Flag of Ireland

Not to be confused with the Flag of Ivory Coast.

Ireland
'the tricolour' (an trídhathach)
UseNational flag and ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagSmall vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagReverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion1:2
Adopted1922[1] (constitutional status; 1937)
DesignA vertical tricolour of green, white and orange.

The national flag of Ireland (Irish: bratach na hÉireann), frequently referred to in Ireland as 'the tricolour' (an trídhathach) and elsewhere as the Irish tricolour, is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white and orange.[1][2] The proportions of the flag are 1:2 (that is to say, flown horizontally, the flag is half as high as it is wide).

Presented as a gift in 1848 to Thomas Francis Meagher from a small group of French women sympathetic to Irish nationalism,[3] it was intended to symbolise the inclusion and hoped-for union between Roman Catholics (symbolised by the green colour) and Protestants (symbolised by the orange colour). The significance of the colours outlined by Meagher was, "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".[1]

It was not until the Easter Rising of 1916, when it was raised above Dublin's General Post Office by Gearóid O'Sullivan,[4] that the tricolour came to be regarded as the national flag.[1] The flag was adopted by the Irish Republic during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921). The flag's use was continued by the Irish Free State (1922–1937) and it was later given constitutional status under the 1937 Constitution of Ireland. The tricolour is used by nationalists on both sides of the border as the national flag of the whole island of Ireland since 1916.[5] Thus it is flown by many nationalists in Northern Ireland as well as by the Gaelic Athletic Association.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d "The National Flag". gov.ie. Department of the Taoiseach. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Constitution of Ireland – Article 7". Irish Statute Book. Government of Ireland. 1937. Archived from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2018. The national flag is the tricolour of green, white and orange
  3. ^ Sean Duffy, The Concise History of Ireland, 2005
  4. ^ "West Cork man raised Tricolour on historic day". Irish Examiner. 4 April 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  5. ^ Symbols in Northern Ireland – Flags Used in the Region Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine CAIN Web Service. Retrieved 8 November 2011
  6. ^ Sugden, John & Harvie, Scott (1995). Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland Archived 2 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Centre for the Study of Conflict, School of History, Philosophy and Politics, Faculty of Humanities, University of Ulster. Retrieved 14 June 2007.