Flag of Ireland
the Tricolour
Three equal vertical stripes of green, white and orange, with green next to the flagpole.
At a glance
- Adopted
- December 29, 1937first presented in 1848; used by the Irish Free State from 1922 and written into the constitution that took effect in 1937
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Dublin
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- green
- white
- orange
What it means
- Green: the Irish (Gaelic and Catholic) tradition, in the government's explanation
- Orange: Protestants who supported King William of Orange
- White: lasting peace and hope for union between the two groups; the constitution itself does not list any meanings
Where it came from
Green, white and orange first appeared together on a rosette (cockade) in 1830, inspired by the French tricolour. In April 1848, after a trip to revolutionary France, Thomas Francis Meagher of the Young Ireland movement presented a tricolour flag at a public meeting.
Meagher said the white in the middle stood for "a lasting truce" between the Orange and the Green.
History
For a long time the most popular Irish symbol was a green flag with a gold harp. The tricolour became famous when it was raised over the General Post Office in Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916.
The Irish Free State began using it in 1922, and the 1937 constitution says: the national flag is the tricolour of green, white and orange. Early tricolours were not all the same, and some used yellow instead of orange.
Fun facts
- The flag is twice as long as it is tall (1:2).
- The government says using yellow or gold instead of orange should be actively discouraged.
- On 7 March 1848 a flag waved in Waterford was long thought to be the first Irish tricolour, but it was probably a French flag.
Easy to mix up with
Côte d’Ivoire: Ivory Coast has the same colours reversed: orange is next to the pole
Italy: Italy has green and white too, but red instead of orange
India: India has saffron, white and green stripes lying sideways, with a blue wheel
Questions
What does the flag of Ireland look like?
Three equal vertical stripes of green, white and orange, with green next to the flagpole.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Ireland mean?
Green: the Irish (Gaelic and Catholic) tradition, in the government's explanation; Orange: Protestants who supported King William of Orange; White: lasting peace and hope for union between the two groups; the constitution itself does not list any meanings.
When was the flag of Ireland adopted?
The current flag of Ireland was adopted on December 29, 1937. (first presented in 1848; used by the Irish Free State from 1922 and written into the constitution that took effect in 1937)
What colours are on the flag of Ireland?
The flag of Ireland uses green, white and orange.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Ireland?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Côte d’Ivoire. Ivory Coast has the same colours reversed: orange is next to the pole
Famous landmarks in Ireland
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)