Like the country to which it belongs, the emblem of Ireland has a difficult history. It has survived centuries and is still the pride of every resident. What does he look like and when did he appear?
History of creation
Of course, the coat of arms of Ireland is very ancient, but no one knows exactly when it appeared. Already in the thirteenth century it was universally known that the golden harp is the heraldic symbol of these lands. In the sixteenth century, when King Henry the Eighth declared himself king of Ireland, he officially approved this symbolism. Even as a stranger, he decided not to break the tradition. After that, the symbol began to appear on local coins. It is interesting that the coat of arms of Ireland is unique not only by its impressive age, but also by its very appearance: it is the only one in the world depicting a musical instrument. In 1603, a new symbol was approved, as the country became part of the United Kingdom, but the harp still found a place on it. In 1922, it was adopted by the emblem of a free state, and in 1945 it was officially approved.
How did the appearance develop?
The modern coat of arms of Ireland, photographs or images of which can even be seen on products from this country, for example, the famous Guinness beer, did not immediately take on its shape, although its essence has not changed for centuries. In the seventeenth century, he looked more frivolous: the base of the harp was female breasts. After gaining sovereignty, the image of a musical instrument was changed so that it corresponded to the old Gaelic version. Dublin Trinity College holds the ancient harp of Brian Boru. She was taken as a basis. The background is a rich blue shield . Many speculate that the emblem of Ireland should be green. This is completely untrue, because it is blue that locals associate with their country. The harp can be found on parliamentary legislation, passport covers and government documents, as well as on the front of Irish coins. Even the British coat of arms still retains such symbolism. However, the Northern Irish officially use a different emblem, but in fact they love the harp just as much as the Southerners.
State flag
You cannot study one state symbol, forgetting about another. Information about the flag and coat of arms of Ireland should be recognized at the same time. Citizens use tricolor with vertical stripes of green, white and orange. The canvas exists since the nineteenth century and represents the indigenous people, the British colonists and the peace between these two sides.