Flag of Ireland

{{Short description|none}} {{about-distinguish|the flag of the country called "Ireland"|Cross-border flag for Ireland{{!}}a flag of the island of Ireland|Flag of Northern Ireland{{!}}of Northern Ireland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=July 2020}}  {{Infobox flag | Name = Flag of Ireland | Nickname = "the tricolour" ({{lang|ga|an trídhathach}}) | Article = | Image = Flag of Ireland.svg | Use = 111111 | Symbol = {{FIAV|111111}}{{FIAV|normal}}{{FIAV|Mirror}} | Proportion = 1:2<ref name=History /><ref name="Guide"/> | Adoption = 1922<ref name=History /> (constitutional status; 1937) | Design = A vertical tricolour of green, white and orange. }}

The national flag of Ireland ({{langx|ga|bratach na hÉireann}}), frequently referred to in Ireland as "the tricolour" ({{lang|ga|an trídhathach}}) and elsewhere as the '''Irish tricolour''', is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white and orange.<ref name=History>{{cite web|url = https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/adc448-the-national-flag/| publisher = Department of the Taoiseach| website = gov.ie | title = The National Flag | date = 1 November 2018 | access-date = 13 February 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en#article7|title=Constitution of Ireland – Article 7|work=Irish Statute Book|publisher=Government of Ireland|year=1937|access-date=19 August 2018|quote=''The national flag is the tricolour of green, white and orange''|archive-date=10 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710071801/https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en#article7|url-status=dead}}</ref> The proportions of the flag are 1:2 (that is to say, flown horizontally, the flag is half as high as it is wide).

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 symbol first appeared in green-orange format when a green and orange cockade (rosette) was worn to symbolise a proposed Irish Catholic and Protestant unity at a political event in Cork City, March 1830.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crotty |first=John |title=The Irish Tricolour - The truth behind the symbols and struggles that defined a nation |publisher=The History Press |year=2026 |isbn=9781837051632 |publication-date=February 2026 |pages=27–29 |language=English}}</ref> White was added to create the first Irish tricolour by Emelia Eleanor Hamilton of Annadale, Dublin in a tricolour cockade (rosette) of green, orange and white.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crotty |first=John |title=The Irish Tricolour - The truth behind the symbols and struggles that defined a nation |publisher=The History Press |year=2026 |isbn=978-1837051632 |publication-date=February 2026 |pages=68–71 |language=English}}</ref> She sent the symbol as a gift to be presented to a meeting taking place in September 1830 to send salutations to the French on the July Revolution. With the cockade she sent a letter with the words ''<nowiki/>'Let orange and green, no longer be seen, b'stained by the blood of our island','' creating the message of peaceful union familiar in the Irish Tricolour today.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=O'Connor |first=Patrick |date=January 1940 |title=National flag |journal=The Irish Book Lover - Quoting - the Irish Rushlight |volume=27 |pages=159–160 }}</ref>

Within months the symbol was adopted by the Repeal Campaign of Daniel O'Connell in December 1830, seeing regular use in the early 1830's in flag, banner and other forms.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 December 1830 |title=Grand public entry of Mr O'Connell |work=Waterford Weekly Chronicle |pages=6}}</ref> The Irish Tricolour was later adopted by the Young Irelanders in 1848 who formalised the white to the centre which beforehand had been inconsistent, a speech by Thomas Francis Meagher stating, ''"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"''.<ref name="History" />

The flag saw ongoing if sporadic use in public and adoption by secret societies between 1850 and 1910, but It was not until the Easter Rising of 1916, when it was raised above Dublin's General Post Office by Gearóid O'Sullivan,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/west-cork-man-raised-tricolour-on-historic-day-390882.html | work = Irish Examiner | date = 4 April 2016 | title = West Cork man raised Tricolour on historic day | access-date = 10 February 2018 | archive-date = 19 August 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190819202306/https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/west-cork-man-raised-tricolour-on-historic-day-390882.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> that the tricolour came to be regarded as the national flag.<ref name=History /> 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 has been used by nationalists on both sides of the border as the national flag of the whole island since 1916.<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/images/symbols/flags.htm Symbols in Northern Ireland – Flags Used in the Region] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514131904/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/images/symbols/flags.htm |date=14 May 2011 }} CAIN Web Service. Retrieved 8 November 2011</ref> It is thus flown by many nationalists in Northern Ireland as well as by the Gaelic Athletic Association.<ref>Sugden, John & Harvie, Scott (1995). [http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-3.htm Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502190044/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-3.htm |date=2 May 2014 }}, Centre for the Study of Conflict, School of History, Philosophy and Politics, Faculty of Humanities, University of Ulster. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref>

==Design and symbolism==

=== Design === Concerning the national flag of Ireland, the Constitution of Ireland simply states in Article 7: {{Blockquote|The national flag is the tricolour of green, white and orange.<ref>{{Cite constitution|article=7|polity=Ireland|date=1 July 1937}}.</ref>}} The Department of the Taoiseach takes general responsibility for matters relating to the flag. In its advisory role, the department has issued guidelines to assist the use of the flag; these state that it should be rectangular in shape, its length should be double its width, and the three coloured pales – green, white and orange – should be of equal size and vertically disposed.<ref name="guidelines">{{cite web|url = https://assets.gov.ie/2949/151118153516-096a94ba6955435cae965414f7667104.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200213202756/https://assets.gov.ie/2949/151118153516-096a94ba6955435cae965414f7667104.pdf | archive-date = 13 February 2020 | title = Department of the Taoiseach – The National Flag – Guidelines | website = assets.gov.ie | date= 2019 | access-date = 13 February 2020 }}</ref>

