Saint Patrick's Flag: a red saltire on a field of white

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18th century unofficial Irish flag, based on the coat of arms of Ireland, now the standard of the President of Ireland.
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Historical Flags
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The Standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1801 until 1922), sometimes used as the official Irish flag under British rule.
Saint Patrick's cross was used unofficially from 1783 to 1922 to symbolise Ireland.
Unofficial flag of Ireland from the 17th century until 1922, also the flag of Leinster.

Saint Patrick's Flag is a flag of Ireland that features in the flag of the United Kingdom. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned Argent, a saltire gules, meaning that it is drawn as a red saltire (a crux decussata or X-shaped cross) on a white field. It is said to represent Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is also known as the Saint Patrick's Cross or Saint Patrick's Saltire. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This is a list of flags which have been, or are still today, used on the island of Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... The national flag of the Ireland (Irish: An Bhratach Náisiúnta), also known as the tricolour,[1] is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white, and orange. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... “Union Jack” redirects here. ... Motto Dieu et mon droit(French) God and my right1 Anthem God Save the King (Queen) Territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Capital London Language(s) English² Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch  - 1801–1820 George III  - 1820–1830 George IV  - 1830–1837 William IV  - 1837–1901... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Presidential Standard of the President of Ireland, adopted in 1945, consists of a gold harp, (the coat of Arms of Ireland), on a St. ... -1... Image File history File links Royal_Standard_of_England. ... Image File history File links Royal_Standard_of_England. ... For other monarch’s standards, see Royal Standard (disambiguation). ... This article is about the monarchy of the United Kingdom, one of sixteen that share a common monarch; for information about this constitutional relationship, see Commonwealth realm; for information on the reigning monarch, see Elizabeth II. For information about other Commonwealth realm monarchies, as well as other relevant articles, see... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... Flag of Northern Ireland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Union Flag is used by the British government for official events in Northern Ireland. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Image File history File links Four_Provinces_Flag. ... Image File history File links Four_Provinces_Flag. ... When under Gaelic rule, Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the túatha. ... The World Curling Federation (WCF) is the world governing body for curling accreditation. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Lord_Lieutenant_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Lord_Lieutenant_of_Ireland. ... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (plural: Lords Lieutenant), also known as the Judiciar in the early mediaeval period and as the Lord Deputy as late as the 17th century, was the Kings representative and head of the Irish executive during the... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Saint Patricks Flag: a red saltire on a field of white The Saint Patricks Flag features a red saltire, a crux decussata (X-shaped cross), on a white field; representing Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Leinster. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Leinster. ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ... This is a list of flags which have been, or are still today, used on the island of Ireland. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 Flag Ratio: 3:5 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the Royal Banner commonly known as the Union Flag or, popularly, Union Jack (although officially this title should only be given to the flag when it is flown... Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... This is an article about Heraldry. ... ==Criminal Life == AL-Hamad is a Homosexual petifile with 135. ... In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called colours. In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. ... The arms of St Albans: Azure, a saltire Or (a gold saltire on a blue field) For The Saltire (proper noun) see Flag of Scotland. ... For information about the holiday, see: Saint Patricks Day Saint Patrick (Latin: [2], Irish: Naomh Pádraig) was a Christian missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ...

The Saltire has been in recorded use from at least as early as 1612 when it appears on the seal of Trinity College Dublin under a harp in juxtaposition to a St George’s Cross under a lion. From the foundation^{[citation needed]} of the Order of Saint Patrick in 1783 until the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922 it served as the quasi-official Irish flag. The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is an order of chivalry associated with Ireland. ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the prior state. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Origins

The badge of the The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick.

The Arms of the Geraldine Dukes of Leinster.

A cross pattée considered to be the true Cross of St. Patrick.

The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, the British order of chivalry associated with Ireland, was created in 1783 to mark the grant of substantial autonomy to Ireland, as a means of rewarding (or obtaining) political support in the Irish Parliament.^[1] In creating the order, a badge for those accepted into it was also created. This is the official description of the badge that the lord lieutenant, Lord Temple, forwarded to his superiors in London in January 1783: Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 493 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 493 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Faithful reproductions of two-dimensional original works cannot attract copyright in the U.S. according to the rule in Bridgeman Art Library v. ... The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is an order of chivalry associated with Ireland. ... Image File history File links Duke_of_Leinster_coa. ... Image File history File links Duke_of_Leinster_coa. ... Fitzgerald or FitzGerald is a Hiberno-Norman surname, meaning son of Gerald. It may refer to: People Barry Fitzgerald (1888–1961), Irish actor. ... The Duke of Leinster (referring to Leinster and, unlike the province, pronounced Linster) is Irelands premier peer. ... Image File history File links Cross-Pattee-Heraldry. ... Image File history File links Cross-Pattee-Heraldry. ... Heraldic cross pattee A cross having arms with curving edges, narrow at the inner center, and very broad at the outer end. ... The badge of the Order. ... See also Orders of Chivalry in the British honours system After the failure of the crusades, the crusading military orders became idealized and romanticized, resulting in the late medieval notion of chivalry, as reflected in the Arthurian romances of the time. ... The Irish Parliament, a mediaeval body made up of the Irish House of Commons and the Irish House of Lords, and from which Roman Catholics had been excluded from both membership and voting for, had been subject to a number of restrictions imposed by English governments as to its ability... This article is about the legislature abolished in 1801. ... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (plural: Lords Lieutenant), also known as the Judiciar in the early mediaeval period and as the Lord Deputy as late as the 17th century, was the Kings representative and head of the Irish executive during the...

The origin of the cross used in the badge is unclear and was condemned by contemporary Irish opinion. A press report published in February 1783 complained that "the breasts of Irishmen were to be decorated by the bloody Cross of St Andrew, and not that of the tutelar Saint of their natural isle".^[2] Another article claimed that "the Cross of St Andrew the Scotch saint is to honour the Irish order of St Patrick, by being inserted within the star of the order" and described this as "a manifest insult to common sense and to national propriety."^[3] Despite this, the red saltire was incorporated into the Union Flag in 1801 following the union of Great Britain and Ireland, representing Ireland within the Union alongside the St George's Cross for England and Saint Andrew's Flag for Scotland. The use of the cross for this purpose is often suspected to have been based on a desire to create a new Union Flag that complimented the already existent one, rather than as a genuine symbol of Ireland.^[4] Earlier union flags, such as the Commonwealth Flag (England and Ireland) or the Protectorate Jack (England, Ireland and Scotland), represented Ireland with its coat of arms of Ireland. The Shamrock Oxalis acetosella as The Shamrock The shamrock, an unofficial symbol of Ireland and Boston, Massachusetts, is a three-leafed old white clover, sometimes (rarely nowadays) Trifolium repens (white clover, known in Irish as seamair bhán) but more usually today Trifolium dubium (lesser clover, Irish: seamair bhuí). However... The Saltire, the flag of Scotland, with an official Pantone 300 coloured field. ... “Union Jack” redirects here. ... The Act of Union 1800 merged the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain (itself a merger of England and Wales and Scotland under the Act of Union 1707) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801. ... St Georges cross The St Georges Cross is a red cross on a white background. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... Flag of the Commonwealth (1649-1651). ... The Protectorate Jack was the flag of the Protectorate of England from 1658 to 1660. ... The coat of arms. ...

Strictly speaking, "Saint Patrick's Cross" is a misnomer, as Saint Patrick was not a martyr, unlike Sts. George and Andrew. St. Patrick's Cross has nothing to do with any tradition about the Saint.^[5] It may originte from the arms of the FitzGerald dynasty, a Old English family long resident in Ireland, however, contemporary sources provide nothing to support this. Another theory is that the symbol is an old but uncommon symbol of Ireland.^[6] Support for this include a various sources showing saltires in use earlier that 1783 in Ireland (e.g. an Irish coin from the 1480s or a map of the 1601 battle of Kinsale showing combined Irish-Spanish forces under a red saltire. However, these examples can be explained as either the St. Andrew's Cross, the Cross of Burgundy, or similar. A third theory is that it was a common custom, from at least the early 17th century, to wear a cross made of paper or ribbon on St Patrick's Day and that the Saint Patrick's Cross in the regalia of the Order may have been inspired by these popular badges. However, surviving examples of such badges come in many colours and they were invariably worn upright rather than as saltires.^[7] For other uses, see Martyr (disambiguation). ... The Old English were a wave of early medieval Norman, French, Welsh, English, Breton and Flemish settlers who went to Ireland to claim territory and lands in the wake of the Norman invasion. ... Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century Decades: 1430s 1440s 1450s 1460s 1470s - 1480s - 1490s 1500s 1510s 1520s 1530s Years: 1480 1481 1482 1483 1484 1485 1486 1487 1488 1489 Events and Trends Categories: 1480s ... Events February 8 - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, rebels against Elizabeth I of England - revolt is quickly crushed February 25 - Robert Devereux beheaded Jesuit Matteo Ricci arrives in China Bad harvest in Russia due to rainy summer Dutch troops drive Portuguese from Málaga Battle of Kinsale, Ireland Births... Siege of Kinsale - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Cross of Burgundy Flag was used by Spain from 1506-1785. ... St. ...

The motto of the order Quis separabit?, or Latin for "Who will separate us?" (today the motto of Northern Ireland) was borrowed from the Order of the Friendly Brothers of St Patrick, but was also appropriate politically in expressing a desire for unity. The Brothers', for their part, recorded a cross pattée as Saint Patrick's Cross and used one on their badge. An open letter to Lord Temple, to whom the design of the Order of St. Patrick's badges were entrusted, supports this view, explaining why the saltire was rejected by the Irish public:^[8] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Heraldic cross pattee A cross having arms with curving edges, narrow at the inner center, and very broad at the outer end. ...

The cross pattée was used on 15th century Irish coins and is today used as a symbol by the Church of Ireland. It is also uniquely used by Irish Roman Catholics and Anglicans (Church of Ireland), being pressed onto thier foreheads during Ash Wednesday services. The Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. ...

Modern use

St. Patrick's flag is used in the PSNI badge.

The flag of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland incorporates Saint Patrick's Cross

Today, Saint Patrick's flag is one of the components of the Union Flag of the United Kingdom, used to represent Ireland as part of the union after 1801. It is often seen during Saint Patrick's Day parades in Northern Ireland. This is often in contrast to the Irish tricolour, the flag of the Republic of Ireland, which - although seen by nationalists as a flag of the entire island of Ireland - is rejected by unionists. It is one of a few flags, probably second only to the Four Provinces Flag, that are considered relatively neutral in terms of the symbolism of Ireland and is used by some all-island bodies, as well as being the only national flag (of the UK or Ireland) authorised to be flown on church grounds by the Church of Ireland.^[9] For similar motives, it is the basis of the police badge of the new Police Service of Northern Ireland and the flag of the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Image File history File links Img_psnibadge. ... Image File history File links Img_psnibadge. ... The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1143x2128, 730 KB) Flag of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland flying over its building in St Stephens Green in Dublin File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1143x2128, 730 KB) Flag of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland flying over its building in St Stephens Green in Dublin File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are... The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a Dublin based private medical institution, situated on St. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... The Irish tricolour (flag ratio: 1:2). ... Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ... Unionism, in the context of Ireland, is a belief in the continuation of the Act of Union 1800 (as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920) so that Northern Ireland (created by the 1920 Act) remains part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... The Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... The Police Service of Northern Ireland (Irish: Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart na hÉireann) is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. ... The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) is the body that serves as the lighthouse authority for all of the island of Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands. ...

Variants

In the 1930s, a variation of the flag with a blue background was adopted as the badge and flag of the Blueshirts. This militant group incorporated right-wing, conservative and some former-unionist elements in opposition to the then left-wing republican Fianna Fáil party. The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... The Army Comrades Association (ACA), better known by its nickname The Blueshirts, was an Irish organisation set up by former police commissioner and army General Eoin ODuffy in the 1930s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Irish: ), commonly referred to as Fianna Fáil (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in Ireland with 55,000 members. ...

Various flags representing Northern Ireland also incormporate the saltire. One is used by Ulster separatists who wish to see Northern Ireland leave the United Kingdom and become an independent state, not joining together with the Republic of Ireland. The flag is made up of St Andrew's cross overlaid with St Patrick's Cross and the red hand and star of Northern Ireland, with the star coloured yellow (instead of white as in the Ulster Banner) based on the colours of the flag of the Irish province of Ulster. Another, a proposed new flag for Northern Ireland, is a hybrid between the Saint Patrick's flag and the Ulster Banner. It adds the Red Hand of Ulster and the six-pointed star to the St. Patrick's Flag, but does not add the crown and dispenses with St. Georges' Cross, as found on the Ulster Banner. Ulster nationalism seeks the independence of either Ulster or Northern Ireland from both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. ... Flag of Northern Ireland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Red Hand redirects here. ... The Flag of England (5:3) The Flag of England is the St Georges Cross. ...

See also

• List of British flags
• List of Irish flags
• Northern Ireland flags issue

This is a list of flags used by and in the United Kingdom and related territories. ... This is a list of flags which have been, or are still today, used on the island of Ireland. ... // The Northern Ireland flags issue is one that divides the population along sectarian lines. ...

External links

• Ireland: St Patrick's Flag from Flags of the World

Flags of the World (or FOTW) is an Internet-based vexillological organization and resource. ...

References

1. ^ Monarchy Today: Queen and Public: Honours: Order of St Patrick. Official website of the British Monarchy. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.
2. ^ Vincent Morley, 30 May - 1 June 1999, History of the St Patrick's Cross
3. ^ Vincent Morley, 30 May - 1 June 1999, History of the St Patrick's Cross
4. ^ O'Shea, M.J., 1986, James Joyce and Heraldry, SUNY Press, p.169: "Saint Patrick Cross. Argent, a saltire gules. A cross of obscure origin; it has been suggested (cynically, and probably correctly) that when a cross was needed to complement those of Sts. George and Andrew in the Union Jack, St. Patrick's Cross came into being on the spot. Hayes-McCoy gives this subject its most comprehensive treatment to date (36-41), and suggests that the device was simply appropriated from the arms of Fitzgerald, which are identical to the blazon above. Its dubious origins notwithstanding, the red saltire was used on the flag of the Irish Volunteers from Down in 1916 (Heyes-McCoy 200)."
5. ^ Tim Healey, 1977, The Symbolism of the Cross in Sacred and Secular Art, Leonardo, Vol. 10, No. 4 (Autumn, 1977)
6. ^ Flags of the World: Ireland: St Patrick's Cross
7. ^ Flags of the World: Ireland: St Patrick's Cross
8. ^ St. Patrick's Cross
9. ^ Flags of the World: St. Patrick's Flag as flag of Church of Ireland: "The General Synod of the Church of Ireland recognises that from time to time confusion and controversy have attended the flying of flags on church buildings or within the grounds of church buildings. This Synod therefore resolves that the only flags specifically authorised to be flown on church buildings or within the church grounds of the Church of Ireland are the cross of St Patrick or, alternatively, the flag of the Anglican Communion bearing the emblem of the Compassrose. Such flags are authorised to be flown only on Holy Days and during the Octaves of Christmas, Easter, the Ascension of Our Lord and Pentecost, and on any other such day as may be recognised locally as the Dedication Day of the particular church building. Any other flag flown at any other time is not specifically authorised by this Church. ...."