Saint Patrick's Cross is a red
saltireA saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
(X-shaped cross) on a white field. In
heraldicHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
language, it may be
blazonIn heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
ed
ArgentIn heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...
, a saltire gulesIn heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
.
Saint Patrick's Flag is a
flagA flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
composed of Saint Patrick's Saltire.
The flag is sometimes used to represent
IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and takes its name from
Saint PatrickSaint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
, the
patron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Ireland. The antiquity of the association with Ireland and Saint Patrick has been questioned. The cross was used in the
regaliaRegalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...
of the Order of Saint Patrick, a British
chivalric orderChivalric orders are societies and fellowships of knights that have been created by European monarchs in imitation of the military orders of the Crusades...
established in 1783 by
George IIIGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, and later in the arms and flags of a number of institutions. After the 1800 Act of Union joined Ireland with the
Kingdom of Great BritainThe former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
, the saltire was added to the British flag to form the
Union FlagThe Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
still used by the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Saint Patrick's Cross is rejected by many Irish nationalists as a British invention. In modern usage, it is sometimes associated with Northern Ireland as there is no universally accepted
flag for the island of IrelandThere is no cross-border flag universally accepted as representing both jurisdictions on Ireland. This can be a problem in contexts where a body organised on an all-island basis needs to be represented by a flag in an international context...
.
Origins
The earliest unequivocal use of the cross is in the official description of the badge of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick that
Lord TempleGeorge Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham, KG, PC was a British statesman. He was the second son of George Grenville and a brother of the 1st Baron Grenville.-Career:...
, the
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, forwarded to his superiors in London in January 1783:
The Order of Saint Patrick was created in 1783 to mark the
Constitution of 1782The Constitution of 1782 is a collective term given to a series of legal changes which freed the Parliament of Ireland, a Medieval parliament consisting of the Irish House of Commons and the Irish House of Lords, of legal restrictions that had been imposed by successive Norman, English, and later,...
which gave substantial autonomy to Ireland. The order was a means of rewarding (or obtaining) political support in the
Irish ParliamentThe Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
.
The origin of the cross used in the badge is unclear. Many subsequent commentators have assumed that the saltire was simply taken from the medieval arms of the
FitzGeraldThe surname FitzGerald is a translation of the French-Norman fils de Gérald, or son of Gerald . Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald. The name can also be used as two separate words Fitz Gerald...
s (or
Geraldines).
William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of LeinsterWilliam Robert FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster, etc. KP, PC was an Irish liberal politician and landowner. He was born in London.-Career:...
was the premier peer in the
Irish House of LordsThe Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from mediaeval times until 1800. It was abolished along with the Irish House of Commons by the Act of Union.-Function:...
and a founder member of the Order of Saint Patrick. Michael Casey suggests that Lord Temple, pressed for time, had based the Order's insignia on those of the
Order of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, and simply rotated its George's Cross through 45 degrees.
While there is earlier evidence of saltires used in representations of Ireland, it is scanty and equivocal; instances have been explained away as the Geraldine arms, or sometimes as the Spanish Cross of Burgundy. The
CAINCAIN is a database containing information about Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland from 1968 to the Present. The project began in 1996, with the website launching in 1997. The project is based within the University of Ulster at its Magee campus...
website states:
The arms of Ireland since the sixteenth century have been a gold harp with silver strings on a blue field. Some contemporary commentators in Ireland condemned the Order's red saltire as an alien symbol. While there had previously been crosses associated with Saint Patrick, they were not X-shaped.
Earlier use of saltires in Ireland
A variety of sources show saltires in use earlier than 1783 in Ireland.
The design on the
reverseObverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of some Irish coins (groat and half-groat) minted c.1480 includes two shields with saltires. At this time,
Gerald FitzGeraldGerald Mór FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare, KG , known variously as "Garret the Great" or "The Great Earl" , was Ireland's premier peer...
was
Lord Deputy of IrelandThe Lord Deputy was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and later the Kingdom of Ireland...
, and the shields are considered to be his arms.
English and German picture maps of the battle of Kinsale of 1601/2 show the combined Irish–Spanish forces under a red saltire. This is presumed to be the Cross of Burgundy, the
war flagA war flag is a variant of a national flag for use by the nation's military forces on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign — the battle ensign...
of the
House of BurgundyThe House of Burgundy was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, descending from Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, a younger son of Robert II of France....
(merged into the House of Habsburg) that ruled Spain, rather than an Irish flag.
The arms of Trinity College Dublin, attested from 1612, show flags flying from two castle turrets. One is a red cross on white, interpreted as St George's Cross; the other is a red saltire on white, interpreted as representing Ireland.
Contemporary reports of the ensigns of the
Irish Catholic ConfederationConfederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny"...
during the
Wars of the Three KingdomsThe Wars of the Three Kingdoms formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in England, Ireland, and Scotland between 1639 and 1651 after these three countries had come under the "Personal Rule" of the same monarch...
state that each had a canton with a red saltire on a gold field. A 1645 picture map of the
Siege of DuncannonThe Siege of Duncannon took place in 1645, during the Irish Confederate Wars. An Irish Catholic Confederate army under Thomas Preston besieged and successfully took the town of Duncannon in south eastern Ireland from its English Parliamentarian garrison...
shows
PrestonThomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara was an Irish soldier of the 17th century. He was a descendant of Sir Robert de Preston, who in 1363 purchased the lands of Gormanston, County Meath, and who was keeper of the Great Seal in Ireland some years later....
's Confederates under a saltire.
A 1915 book about flags claims that
The ProtectorateIn British history, the Protectorate was the period 1653–1659 during which the Commonwealth of England was governed by a Lord Protector.-Background:...
of the 1650s briefly used a flag containing the St George's cross in the first and fourth quarters, St Andrew's cross in the second, and a red saltire on white in the third to represent Ireland. Several drawings of Union flags, including one of
HMS HenryDunbar was a 64-gun second rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Deptford, and launched in 1656....
made c.1661 by Willem van de Velde, the elder, include a red saltire as in the post-1800 Union; but there is no official evidence for such a design.
Several atlases and flag books in the late 17th and 18th centuries show a red-saltire–on–white flag for Ireland; including Paulus van der Dussen's (c.1690), and
Le Neptune françois, a marine atlas published in Amsterdam in 1693, where it is depicted with the legends
Ierse above and
Irlandois below — Dutch and French for "Irish". Jan Blaeu's 1650s atlas has a saltire on white for Ireland, which is hand-coloured red in some copies.
Contemporary evidence
Some contemporary responses to the badge of the order complained that an X-shaped cross was the
Cross of St AndrewThe Flag of Scotland, , also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, is the national flag of Scotland. As the national flag it is the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, which is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both...
, patron of Scotland, although modern
vexillologyVexillology is the scholarly study of flags. The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum, meaning 'flag', and the Greek suffix -logy, meaning 'study'. The vexillum was a particular type of flag used by Roman legions during the classical era; its name is a diminutive form of the word velum...
allows only a blue-and-white design to be so called. A February 1783 newspaper complained that "the breasts of Irishmen were to be decorated by the bloody Cross of St Andrew, and not that of the tutelar Saint of their natural isle". Another article claimed that "the Cross of St Andrew the Scotch saint is to honour the Irish order of St Patrick, by being inserted within the star of the order [...] a manifest insult to common sense and to national propriety".
An open letter to Lord Temple, to whom the design of the Order of St. Patrick's badges were entrusted, echoes this and elaborates:
As against this, a 1785 newspaper report from
WaterfordWaterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
states:
Other symbols of Ireland
The
coat of arms of IrelandThe arms of Ireland is blazoned as Azure a harp Or, stringed Argent . These arms have long been Ireland's heraldic emblem. References to them as being the arms of the king of Ireland can be found as early as the 13th century...
is a gold harp on a blue field. It represented Ireland in the flags of earlier unions: the Commonwealth Flag (England and Ireland, 1649) and the Protectorate Jack (England, Ireland and Scotland, 1658). It also featured on the Royal Standard since
James IJames VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
.
The
Celtic crossA Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
and
Brigid's crossBrigid's cross, Brighid's cross, or Brigit's cross, often with the "Saint" prefix, or Cros Bríde, Crosóg Bríde or Bogha Bríde, though not recorded before the seventeenth century, is an Irish symbol. Though a Christian symbol, it possibly derives from the pagan sunwheel. It is usually made from...
are other crosses which have been used as symbols of Ireland.
