Irish Flag

The Flag:

Ireland’s flag has possessed a lasting relevance and is rich in Irish history.  This flag is known as that of the "Tricolour," the national flag of the Republic of Ireland. This flag has three equal stripes that illustrates the Irish political landscape. It was officially recognized in 1848 - the year the flag was first unfurled.

Green — signifying Irish Catholics and the republican cause
White — representing the hope for peace between them
Orange — standing for Irish Protestants

Orange is associated with Northern Irish Protestants because of Willliam of Orange (William III), the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland who in 1690 defeated the deposed King James II, a Roman Catholic, in the fateful Battle of the Boyne near Ireland's capital of Dublin.  William's victory secured Protestant dominance over the island.  Sometimes called Orangemen, Protestants in Northern Ireland celebrate the anniversary of the battle each July 12th.

The Unofficial Irish Flag:

Green represent the Irish Catholic nationalists of the south and the shamrocks and verdant landscapes, but more importantly, green symbolizes revolution. An earlier, unofficial Irish flag —the gold harp on a green background— served from 1798 until the early twentieth century as a symbol of nationalism.

A Lasting Truce between Orange and Green?

 Although it was not adopted as the national flag of Ireland until independence from Britain on December 6, 1921, the Tricolour was first unfurled in public on March 7, 1848, by the militant nationalist Thomas Francis Meagher, (the stripes, however, were arranged differently at that time). Explaining the significance of the Tricolour, Meagher expressed many hopes for his country.