The precise colours of the flag as set by the Department of the Taoiseach since at least 2001 are:<ref name="guidelines" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/The%20National%20Flag.pdf|title=An Bhratach Náisiúnta|location=Ireland|date=2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615135038/http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/The%20National%20Flag.pdf|archive-date=15 June 2007}}</ref> :{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" |- ! Scheme !style="background:#169B62;color:white"| Green !style="background:#FFFFFF"| White !style="background:#FF883E;color:white"| Orange !Sources |- | style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:right" |'''Pantone''' || 347 U || Safe || 151 U |<ref name="guidelines"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://flagspot.net/flags/ie.html#colour|title=Colour of the Flag – Ireland|website=flagspot.net|access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref> |- | style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:right" |'''Hex triplet'''|| #169B62 || #FFFFFF || #FF883E |<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/347-U|title=PANTONE 347 U – Find a Pantone Color {{!}} Quick Online Color Tool |website=pantone.com|access-date=27 December 2017|archive-date=16 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016061957/https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/347-U|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/151-u|title=PANTONE 151 U – Find a Pantone Color {{!}} Quick Online Color Tool |website=pantone.com|access-date=27 December 2017|archive-date=16 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016061957/https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/151-u|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- | style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:right" | '''RGB''' | 22–155–98 || 255–255–255 || 255–136–62 |<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> |- | style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:right" |'''CMYK''' | 71–0–72–0 || 0–0–0–0 || 0–43–91–0 |<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> |}

According to the guidelines, the flag should normally be displayed on a flagstaff, with the green pale positioned next to the flagstaff, at the hoist. Provided that the correct proportions are observed, the flag may be made to any convenient size.<ref name="guidelines"/>

===Symbolism=== The green pale of the flag symbolises Roman Catholics and the orange represents the minority Protestants who were supporters of William of Orange. His title came from the Principality of Orange, but his power came from his leadership as Stadtholder of the Netherlands, a Protestant bastion from the 16th century. The white in the centre signifies a lasting peace and hope for union between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland.<ref name="guidelines"/> The flag, as a whole, is intended to symbolise the inclusion and hoped-for union of the people of different traditions on the island of Ireland, which is expressed in the Constitution as the entitlement of every person born in Ireland to be part of the independent Irish nation, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or political conviction.<ref name="guidelines"/><ref>Subject to the Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, 2004.</ref> (Green was also used as the colour of such Irish bodies as the mainly-Protestant and non-sectarian Friendly Brothers of St. Patrick, established in 1751.)

Occasionally, differing shades of yellow or gold, instead of orange, are seen at civilian functions. However, the Department of the Taoiseach stated that this is a misrepresentation that "should be actively discouraged"<ref name="guidelines"/> and that worn-out flags should be replaced.<ref>[http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Youth_Zone/About_the_Constitution,_Flag,_Anthem_Harp/The_National_Flag-PDF.pdf The national Flag] Department of the Taoiseach</ref> In songs and poems, the colours are sometimes enumerated as "green, white and gold" by using poetic licence.<ref>See, for example, [http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/pehsc/index_files/fpframe_files/Lessons03/psu_lesson3.html ''Long Journey Home''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902100212/http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/pehsc/index_files/fpframe_files/Lessons03/psu_lesson3.html |date=2 September 2006}} by Elvis Costello and Paddy Moloney.</ref><ref>See, for example, the lyrics and commentary on the following Irish rebel songs: [http://www.vincentpeters.nl/triskelle/lyrics/greenwhitegold.php?index=080.010.040.010 ''Green White and Gold''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050414174941/http://www.vincentpeters.nl/triskelle/lyrics/greenwhitegold.php?index=080.010.040.010 |date=14 April 2005 }}; [http://www.vincentpeters.nl/triskelle/lyrics/dyingrebel.php?index=080.010.020.040 ''The Dying Rebel''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050414174941/http://www.vincentpeters.nl/triskelle/lyrics/greenwhitegold.php?index=080.010.040.010 |date=14 April 2005 }}.</ref> Variants of different guises are utilised to include, for example, various emblems of Ireland, such as the presidential harp, the four provinces or county arms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abitoblarney.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=51&zenid=bcf39ffd85129bee51d1198cdfa77a21|title=County Coat of Arms Irish Flag|website=Abitoblarney.com|access-date=30 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://s1.thejournal.ie/media/2013/06/waltzing-odriscoll-390x285.png|format=PNG|title=Photographic image|website=S1.thejournal.ie|access-date=30 September 2017}}</ref>

==History==

=== Background symbolism === thumb|upright|Representation of an Irish harp, c.1100 AD, on a reliquary shrine of St. Máedóc, County Wexford Green has been associated with the Irish for hundreds of years. An anecdote in the ''Lebor Gabála'' tells how Gaidel Glas, son of Nel (or Niul), father of the Irish people, was cured of a snakebite when Moses made fervent prayer and placed his staff on Gaidel's wound.<ref>{{cite book |last=Macalister |first=Robert Alexander Stewart |year=1939 |title=Lebor Gabála Érenn |trans-title=The Book of the Taking of Ireland |volume=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vS5KAAAAYAAJ |isbn=1-870166-35-3 |pages=59–61 (¶143–145)}}</ref> An inserted verse in an earlier passage says of Gaidel: "green were his arms and his vesture".<ref>{{Harvnb|Macalister|1939}}, p. 93, Poem No. XIII</ref> Michael O'Clery's redaction of the ''Lebor Gabála'' adds that the snakebite left a green ring on Gaidel from which he earned his nickname 'Glas' ("the green").

The colour green is frequently eulogised in Gaelic Irish Annals, with the emergence of green pastures or 'cloverly plains' deemed a desirable outcome.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crotty |first=John |title=The Irish Tricolour - The truth behind the symbols and struggles that defined a nation |publisher=The History Press |year=2026 |isbn=978-1837051632 |publication-date=February 2026 |pages=48–50 |language=English}}</ref> It is postulated this inspired a widespread adoption in Ireland that commenced from the late 16th century.

