Irish Tricolour: What it represents

(Photo by Ardfern)  

The Irish national flag is also known as the Irish Tricolour because of its green, white and orange (or orange, white and green – as the case may be) components.

Wikipedia reports that the green represents Ireland’s Gaelic tradition, the orange represents William of Orange’s followers, and the white represents a vision of peace between them.  The Irish government emphasizes that this juxtaposition of colors is “intended to symbolize 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 Ireland to be part of the Irish nation (regardless of ethnic origin, religion or political conviction).”

The religion of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland emphasized animistic and polytheistic elements.  There was a pantheon of gods and goddesses, as well as numerous nature spirits.  Burial practices (such as the inclusion of food and weapons) indicated a belief in the afterlife.  The four annual festivals of Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasadh, and Samhain celebrated Ireland’s four major seasons.

According to Wikipedia, Christianity was introduced into Gaelic Ireland circa 400 AD - years before the arrival of Saint Patrick.  However, the Christianization of Ireland dramatically increased due to Saint Patrick’s influence.  The creed of the early Irish church mirrored today’s Catholic creed in many significant ways.  Irish monastic schools “became centers of excellence for peoples from all over Europe…”  Even after the Crown of England “gained full control of Ireland by means of a series of military campaigns” throughout the Reformation and beyond, “most of the Irish remained Roman Catholic.”

Nevertheless, in 1688 the Protestant King William III of Orange (along with his joint-monarch wife, Queen Mary II) replaced the Catholic King James II of England, Ireland and Scotland in a revolution deemed “Glorious” by some (and, no doubt, “Notorious” by others).  Many Protestants did – and still do – herald William as a “champion of their faith.”

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Ireland

http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/The%20National%20Flag.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_Ireland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Roman_Catholicism_in_Ireland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_III_of_England

Copyright March 5, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved