Symbols of Ireland
Irish harp
The harp is the national symbol for Ireland. It has been that way for a long time. In the 16th century, all the country’s harps were burned by the British crown because they felt threatened by it. Yet, the instrument survived and is still played throughout Ireland. Today the harp is on the Irish Euro coins and is in the Guinness logo. Ireland is the only country in the world that has a musical instrument as its national symbol.
The Shamrock
The shamrock is the national flower of Ireland. It might be the most well-known symbol of the island. The first ones who used it symbolically were the Celts. They believed that all the essential things in life come in threes, such as the earth, sky and sea or body, mind and spirit. In the 19th century, the shamrock was a symbol of Irish nationalism and rebellion against British rule. Nowadays, many Irish organisations use it in their brand. Aer Lingus, the Irish airline, for example, has placed a giant shamrock on all of their aeroplanes.
The Red Hand of Ulster
There are many stories about how this red hand became a symbol of the northern province of Ulster. One of them is that two kingdoms battled each other in the north. The king that won placed his bloody hand on the enemy’s flag to show his victory. No one knows if this is the true story. Nowadays, the red hand is one of the few symbols representing both the Protestant and the Catholic community in Northern Ireland. Considering the history of fighting between the Protestants and Catholics this is rather special. All over Northern Ireland there is street art, often including the red hand, that reminds them of these fights. Read more about this conflict on ‘The Troubles’ page.
The Gaelic language
Besides English, the Irish language ‘Gaelic’ is also an official language in Ireland. After the British occupation and the Great Famine, the language almost died. Nowadays, there are around 1.7 million people in Ireland who claim to speak it. Most people who speak the language live on the west coast of the island. A lot of effort has been made to promote the language. Irish children now learn the language in school, and all the signs are in both Irish and English. Click on the video button if you want to learn a few words in Irish.
