It's Grand to be Irish

THE FLAG OF IRELAND
The national flag of Ireland is a tricolour of
green, white and orange. The tricolour is
rectangular in shape with the width being twice
the depth. The three colours of the Irish flag
are of equal size, vertically disposed, and the
green is displayed next to the staff, followed by
the white, and then the orange.

The flag was first introduced by Thomas Francis
Meagher during the revolutionary year of 1848 as
an emblem of the Young Ireland movement which
sought Irish independence. The 3 colors have
great significance. The green represents the
old Gaelic tradition, the orange represents the
Ulster Unionist tradition and the white
represents a place in the middle where both
traditions can co-exist in peace. The 1916
rising led by Padraig Pearse was the moment
when the tricolor began to be accepted as the
Irish flag.

An national coat of arms of Ireland depicts the
famous Irish Harp on a blue background. The Irish
harp is also often used on flags bearing the
saying 'Erin go Braugh' which has been a symbol
of Irish identity for centuries. The phrase Erin
go Bragh (sometimes 'Erin go Braugh') translates
from Gaelic as 'Ireland Forever' and is pronounced
'air-inn guh braw'. The Saint Patrick's Battalion
who fought in the Mexican war of 1847 were among
the first to use the flag which shows the harp
with the famous phrase underneath it.

In modern times it is not uncommon for people of
Irish heritage to display the Irish flag with
their own family coat of arms within it.

Any of the flags above and the Ireland Family
Crest Flag for YOUR family name can be ordered
from here:


http://www.irishnation.com/irelandflag.htm