Four Provinces of Ireland flag
The Four Provinces flag of Ireland is created from the four flags of each province Ulster, Munster, Connacht and Leinster. The flag is a representation of all counties in Ireland and were in use before the partition of the six counties of newly formed Ulster (Northern Ireland). The Four Provinces of Ireland flag has no official status in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland so it can be found in various places and events such as parades, sports among various other locations.
The Ulster Flag
The Flag of Ulster represents the original nine counties of Ulster, before Ireland was split into a partition. It must not be mistaken as the flag of Northern Ireland which is different entirley. The Four provinces flags were once the symbol of the old Kingdoms of Ireland.
The Ulster flag is taken from the crest of the O' Neill Chieftains of Ulster, a clan who strongly resisted to the English in Ireland. The Red Cross on a gold field was from the de Burgos, a representation of the earldom of Ulster dating back to 1333 when the last de Burgo earl died.
The Munster Flag
The Three crowns on the Munster flag had been a symbol for when Muster was split into three kingdoms, which were Thomond (north), Desmond (south), and Ormond (east). Muster is made up of the counties Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford that are Ireland’s most southern counties.
The Munster flag should not be confused with the flag of Dublin, which is similar, the flag of Dublin has three Castles within its flag.
The Connacht Flag
The flag of Connacht is a representation of the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo which are Irelands most westerly counties. It is believed the arm and the sword is from the O' Connor clan who were the rulers of the area before the invasion of the Normans.
The black eagle is said to be from the Browns who were a tribe in Galway city.
The Leinster Flag
The flag of Leinster represents the counties of Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow that are Irelands most eastern and populated counties.
The Leinster flag was used by the United Irishmen in 1789 and the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB).
From around the 16th Century a blue flag with the Gold harp was the arms of Ireland until
United Irishmen switched the main color to green to symbolize the revolution in the 18th century. The flag is also known as the Arms of Ireland and was the unofficial Irish flag from 1798 into the early 20th Century.
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