Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-09-13
HISTORY Or The STANDARDS

Most people imagine that the Irish
must at once adopt the standard Of
green unfurled," with the I'M
crowned harp displayed thereon, but
they are just as likely to choose one
of very different hue. The green
standard is comparatively modern,
not being much more than a hundred
years in vogue. There are others Of
different device and color which have
much more glorious history at
tached to them. The history Of Ire
land under the green flag has been
one of persistent defeat and mis-
fortune, and the Irish people may
decide to shelve 1t as a hoodoo and
a hindrance. When the new Ireland
starts out on her career of glory and
prosperity, no tatters of her former
plight can be permitted to cling to
her and obstruct her triumphant
march down through the ages. A
writer in the Gaenc American gives
the following interesting history of
the seevral standards and emblems
of ancient Ireland. 1t might be add
ed, too, that saffron was also
favorite color of the Irish and the
uniform of the ancient Irish soldiers
(the kerns and gallo-glases men
toned in Shakespeare consisted of
saffron-colored tunics:
Probably nine Irishmen out of
ten, II asked what the national flag
of ireland is, would reply without
hesitation: The harp without the
crown meaning the golden Celtic
hor n ah 10
flown very generally by Irishmen.
Most of them believe that this has
always been Irelands' flag, but the
fact is that, as flags go, it is COM
paratively new. 1t first made its APP
perance in 1898, when it was adopt
ed by the United Irishmen, and it Is
said that they choose green because
1t is a blend of orange and blue, 20
typify the union of North and
South. In point Of antiquity the real
irish flag is the spear and SER
pent,' which appears in the arms OF
the O'Sullivans. 1t is said to COM
Glas, the ancestor of Milesius who,
tradition says. was cured Of snake
bite by the rod of Moses. Next to
that comes the flag Of Fionn Nc
Cumhaili's militia, the golden sun
burst on a blue ground, and the
weight of opinion seems to favor
this as the true national flag. Blue
indeed was always Ireland's national
color until 1898. There are a num-
Der Of other flags which have fig
ured in Irish history, and all have
their enthusiastic supporters. One
of the most popular is the three
golden crowns on a blue ground,
which figures now in the arms of the
Province of Munster. This was ac-
cepted after the Norman invasion in
1872 as the flag of Ireland, the
three crowns typifying the kingdoms
Of Desmond, Ormond and Thomond.
II was retained until 1547, when
Henry VIII. abolished 1t and substi-
tuted the harp. Coming down to
more recent times we find that
Grattan's Parliament did not recog-
nize green, although II did accept
the harp. It's flag was a golden harp
on blue ground. A new flag was
evolved at the time OF the Union,
for the express purpose
Of Incorporating in II what is now
known as the Union Jack, but II does
not seem to have caught the popular
fancy any more than the act of
union. This was the red satire on
a white ground, which was chris
tened st. Patricks' Cross Appar-
emily It was lifted from the arms
of Trinity College, Dublin, though
how Trinity came by It is equally a
mystery. The tri-oolor of green,
white and orange-"The Orange and
the Green, with the stripe of peace
between'-is the recognized flag Of
irish Nationalists whose aim is COM
plete independence"