Use of the harp on green flag played a roll in this adoption, the instrument having appeared on Irish manuscripts and stone crosses since at least the 8th century making it a characteristic instrument of Ireland. The presidential flag of Ireland today includes a representation of the 14th century "Brian Boru Harp". Both the 13th century Wijnbergen Roll and the late 15th-century painting of arms, the Rous Roll, feature a harp as a representation of Ireland.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Vandamme |first1=Christine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mHNjEAAAQBAJ&q=1642+o'neill+green+flag |title=Space, Place and Hybridity in the National Imagination |last2=Dodeman |first2=André |date=2021-10-26 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-7662-9 |pages=35–37 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Green and Orange representation === A green flag featuring a harp is described as being used by Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill in 1642.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Burthchaell and Rigg |first=G.D, J.M |title=Report on the Franciscan Manuscripts preserved at the convent Merchants Quay, Dublin (Referencing M O'Hartegan to Luke Wadding, O.S.F of St. Isidore's Rome, Oct 1642) |publisher=H.M Stationery Office |year=1906 |publication-date=1906 |pages=208 |language=English}}</ref> thumb|The green harp flag, first used by Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill in 1642 The colour green became further associated with Ireland from the 1640s, when the green harp flag was used by the Irish Catholic Confederation. Likewise Green ribbons have been worn on St Patrick's Day since at least the 1680s.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Wearing of the Green: A History of St Patrick's Day | first1 = Mike | last1 = Cronin | first2 = Daryl | last2 = Adair | date = 2002 | publisher = Psychology Press | isbn = 9780415359122}}</ref> Suggesting that green was already a national colour at this time, The Friendly Brothers of St Patrick, an Irish nationalistic fraternity founded in about 1750<ref>{{citation | last = Kelly | first = James | title = That Damn'd Thing Called Honour: Duelling in Ireland, 1570–1860 | publisher = Cork University Press | date = 1995 | page = 65}}</ref> adopted green as its colour. In the late 18th century, green was used by the United Irishmen, reinvigorating its nationalist links.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://time.com/4699771/green-irish-st-patricks-day-color/ | magazine = Time | title = How Green Became Associated With St. Patrick's Day and All Things Irish | date = 16 March 2017 | access-date = 25 October 2018 | quote = ''The color green cropped up again during an effort in the 1790s to bring nonsectarian, republican ideas to Ireland, inspired by the American revolution and the French revolution'' | archive-date = 14 September 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230914054326/https://time.com/4699771/green-irish-st-patricks-day-color/ | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|jstor= 20496123 | title = The Wearing of the Green | journal = Studia Hibernica | author = Brian Ó Cuív | issue = 17,18 |year = 1977 | pages = 107–119 | quote = ''As early as 1803 many of those who attended the execution of Robert Emmet are described as wearing green favours to display their sympathy with the young patriot, and it would seem that the United Irishmen first promoted the colour''}}</ref> The United Irishmen, founded in the 1790s, were inspired by the French revolution, and used a green flag, to which they had a harp emblazoned.<ref name="flags">{{cite web| author = Andries Burgers |url = http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ie-green.html | title = Ireland: Green Flag | work = Flags of the World | date = 21 May 2006 | quote = Citing G. A. Hayes-McCoy, ''A History of Irish Flags from earliest times'' (1979)}}</ref> A rival organisation, the Orange Order, whose main strength was in Ulster, and which was exclusively for Protestants, especially members of the established Church of Ireland, was founded in 1795 in memory of King William of Orange and the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Following the Irish Rebellion of 1798, which pitted the "green" tradition of the republican United Irishmen against the "orange" tradition of the Protestant Ascendancy loyal to the British Crown, the ideal of a later nationalist generation in the mid-19th century was to make peace between the two traditions and, if possible, to found a self-governing Ireland on such peace and union, as exemplified by the Young Ireland movement and its calls for a National Council of 300 while promoting Catholic-Protestant unity. The first green-orange devices and subsequent Irish Tricolours were a physical manifestation of this thinking.

[[File:Blessing of the Colours by John Lavery.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''Blessing of the Colours'' by John Lavery]]

== The Tricolour emerges == The colours were first fused in a green-orange device in March 1830, following the frequent calls of Daniel O'Connell for 'orange and green to unite'.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=1 August 1829 |title=Clare election court house Ennis 30 July |work=Southern Report and Cork Commercial Courier |pages=2}}</ref> It appeared at a political rally in Cork City and was complimented for its peaceful message of unity by a speaker. This occurred in the wake of Catholic Emancipation, Ireland lifted on a goodwill tide. A first tricolour of green, white and orange arrived in September 1830 when a tricolour cockade were presented at a meeting held to celebrate the French Revolution of that year – a revolution which restored the use of the French tricolour.<ref>{{Cite web | website = rte.ie |date=2026-02-17 |title=Meet the long-forgotten woman behind the Irish Tricolour |url=https://www.rte.ie/culture/2026/0217/1557484-meet-the-long-forgotten-woman-behind-the-irish-tricolour/ |language=en}}</ref>

The three colours were first fused by Emelia Eleanor Hamilton of Annadale Cottage, Fairview, Dublin, daughter of prominent humanitarian, civil servant and author Joseph Hamilton.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 September 1830 |title=Irish Miscellanies |work=The Atlas |pages=4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Crotty |first=John |date=16 February 2026 |title=Emelia Eleanor Hamilton - The woman behind the Irish Tricolour |url=https://johncrottyauthor.com/emilia-eleanor-hamilton-the-woman-behind-the-irish-tricolour/ |url-status=live |access-date=2 April 2026 |website=www.johncrottyauthor.com}}</ref> The presentation got notable press in British and Irish newspapers before the symbol was adopted by the Repeal campaign of Daniel O'Connell in December 1830.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 January 1831 |title=Donaskeigh Meeting |work=Tipperary Free Press |pages=1}}</ref> It saw frequent use in the early 1830's in flag, banner and ribbon form, also being adopted by the anti-tithe movement and seeing occasional use in Father Matthew's Temperance campaign.

The first recorded flight over a building took place at Dunsoghly Towerhouse, Dublin, July 1832. The Irish tricolour also crossed the Atlantic, being presented to the Chair of a meeting of the 'Friends of Ireland' in Charleston, South Carolina in 1831.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crotty |first=John |date=11 February 2026 |title=The tricolour's contested origins show how myths are made |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-41790848.html |access-date=10 April 2026 |work=Irish Examiner}}</ref> The colours saw ongoing if declining use in tricolour and green-orange format, both espousing the same peaceful message, in flag, banner, rosettes and badge format from 1830 - 1847, by the Repeal and Temperance movements.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 April 1840 |title=Ballina - Mathewite procession |work=Mayo Constitution |pages=3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 January 1831 |title=Repeal of the Union |work=London Evening Standard |pages=3}}</ref>

After the death of Daniel O'Connell, the Young Irelanders adopted the green-orange symbol connected with his Repeal movement for their group, the Irish Confederates.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Crotty |first=John |date=7 March 2026 |title=The Irish Tricolour - Its accurate origins |url=https://johncrottyauthor.com/the-irish-tricolour-its-accurate-origins/ |access-date=9 April 2026 |website=johncrottyauthor.com}}</ref> The occasion of the French Revolution in February 1848 incited much celebration, the French flag being flown at Confederate locations in Cork, Cappoquin and Waterford City. The March 7th, 1848 unfurling of a French flag in Waterford would later be mistaken for the first flight of an Irish Tricolour.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Alex |date=28 February 2026 |title=Was the first Irish Tricolour flown in Waterford? Local historian unearths potential hard truths |url=https://www.waterford-news.ie/news/was-the-first-irish-tricolour-flown-in-waterford-local-historian-unearths-potential-hard-truths_arid-89387.html |access-date=7 March 2026 |website=waterford-news.ie}}</ref> An Irish Tricolour did fly at Enniscorthy, County Wexford on March 07th in a much publicised event, inspiring further uptake.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 March 1848 |title=Enniscorthy |work=United Irishman |pages=69}}</ref> Within weeks the Young Irelanders began adding white to their existing green-orange device, first seen at a Confederate location in Limerick City on Saint Patrick's Day 1848.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 March 1848 |title=Limerick March 17th |work=Dublin Evening Post |pages=3}}</ref>

Following the Young Irelanders adoption, the group travelled to France carrying addresses of salutation to the French administration.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cavanagh |first=Michael |title=Memoris of Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher |publisher=The Messenger Press |year=1892 |isbn=9781331106715 |pages=101–103 |language=English}}</ref> Receiving none, they returned with a striking example of their adopted symbol, the Irish Tricolour, which was presented at a meeting to welcome the group home in April, 1848.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 April 1848 |title=Soiree to Mr. William Smith O'Brien M.P and the other members of the deputation to France |work=Limerick Reporter |pages=1}}</ref> Thomas Francis Meagher's description of the Irish flag at this event explained the symbolism of the colours to a new generation, formalised the white to the centre, and gave the flag an important association, one to the liking of later Irish Republicans: "The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between the ‘Orange’ and the ‘Green’, and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants may be clasped in heroic brotherhood." He went on to suggest an alternative design incorporating the Red hand of Ulster: "If this flag be destined to fan the flames of war, let England behold once more, upon the white centre, the Red Hand that struck her down from the hills of Ulster."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-irish-diary/2023/08/25/bloody-oath-frank-mcnally-on-the-red-handed-tricolour/|title=Bloody Oath – Frank McNally on the red-handed tricolour|last=McNally|first=Frank|date=25 August 2023|website=IrishTimes.com}}</ref>

John Mitchel, referring to the tricolour of green, white and orange that Meagher presented on behalf of the delegation to France, said: "I hope to see that flag one day waving, as our national banner".<ref name="guidelines" /> These were important endorsements. The first Irish tricolours from 1830 to 1847 were linked to the Repeal, or Home Rule, campaigns of Daniel O'Connell, who did not espouse Republican ideals. The symbols use by the Young Irelanders - Irish Confederates gave the flag a link to Republicanism, paving the way for its use in the Easter Rising 1916 and subsequent choice as the national flag. From April 1848 following the meeting, Irish tricolours appeared side by side with French ones at meetings held all over the country, the Rising failure seeing its use decline.<ref name="guidelines" />

== Adoption by secret societies == The Tricolour was used sparingly between 1848 and 1910, adopted by groups like the Irish Democratic Alliance in 1850 and flown at nationalist events. Its most important adoption was by various Fenian groups, first recorded in America then Ireland.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 January 1869 |title=Fenians on the Alleghanies |work=Flag of Ireland |pages=2}}</ref> It became the secretive symbol of Clan na Gael in America, while in Ireland it was used by the Irish Republican Brotherhood.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crotty |first=John |title=The Irish Tricolour - The truth behind the symbols and struggles that defined a nation |publisher=The History Press |year=2026 |isbn=9781837051632 |publication-date=February 2026 |pages=101–104 |language=English}}</ref> Despite this ongoing use, much of it subtle or behind closed doors, up to the eve of the Easter Rising of 1916, the green flag featuring a harp held undisputed sway as the most popular national symbol.<ref name="guidelines" />

Neither the colours nor the arrangement of the early tricolours were standardised, with some invention and variation evident. In 1850 a flag of green for the Roman Catholics, orange for the Protestants of the Established Church and blue for the Presbyterians was adopted by the Tenant League.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 October 1850 |title=The Tenant League |work=Freeman's Journal |pages=3–4}}</ref> In 1883, a Parnellite tricolour of yellow, white and green, arranged horizontally, was recorded. Down to modern times, yellow or gold has occasionally been used instead of orange, but by this substitution the fundamental symbolism is destroyed.<ref name="guidelines" />

thumb|right|The Irish flag is always flown with the green at the hoist.

