The Irish flag's history offers insights into how visual symbols shape national narratives. From green fields with golden harps to today's tricolour, these emblems create visual shorthand for complex historical narratives and cultural values.

Early Irish flags used Gaelic iconography, particularly the green field with golden harp, linking modern national aspirations to ancient heritage. By using pre-colonial symbols, these flags positioned independence movements as restoring historical sovereignty rather than creating new political entities. This exemplifies how nationalist movements construct mythologies connecting contemporary struggles to idealised historical precedents.

The tricolour's introduction in 1848 by Thomas Francis Meagher represents a sophisticated attempt to address Ireland's religious divisions. Inspired by the French revolutionary tricolour, Meagher's adaptation reflected Ireland's revolutionary aspirations while addressing its unique social landscape. Incorporating green (Catholics/Nationalists), orange (Protestants/Unionists) and white (peace between them), this design articulated an aspirational vision of unity that acknowledged divisions while suggesting possible reconciliation. The tricolour functioned not simply as representation but as visual articulation of a desired future.

The flag gained deeper meaning through historical events, particularly its association with the 1916 Easter Rising. Flying above the General Post Office during the rebellion, it first became linked with narratives of sacrifice and resistance fundamental to Irish independence mythology. The Rising's leaders embraced collective struggle for the public good, aspiring to create an Ireland serving all citizens equally. In later decades, this symbol experienced problematic recontextualisations by Republican paramilitaries during the Troubles and more recently by elements of Ireland's emerging far-right movements.

This evolution shows how symbols develop through historical contexts rather than formal design alone, acquiring complex resonances that both reflect and shape collective identity, sometimes contradicting their original aspirational meaning.

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‍We Can't Let The Far Right Claim Our Tricolour
District Magazine, April 2025, Instagram, Dray Morgan (Extract)
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It's unsettling, it's saddening but it's also disgraceful. Irish iconography used to promote a fundamentally non-Irish sentiment. The Tricolour left bismerched and Irish culture being overlooked for the sake of racism and xenophobia. Don't let the far right claim our Tricolour. There's no denying that the scenes from Saturday's anti-immigration protest were unsettling. Equally as striking is the choice of iconography by right-wing demonstrators when disseminating a fundamentally non-Irish sentiment.

Tri-colours and harps were ever-present throughout the crowds, combined with chants of "Get Them Out" and other xenophobic slogans.

Here are some reasons why the Irish Tricolour and other iconography doesn't and will never align with anti-immigration and far-right rhetoric.‍

The History of the Tricolour: The Irish Tricolour came to fruition in 1848, when the leader of Young Irelanders, Thomas Francis Meagher, received the flag from a group of French women in Paris. The flag symbolised solidarity with the Irish cause against the British oppressors, as well as peace between Catholics and Protestants. The Tricolour did not become Ireland's national flag until 68 years later in 1916. Until then, it served as an international sign of solidarity between Ireland and other nations, a progressive symbol which sought equality and resistance from discriminatory regimes.

This was also the era in which Ireland saw its greatest emigration in its history. The Great Hunger saw over 2.5 million people forced to leave their homes and emigrate across the world, spreading Irish iconography and culture globally. Ireland's population decreased heavily from 6.55 million to 4.23 million, rendering those who left effective humanitarian refugees.‍

Imported Ideology: Anti-immigration has and never will be an ideology of the Irish. It is, of course, impossible to ignore the fact that Ireland has the largest diaspora per capita of any nation in the world. 80 million people outside of Ireland claim Irish ancestry. We are a nation of emigrants.

Furthermore, imported ideologies are filtered through social media into the Irish psyche. This was only exemplified by the MAGA sympathisers and even imagery of Vladimir Putin at Saturday's demonstration. In May 2024, The Journal reported on more than 150 social media accounts that were claiming to be Irish but were operated by non-Irish users. Accounts like these contribute heavily to a rising ethno-nationalistic and racist view. Irish social media users are unknowingly being influenced by foreign entities.

A Sinister Core: At the core of anti-immigration Ireland, is a truly sinister underbelly that operates through Telegram channels, with rhetoric led by unwavering racism and fringe ideologies. Figureheads such as head of the extremist far-right National Party, Justin Barrett (who was present at Saturday's rally) spew admiration for Nazi ideology as well as pushing misinformation and conspiracy theories. This has led to fringe groups such as Clann Eireann, a racist group with almost 3,000 members on Telegram. From 2020 to 2023, mis and disinformation in Irish Telegram channels rose by 326%.

Take Off Those Celtic Jerseys: Multiple Celtic jerseys were seen at the protest. Celtic F.C. was created in 1888 for the purpose of creating a club for Irish immigrants and alleviating the poverty experienced by the Irish community in Scotland. A driving factor of Celtic's ethos is acceptance, humanity and equality. Championed as a club for the oppressed and a haven for the othered, a Celtic jersey will never represent the racist and unwelcoming ideology of the far-right. Gil Heron, Celtic F.C's first black football player and father to Gil-Scott Heron, renowned musician and writer of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".

Do You Really Want To Be Like Them? Looking at our British neighbours, the St. George's flag has been ruined by years of bigotry, discrimination and hatred being flown under the banner of the image. Far-right groups on both sides of our seas have appropriated their national flags, giving it connotations of hate and fear. We cannot let this happen to the tricolour, a symbol of hope, peace and a piece of Irish iconography for all to be proud of. We can't let the far right claim our Tricolour.

"The Tricolour will be a right-wing symbol soon if it's not front and centre at counters. Being allergic to your own flag is moronic and damages your legitimacy as a national movement. A sea of red and pink flags without the hard won symbols of Irish nationalism plays into the right-wing narrative that left is inherently anti-Irish. Fly the tricolour if you don't want it to end up like the St Georges flag in England."
Irish artist Spice Bag

Instagram: @district.magazine; Writing @dray.morgan; Photography @hasanyikiciphotography; Additional; @hasanyikiciphotography @gregbyrnephoto @spicebag.exe