from the country.
But the most accepted meaning is thatthe green of the Irish flag symbolizes the Roman Catholics of the country.
The white
In the middle of the flag, the whiteis the aspiration for peace and hope for union between the Catholics andProtestants in Ireland.
The orange
The last color of the Irish flagrepresents the minority Protestants who were supporters of William of Orange.
William was a Dutch prince by birthand the King of England, Ireland, and Scotland by marriage in the late17th-century. He defeated King James II and his predominantly Irish Catholicarmy.
Ireland flag: Exact colors
| Scheme | Green | White | Orange |
| CMYK | 92-0-97-0 | 0-0-0-0 | 0-54-100-0 |
| Hex triplet | #009A44 | #FFFFFF | #FF8200 |
| Pantone | 347C | white | 151C |
| RGB | 0-154-68 | 255-255-255 | 255-130-0 |
Fun facts about the flag of Ireland
Twin flags?
An interesting fun fact about Ireland, or better put, about the Irish flag is that it has the same colors as the Ivory Coast flag, but with one little detail: the order is inverted.
The Ivory Coast flag is, from left toright, orange, white, and green.
So beware of the color order not topay takedowns when posting a photo with the Irish flag emoji on subtitle.
The first flag of Ireland
Before the tricolor flag, Ireland hada green unofficial flag that featured a golden harp in the middle.
That flag had been used since the early 17th-century, and even after the tricolor flag was considered the official one, the harp remained one of Ireland’s symbols.
However, the first official flag ofIreland, before independence, was the flag of the United Kingdom as we knowtoday, the so-called Union flag.
It combines the red cross of StGeorge for the Kingdom of England, the white saltire of St Andrew for Scotland,and the red saltire of St Patrick to represent Ireland.
Union flag
Even after Ireland’s independence,the flag of the United Kingdom was not modified. It remains to feature StPatrick’s flag.
Flags of the four Irish provinces
Although there are not many nationalflags in Irish history, there are some other flags that represent the provincesthat divide the country.
The territory of Ireland, NorthernIreland included, is divided into four provinces, and each one of thoseprovinces has a flag that represents them.
The flags are:
Leinster flag
The flag of Leinster is simple butbeautiful and powerful. It features a golden harp on a green background.
As said, the hard remains an Irishsymbol to this day.
Ulster flag
The traditional flag of Ulster servedas a base for the Ulster banner used by the Government of Northern Irelanduntil 1973.
This traditional flag features a redcross over a yellow background with the white shield presenting the Red Hand ofUlster in the center.
Connacht flag
Connacht flag is divided in half fromtop to bottom and features an eagle and armed hand.
The black eagle is on a whitebackground, while the warrior’s arm holding a sword is on a blue background.
Read next: Things to do in Doolin Ireland
Munster flag
The flag of Munster features three golden crowns, two on top and one on the bottom, on a blue background.
The most accepted version is that thecrowns represent Thom*ond, Desmond, and Ormond, regions in Ireland.
Ireland symbols
Besides the Irish flag, there aremany symbols that represent parts of the Irish culture.
We’ll talk about the most importantIrish symbols below.
The shamrock
The shamrock became known as an Irishsymbol after St Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) used it as a metaphor for theChristian Holy Trinity.
In this case, the Father, the Son,and the Holy Spirit, each one being represented by one leaf.
Today, the shamrock is used in theemblems of many state organizations, such as the Tourism Ireland office and thePolice Service of Northern Ireland.
The Irish Harp
The Irish harp is one of the mostimportant symbols of the Celtic culture.
Stamped on the Irish passport,government logos, currency (euro), Leinster flag, and even on the Guinness andRyanair logos, the harp is a national symbol of Ireland.
No one knows for sure when this symbol emerged. But legend has it that the Irish king Brian Boru was a skilled player of this instrument.
Other legend says it that the harp was the only instrument played during the Crusades.
Either way, the Gaelic harp has always been a symbol of the Irish resistance to the Crown and England. And that’s the reason why it was banned at the end of the medieval period.
But the harp was still the flagadopted by many during the 17th-century until the independence of the country.
Today, the harp is the officialnational emblem of the Republic of Ireland.
Fun fact about the Irish harp
Guinness beer is the true holder ofthe image rights of Brian Boru’s harp, facing right.
That’s the reason the Irishgovernment was forced to mirror the harp image (face left) on passports and anyother places they might use this symbol.
Claddagh ring
The Claddagh Ring is a popular souvenir and traditional Irish symbol that represents true love, loyalty, and friendship.
The story of this ring arose in the fishing village of Claddagh (which is one of the best places to stay near Galway) in the 17th-century.
Interestingly, many people who plan a trip to Ireland looking for a guided tour in the region just to learn more about this tradition.
You can find this ring in any jewelry store in Ireland, but before wearing it, know it has different meanings depending on how you wear it.
- On the right hand with the crown facing toward yourfingertips: you’re single and looking for love.
- On the right hand with the crown facing toward your wrist:you’re in a relationship.
- On the left hand with the crown facing toward yourfingertips: you’re engaged.
- On the left hand with the crown facing toward your wrist:you’re married.
Celtic cross
This is a symbol that characterizesthe Celts and is one of the main artistic symbols of the Celtic culture.
It is popularly believed that St.Patrick introduced the Celtic Cross in Ireland, during his conversion of thekings from paganism to Christianity.
This symbol is commonly seen incemeteries across Ireland and Scotland.
Read next: Best places to visit in Ireland
Leprechaun
The leprechaun is a mythical creaturethat is one of the biggest symbols of the Irish folklore.
Legend has it that the leprechaun is a magical creature that has a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
If captured by a human, they often grant three wishes in exchange for their freedom. Better not let him escape.
But beware, if you find one while youare in Ireland know the leprechaun is a trickster figure who cannot be trusted.
Final words on the flag of Ireland
As said, the Irish culture is rich inmany aspects and we presented a small part of its major symbology, includingthe Ireland flag.
Now that you know all about the Irish flag and even the symbols that represent the Irish culture, find out more about this “magic land” by reading our travel guides.
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