Associated with the national independence movement, the flag was flown during the Easter Rising of 1916, capturing the national imagination as the banner of the new revolutionary Ireland. The flag flew over more locations during the Rising than any other flag, having been adopted in advance as the symbol of the Rising by the Irish Republican Brotherhood.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staines |first=Michael |date=25 July 1949 |title=Witness Statement Michael Staines |url=https://bmh.militaryarchives.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0284.pdf#page=1 |access-date=10 April 2026 |website=Bureau of Military History, Irish Military Archives, bmh.militaryarchives.ie}}</ref> Other flags flown, like the Irish Republic flag, were considered 'banners'.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lynch |first=Diarmuid |date=2 May 1848 |title=Witness Statement Diarmuid Lynch |url=https://bmh.militaryarchives.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0120.pdf#page=1 |access-date=10 April 2026 |website=Bureau of Military History, Military Archives Ireland}}</ref> The Green Harp flag flew also, Michael Staines explaining it was used as many Irish men still considered this the national symbol, particularly those who had not been sworn into the I.R.B.

After the Rising the flag saw a rapid ascension to the most popular symbol of Ireland, being adopted by the Executive Council without contest for the Irish Free State, which existed between 1922 and 1937. The Free State constitution did not specify national symbols; the decision to use the flag was made without recourse to statute. When the Free State joined the League of Nations in September 1923, the new flag "created a good deal of interest amongst the general public" in Geneva.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.difp.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=470 |chapter=NAI DFA 26/102: Extracts from the report of the Irish delegation to the Fourth Assembly of the League of Nations (September 1923) |date=September 2000 |title=Documents on Irish Foreign Policy |volume=2 |publisher=Royal Irish Academy |pages=No. 134 |no-pp=y|access-date=21 March 2011 |isbn=1-874045-83-6 }}</ref> The defeated republicans who had fought the Free State's forces in the 1922–23 Civil War regarded the tricolour as the flag of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic, and condemned its appropriation by the new state, as expressed in the song "Take It Down From The Mast". They differentiated their Tricolour by putting the words I.R for Irish Republic on the white field.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shannon |first=Gerald |title=Liam Lynch - To declare a Republic |publisher=Merrion Press |year=2023 |isbn=9781788558211 |pages=226 |language=English}}</ref> The Executive Council's decision was a provisional one.<ref name="FOTW">{{cite web|url = http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ie.html | title = Ireland | work = Flags of the World | date = 2001 | accessdate = 11 June 2007 | via = crwflags.com }}{{better source|reason=Per WP:FOTW, "Flags of the World has been written off as an unreliable source in general"|date=February 2026}}</ref> A 1928 British document said: {{Blockquote|The government in Ireland have taken over the so called Free State Flag in order to forestall its use by republican element and avoid legislative regulation, to leave them free to adopt a more suitable emblem later.<ref>Public Record Office document DO 117/100, written in 1928.</ref>}}

In 1937, the tricolour's position as the national flag was formally confirmed by the new Constitution of Ireland.<ref name=History/>

===Marine=== {{See also|Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II}} thumb|{{IFIS|Historical}} {{FIAV|000100}} The Red Ensign, used by some Irish merchant vessels until 1939

The pre-independence Merchant Shipping Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 60) was not repealed, and so the Free State's mercantile marine was technically required to fly the Red Ensign.<ref name="dail19471120">[http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1947/11/20/00023.asp Merchant Shipping Bill, 1947—Second Stage.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905080509/http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1947/11/20/00023.asp |date=5 September 2012 }} (20 November 1947) Dáil debates Vol.108 No.15 p.23</ref> The collier ''Glenageary'' may have been the first ship to arrive in a British port flying the tricolour on 8 December 1921, two days after the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed. Their ensign, along with a model of ''Glenageary'', is currently on display in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland. While some ships such as the cross-channel ferries flew the Red Ensign, others sailed under the tricolour.<ref>{{cite book|last=Forde|first=Frank|title=The Long Watch|year=2000|publisher=Island Books|isbn=1-902602-42-0|page=108}}</ref><ref name="dail19300320">[http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1930/03/20/00007.asp#N348 Dáil debates Vol. 33 No. 17 p.7 cc.2290–95] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423085125/http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1930/03/20/00007.asp#N348 |date=23 April 2012 }} 20 March 1930</ref><ref>[http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1934/06/21/00004.asp Dáil debates Vol. 53 No. 7 p.4] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423084921/http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1934/06/21/00004.asp |date=23 April 2012 }} 21 June 1934</ref> Some masters of Irish ships were charged by HM Customs and Excise and fined by Admiralty courts for flying an "improper ensign".<ref>{{cite book|last=Sweeney|first=Pat|title=Liffey Ships|year=2010|publisher=Mercier Press|isbn=978-1-85635-685-5|page=202}}</ref> The tricolour was flown by the fisheries patrol vessel ''Muirchú'', precursor to the Irish Naval Service; Frank Carney alleged in the Dáil in 1930 that a trespassing French trawler had refused to surrender to because it did not recognise ''Muirchú'''s flag.<ref name="dail19300320"/>

Irish-register ships could fly the Red Ensign until September 1939, after the outbreak of World War II, when a decree under the state of emergency was made, to ensure neutral Irish ships were not mistaken for British ships.<ref name="dail19471120"/> Some ships flying the tricolour were nevertheless sunk by Germans.<ref>[http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/1941/02/20/00023.asp Dáil debates Vol.81 No.14 p.23] 20 February 1941</ref> When the tricolour was hoisted over the passenger ferries in Holyhead their British crews went on strike. Five days later their owners transferred the ferries to the British register and the Red Ensign was restored.<ref>{{cite book|last=Forde|first=Frank|title=The Long Watch|year=2000|publisher=Island Books|isbn=1-902602-42-0|page=2}}</ref> On the other hand, the Belfast to Liverpool ferry, British owned and British crewed, used the tricolour as a flag of convenience;<ref>{{cite book|last=McRonald|first=Malcolm|title=The Irish Boats|publisher=Tempus|page=70|year=2007|volume=3, Liverpool to Belfast|isbn=978-0-7524-4235-8}}</ref> so did the whalers of Christian Salvesen Shipping, to take advantage of the Irish whale quota.<ref>{{cite book|last=Share|first=Bernard|title=The Emergency|publisher=Gill and Macmillan|location=Dublin|year=1978|page=[https://archive.org/details/emergencyneutral00shar/page/99 99]|isbn=0-71710-916-X|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/emergencyneutral00shar/page/99}}</ref>

