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⭐ Core Definition: Flag of Ireland

The national flag of Ireland (Irish: bratach na hÉireann), frequently referred to in Ireland as "the tricolour" (an trídhathach) and elsewhere as the Irish tricolour, is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white and orange. The proportions of the flag are 1:2 (that is to say, flown horizontally, the flag is half as high as it is wide).

Presented as a gift in 1848 to Thomas Francis Meagher from a small group of French women sympathetic to Irish nationalism, 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 significance of the colours outlined by Meagher was, "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".

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👉 Flag of Ireland in the context of The Twelfth

The Twelfth (also called Orangemens' Day) is an Ulster Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne, which ensured an Anglican Protestant Ascendancy and the passing of the Penal Laws, which restricted Catholics. On and around the Twelfth, large parades are held by the Orange Order and Ulster loyalist marching bands, streets are decorated with Union Jacks and bunting, and large towering bonfires are lit. Today, the Twelfth is mainly celebrated in Northern Ireland, where it is a public holiday, but smaller celebrations are held elsewhere, such as Scotland, Canada, and Australia.

The Twelfth began in the late 18th century in Ulster, and many Ulster Protestants see it as an important part of their culture. Catholics and Irish nationalists see it as anti-Catholic and supremacist. Since the beginning, it has been occasionally accompanied by sectarian violence, especially during times of political tension. Orange marches through Catholic neighbourhoods, and the burning of Irish flags on bonfires, are especially controversial. The Drumcree conflict is the most well-known dispute involving Orange marches. Sectarian violence around the Twelfth worsened during the Troubles, but today, most events pass off peacefully. Recently, there have been attempts to draw tourists to the main Twelfth parades and promote them as family-friendly events.

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⭐ Core Definition: Flag of Ireland
👉 Flag of Ireland in the context of The Twelfth
Flag of Ireland in the context of Irish nationalism

Flag of Ireland in the context of Irish nationalism

Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cultural nationalism based on the principles of national self-determination and popular sovereignty. Irish nationalists during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries such as the United Irishmen in the 1790s, Young Irelanders in the 1840s, the Fenian Brotherhood during the 1880s, Fianna Fáil in the 1920s, and Sinn Féin styled themselves in various ways after French left-wing radicalism and republicanism. Irish nationalism celebrates the culture of Ireland, especially the Irish language, literature, music, and sports. It grew more potent during the period in which all of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, which led to most of the island gaining independence from the UK in 1922.

Irish nationalists believe that foreign English and later British rule in Ireland from the 1169 English Norman Invasion of Ireland onwards has been detrimental to Irish interests. At the time of the partition of Ireland most of the island was Roman Catholic and largely indigenous, while a sizeable portion of the country, particularly in the north, was Protestant and chiefly descended from people of Great Britain who colonised the land as settlers during the reign of King James I in 1609. Partition was along these ethno-religious lines, with most of Ireland gaining independence, while six northern counties remained part of the United Kingdom. Irish nationalists support Irish reunification.

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Flag of Ireland in the context of "The Twelfth"

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⭐ Core Definition: Flag of Ireland

👉 Flag of Ireland in the context of The Twelfth

Flag of Ireland in the context of Irish nationalism