The tricolour's marine status was formalised by the Merchant Shipping Act 1947.<ref name="dail19471120"/><ref>Sections 2 and 14, [http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1947/en/act/pub/0046/print.html Merchant Shipping Act, 1947] Irish Statute Book</ref>

===Use in Northern Ireland=== {{See also|Northern Ireland flags issue}}

[[File:Artillery Flats, Belfast, July 2010 (02).JPG|thumb|left|A large tricolour flying from Cuchulainn House in the New Lodge, Belfast]]

In 1921, Ireland was partitioned, with the unionist-dominated north-east becoming Northern Ireland, while later, in 1922, the remainder of Ireland left the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to form the Irish Free State.<ref>FitzGerald, Garret. [http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580394/Ireland_Partition_of.html Ireland, Partition of], ''Encarta'', 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909064127/http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580394/Ireland_Partition_of.html |date=9 September 2007 }} 31 October 2009.</ref> Northern Ireland continued to use the UK's Union Flag and created its Ulster Banner derivation of the flag of Ulster with a crown on top of a six-pointed star.<ref name=NIflags>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/images/symbols/flags.htm Flags Used in Northern Ireland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514131904/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/images/symbols/flags.htm |date=14 May 2011 }}, ''Conflict Archive on the Internet'', 1 April 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref> Furthermore, for many years the tricolour was effectively banned in Northern Ireland under the Flags and Emblems (Display) Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 which empowered the police to remove any flag that could cause a breach of the peace but specified, rather controversially, that a Union Flag could never have such an effect.<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/fea1954.htm Flags and Emblems (Display) Act (Northern Ireland) 1954] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709035950/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/fea1954.htm |date=9 July 2011 }}, ''Conflict Archive on the Internet'', 1 April 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref> In 1964, the enforcement of this law by the Royal Ulster Constabulary at the behest of Ian Paisley, involving the removal of a single tricolour from the offices of Sinn Féin in Belfast, led to two days of rioting. The tricolour was immediately replaced, highlighting the difficulty of enforcing the law.<ref>Boyd, Andrew (1969). ''Holy War in Belfast'' – [http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/docs/boyd69.htm "1964: The Tricolour Riots"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827111703/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/docs/boyd69.htm |date=27 August 2011 }}. Anvil Press. {{ISBN|0-900068-10-8}}.</ref>

[[File:Irish flag on bonfire.JPG|thumb|Tricolours have been burned on Loyalist bonfires during twelfth of July celebrations.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/eleventh-night-tricolours-sf-posters-celtic-and-palestine-flags-burned-1.3954698| publisher = Irish Times | website = irishtimes.com | title = Eleventh Night: Tricolours, SF posters, Celtic and Palestine flags burned | date = 12 July 2019 | accessdate = 7 March 2021 }}</ref>]]

Despite its original symbolism, in Northern Ireland the tricolour, along with most other markers of either British or Irish identity, has come to be a symbol of division.<ref name=NIflags/> The Ulster Unionist Party Government of Northern Ireland adopted the Ulster Banner (based on the flag of Ulster) in 1953.<ref>[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-ni.html Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)], ''Flags of the World'', 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref> Thus it is this flag and the Union Flag that are flown by unionists and loyalists, while the tricolour is flown by nationalists and republicans.<ref name=NIflags/> In Northern Ireland, each community uses its own flags, murals and other symbols to declare its allegiance and mark its territory, often in a manner that is deliberately provocative.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ewart|first1=Shirley |last2=Schubotz|first2=Dirk |date=September 2004 |url=http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/voices.pdf |title=Voices behind the Statistics: Young People's Views of Sectarianism in Northern Ireland |publisher=National Children's Bureau |page=7 |website=Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151005062213/http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/voices.pdf |archive-date= Oct 5, 2015 }}</ref> Kerb-stones in unionist and loyalist areas are often painted red, white and blue,<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/799804.stm Loyalist paramilitary flags explosion]", BBC News, 21 June 2000. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref> while in nationalist and republican areas kerb-stones may be painted green, white and orange, although this is a much less frequent occurrence.<ref>Brown, Kris. & MacGinty, Roger (2003). "Public Attitudes toward Partisan and Neutral Symbols in Post-Agreement Northern Ireland", ''Identities: Global Studies in Power and Culture''. Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 83–108.</ref> Elements of both communities fly "their" flag from chimneys, tall buildings and lamp-posts on roads.<ref>Bryan, Dr. Dominic & Stevenson, Dr. Clifford (2006). [http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/flags-monitoring.pdf Flags Monitoring Project 2006: Preliminary Findings], ''Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University, Belfast''. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref>

Under the 1998 Good Friday or Belfast Agreement, it was recognised that flags continue to be a source of disagreement in Northern Ireland. The Agreement stated that: {{Blockquote|All participants acknowledge the sensitivity of the use of symbols and emblems for public purposes, and the need in particular in creating the new institutions to ensure that such symbols and emblems are used in a manner which promotes mutual respect rather than division.<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/peace/docs/agreement.htm#strand2 The Belfast Agreement 1998] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122194559/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/peace/docs/agreement.htm#strand2 |date=22 November 2013 }}, ''Conflict Archive on the Internet''. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref>}} Unionists argue that the recognition of the principle of consent in the Agreement – that Northern Ireland's constitutional status cannot change without a majority favouring it – by the signatories amounts to recognising that the Union Flag is the only legitimate official flag in Northern Ireland.<ref>Wilson, Robin (July 2000). [http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/dd/papers/flags.htm Flagging concern: The Controversy over Flags and Emblems] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806182912/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/dd/papers/flags.htm |date=6 August 2011 }}, ''Democratic Dialogue''. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/record/reports/000606.htm#1 Northern Ireland Assembly Official Report of Tuesday 6 June 2000] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606141721/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/record/reports/000606.htm#1 |date=6 June 2007 }}, ''Northern Ireland Assembly'', 6 June 2000. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/reports/nia15-00.htm Report on Draft Regulations proposed under Article 3 of the Flags (Northern Ireland) Order 2000] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929102641/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/reports/nia15-00.htm |date=29 September 2007 }}, ''Northern Ireland Assembly'', 17 October 2000. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref> Nationalists maintain that the Agreement means that the use of the Union Flag for official purposes should be restricted, or that the tricolour should be flown alongside the UK's flag on government buildings.<ref>[http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/13118 Alex Maskey Motion 39 – flags and emblems] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319101618/http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/13118 |date=19 March 2007 }}, ''SinnFein.ie'', 17 February 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref> However the tricolour is never flown from official buildings, alone or alongside the UK's flag. A Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alex Maskey, displayed both flags in his own offices causing some controversy.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/2236626.stm Tricolour raised in City Hall]", BBC News, 4 September 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref><ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/talking_point/2236871.stm Should Belfast have its own flag?]", ''BBC News Talking Point'', 5 September 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2007.</ref>

Some institutions in Great Britain, such as the BBC, have previously and mistakenly used the tricolour to represent Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/irish-tricolour-makes-surprise-appearance-24150497 |first1=Alison |last1=O'Reilly |website=Belfast Live | title=Irish tricolour makes surprise appearance at Queen's Jubilee concert | date=5 June 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://extra.ie/2020/09/04/news/world-news/bbc-northern-ireland-flag-irish | title='Disgraceful!' – Irish flag mix-up causes outrage as BBC issue apology |website=Extra.ie |first1=Aoibhin |last1=Bryant | date=4 September 2020 }}</ref>

==Protocol== The Department of the Taoiseach has issued guidelines to assist persons in giving due respect to the national flag.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/9d76c655/The_National_Flag_-_Guidelines_September_2025.pdf| website = assets.gov.ie | title = The National Flag - Guidelines - September 2025 | publisher = Department of the Taoiseach | accessdate = 30 March 2026 }}</ref> Observance of the guidelines is a matter for each individual as there are no statutory requirements. It is expected, however, that the national flag will be treated at all times with appropriate respect by those who use it. The department has general responsibility in relation to the national flag and this is primarily concerned with the protocol for the flying of the flag. The Department's role, therefore, is an advisory one.<ref name="Guide">{{cite web|url = http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/The%20National%20Flag.pdf |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070615135038/http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/The%20National%20Flag.pdf | archivedate = 15 June 2007 | title = The National Flag: Guidelines for use of the National Flag | publisher = Department of the Taoiseach | website = taoiseach.gov.ie }}</ref>

With respect to the display, placing and precedence of the national flag by both itself and in relation to other flags, the department has made a number of suggestions. No flag or pennant should be flown above the national flag. When the flag is carried with another flag, or flags, it should be carried in the place of honour – that is on the marching right, or on the left of an observer towards whom the flags are approaching. Where one of these flags is that of the European Union, the European Union flag should be carried on the immediate left of the national flag, or, as seen by an observer when the flags are approaching, on the immediate right of the national flag. In the event of a display of crossed staffs, the national flag should be to the right and to the fore – that is to the left of the observer who is facing the flag. Its staff should be in front of the other flag or flags.<ref name="Guide"/>

upright|thumb|Flag flown in the place of honour to the left, accompanied to the right by the flags of the European Union and Canada

When the group of flags of the European Union are flown, the sequence is alphabetical, based on the first letter of the country's name. The flags should be flown from left to right with the European Union flag flown from the first flagstaff before the group. An alternative order of flags is to begin on the left with the national flag and place the European Union flag on the far right of the group, as seen by an observer.<ref name="Guide"/> With regard to international flags; where either an even or an odd number of flags are flown in line on staffs of equal height, the national flag should be first on the right of the line – that is on the observer's left while facing the flags. Where one of these flags is that of the European Union, the European Union flag should be flown on the immediate left of the national flag, or as seen by an observer, on the immediate right of the national flag. Where, however, an odd number of flags are displayed from staffs grouped so that there is one staff in the centre and higher than the others, the national flag should be displayed from the staff so placed. Where one of these flags is that of the European Union, the European Union flag should be flown from the first flagstaff on the right, or as seen by an observer, on the first flagstaff on the left. Only one national flag should be displayed in each group of flags or at each location. In all cases, the national flag should be in the place of honour. When the national flag is displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall or other background, the green should be on the right (an observer's left) in the horizontal position or uppermost in the vertical position. When displayed on a platform, the national flag should be above and behind the speaker's desk. While being carried, the flag should not be dipped by way of salute or compliment except to the dead during memorial ceremonies.<ref name="Guide"/> [[File:Michael Collins by John Lavery.jpg|upright|thumb|right|Michael Collins lying in state by John Lavery showing the green of the flag towards the head]]

In raising or lowering, the national flag should not be allowed to touch the ground. When being hoisted to half-mast, the flag should first be brought to the peak of the staff and then lowered to the half-mast position.<ref>A flag is at half-mast in any position below the top of the staff but never below the middle point of the staff. As a general guide, the half-mast position may be taken as that where the top of the flag is the depth of the flag below the top of the staff.</ref> It should again be brought to the peak of the staff before it is finally lowered.<ref name="Guide"/> On ceremonial occasions when the national flag is being hoisted or lowered, or when it is passing by in a parade, all present should face it, stand to attention and salute. Persons in uniform who normally salute with the hand should give the hand salute. Persons in civilian attire should salute by standing to attention. The salute to the flag when it is being borne past in a parade is rendered when the flag is six paces away and the salute is held until the flag has passed by. Where more than one national flag is carried, the salute should be given only to the leading flag.<ref name="Guide"/> When the national anthem is played in the presence of the national flag, all present should face the national flag, stand to attention and salute it, remaining at the salute until the last note of the music.<ref name="Guide"/>

When the national flag has become worn or frayed it is no longer fit for display, and should not be used in any manner implying disrespect.<ref name="Guide"/> The national flag, when used as a decoration, should always be treated with due respect. It may be used as a discreet lapel button or rosette or as part of a centrepiece for a table. When used in the latter context with the flags of other nations, the national flag should also be displayed in the place of honour on a nearby flag staff. Where multiple national flags are flown on festive occasions these should be of uniform dimensions. Bunting of the national colours may also be used on festive occasions.<ref name="Guide"/> upright|thumb|right|The Irish flag flying from the General Post Office in Dublin The national flag should be displayed in the open only between sunrise and sunset, except on the occasion of public meetings, processions, or funerals, when it may be displayed for the duration of such functions.<ref name="Guide"/><ref>For military purposes, sunrise occurs at 8:00 a.m. between March and October, and at 8:30 a.m. between November and February. Sunset is deemed to occur at: 3:30 p.m. in January and December; 4:30 p.m. in February and November; 5:30 p.m. in March and October; 6:00 p.m. in April; 7:00 p.m. in May and September; and 8:00 p.m. between June and August.</ref> When displayed on a platform, the national flag should not be used to cover the speaker's desk, nor should it be draped over the platform. The national flag should never be defaced by placing slogans, logos, lettering or pictures of any kind on it, for example at sporting events. The flag should not be draped on cars, trains, boats or other modes of transport; it should not be carried flat, but should always be carried aloft and free, except when used to drape a coffin; on such an occasion, the green should be at the head of the coffin. The tricolour is draped across the coffins of Presidents of Ireland (including former presidents), soldiers and ''Garda Síochána'' personnel killed in the line of duty, and other notables accorded state funerals, such as Roger Casement in 1965, or Kevin Barry in 2001. Care should be taken at all times to ensure that the national flag does not touch the ground, trail in water or become entangled in trees or other obstacles.<ref name="Guide"/> It is the normal practice to fly the national flag daily at all military posts and from a limited number of important State buildings. The European flag is flown alongside the national flag on all official buildings, and in most places where the Irish flag is flown over buildings. The national flag is flown over buildings including: the residence of the President of Ireland, ''Áras an Uachtaráin''; Leinster House, the seat of the Irish parliament, when parliament is in session{{cn|date=April 2024}}; Irish courts and state buildings; Irish military installations, at home and abroad; Irish embassies and consulates; and ''Garda Síochána'' (police) stations. The national flag is also flown on Saint Patrick's Day (the national holiday), Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (in commemoration of the Easter Rising of 1916), and the National Day of Commemoration on the Sunday closest to 11 July. On these occasions the national flag is flown from all State buildings throughout the country which are equipped with flagpoles, and many private individuals and concerns also fly it. The national flag is flown on the occasion of other significant national and local events such as festivals and commemorations. The national flag is frequently flown at half-mast on the death of a national or international figure on all prominent government buildings equipped with a flag pole. The death of a prominent local figure may be marked locally by the national flag being flown at half-mast. Where the national flag is flown at half-mast no other flag should be half-masted.<ref name="Guide"/>

== Similarity to the flag of the Ivory Coast == thumb|Contrasting flags: the Irish flag on the left and Ivory Coast flag on the right The flag of the Ivory Coast has a similar colour layout to the Irish one, but with the orange on the hoist side and a shorter proportion (2:3 instead of 1:2). When the Ivory Coast athlete, Murielle Ahouré, celebrated winning the 2018 world indoor 60-metre dash in Birmingham, she borrowed an Irish flag from a spectator and reversed it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics/quickthinking-irish-fans-come-to-the-rescue-of-victorious-ivory-coast-star-at-world-indoor-athletics-championships-36669933.html|title=Quick-thinking Irish fans come to the rescue of victorious Ivory Coast star at World Indoor Athletics Championships|date=5 March 2018|work=Irish Independent|access-date=6 March 2018}}</ref> Due to this similarity, in Northern Ireland, Ulster loyalists have sometimes desecrated the Ivorian flag, mistaking it for the Irish one.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.joe.ie/news/what-have-the-ivory-coast-ever-done-to-deserve-this-353431|title=What have the Ivory Coast ever done to deserve this?|website=JOE.ie|date=12 July 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/patrickroberts/loyalists-ask-us-to-respect-their-flag-as-they-burn-everyone-elses-215221501-238243931.html|title=Loyalists ask us to respect their flag as they burn everyone else's?|date=12 July 2013|website=IrishCentral.com}}</ref> In 2014, Linfield F.C.'s shop on the predominantly-loyalist Shankill Road attracted media coverage, after a window display marking the World Cup included a sign clarifying that one of the flags on display was an Ivory Coast flag, not an Irish one.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyedge.ie/linfield-belfast-flag-ivory-coast-1514889-Jun2014/|title=Belfast shop insists it's displaying Ivory Coast flag, NOT Ireland flag|first=Emer|last=McLysaght|website=The Daily Edge|date=13 June 2014 }}</ref> A Dublin pub also mistakenly flew the Ivorian flag in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This Dublin pub was caught rapid flying the Ivory Coast flag |url=https://www.dailyedge.ie/tp-smiths-ivory-coast-flag-2698830-Apr2016/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.dailyedge.ie|date=5 April 2016 }}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Ireland}} * Coat of arms of Ireland * Cross-border flag for Ireland * List of flags of Ireland * Flag of Northern Ireland

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Wikiquote-inline}} *{{Commons category-inline|National flag of Ireland}} *{{FOTW|id=ie|title=Ireland}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20200213202756/https://assets.gov.ie/2949/151118153516-096a94ba6955435cae965414f7667104.pdf The National Flag – Irish government paper containing history and usage guidelines] (archived)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ireland, Flag of}} Flag Category:National flags Category:Flags of the Republic of Ireland Category:Flags introduced in 1922 Flag Category:Tricolor flags Category:Vertically symmetrical flags