Use of the flag
The St. Patrick's flag is the flag of St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, and is flown on Degree days and other important occasions. Its use is not affected by the creation of a separate
National University of Ireland, MaynoothThe National University of Ireland, Maynooth , was founded by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university, having been formed from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, itself founded in 1795.The university is...
in 1997.
Flags in Northern Ireland are controversialThe Northern Ireland flags issue is one that divides the population along sectarian lines. Depending on political allegiance, people identify with differing flags and symbols, some of which have, or have had, official status in Northern Ireland....
, their symbolism reflecting underlying political differences. Saint Patrick's Cross is sometimes used as a cross-community symbol with less political baggage than either the
Union FlagThe Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
or the
Ulster BannerThe Ulster Banner, more commonly known as the Ulster flag, Northern Ireland flag or the Red Hand of Ulster flag, was the flag of the Government of Northern Ireland between 1953 and 1972. Since that government was abolished in 1972, the flag has become a symbol of Ulster loyalism and is not...
, seen as pro-Unionist, or the Irish tricolour used by
Irish nationalistsIrish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
.
It is one of two flags authorised to be flown on church grounds by the
Church of IrelandThe Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
, the other being the
Compasrose Flag of the Anglican CommunionThe Compasrose Flag of the Anglican Communion was designed in 1954 by Canon Edward N. West of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York for the Second International Anglican Congress in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
. This was the recommendation of a 1999 synod committee on
sectarianismSectarianism, according to one definition, is bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, regional or factions of a political movement.The ideological...
. For similar motives, it is the basis of the police badge of the new
Police Service of Northern IrelandThe Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
.
David McNarryDavid McNarry MLA is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland. He stood for the Ulster Unionist Party in North Down in the 1982 Assembly elections but failed to be elected. He is now a UUP MLA for Strangford, elected in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. He is currently UUP chief whip...
suggested it should be allowed in Northern Irish number plates analogous to the flags allowed on English, Scottish, and Welsh plates.
Saint Patrick's Flag is often seen during
Saint Patrick's DaySaint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
parades in
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Flags are handed out by
Down District CouncilDown District Council is a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland. The Council is headquartered in Downpatrick. Other towns in the Council area are Ardglass, Ballynahinch, Castlewellan, Clough, Crossgar, Dundrum, Killough, Killyleagh, Newcastle, Saintfield, Seaforde and Strangford...
before the
DownpatrickDownpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...
parade, near Patrick's burial place at
Down CathedralDown Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a Church of Ireland cathedral located in the town of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. It stands on Cathedral Hill overlooking the town.-History:...
. In Great Britain, Saint Patrick's Flag was flown in place of the Irish tricolour at the 2009 parade in
CroydonCroydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, prompting complaints from some councillors. It is flown on Patrick's Day by
BradfordBradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
City Council. It is one of the flags approved by the
Orange InstitutionThe Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
for display during
Orange walkOrange walks are a series of parades held annually by members of the Orange Order during the summer in Northern Ireland, to a lesser extent in Scotland, and occasionally in England, the Republic of Ireland, and throughout the Commonwealth...
s. The all-island bodies for men's and ladies'
bowlsBowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
compete internationally under the Saint Patrick's flag.
At the 1935 celebrations in London for
George VGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
's silver jubilee, "The cross of St. George representing
England and WalesEngland and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, and the saltires of St. Andrew and St. Patrick, representing Scotland and Ireland" were flown separately and used in combination. At the time the
Irish Free StateThe Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
was a separate
DominionA dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
within the British Commonwealth. In 1986, government policy during
state visitA state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
s to London was to fly the crosses of George, Andrew and Patrick and the
Welsh DragonThe Flag of Wales consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings exist....
. The government clarified that the Union Jack was the flag of Northern Ireland, not the Patrick's Cross or the
Ulster BannerThe Ulster Banner, more commonly known as the Ulster flag, Northern Ireland flag or the Red Hand of Ulster flag, was the flag of the Government of Northern Ireland between 1953 and 1972. Since that government was abolished in 1972, the flag has become a symbol of Ulster loyalism and is not...
.
The saltire in combination
With the 1800
Act of UnionThe Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
that merged the kingdoms of
Great BritainThe former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
and
IrelandThe Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
, a red saltire was incorporated into the
Flag of the United KingdomThe Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
as representing Ireland. Regardless of the uncertainty over its origins, the saltire gules on a white field was used in the arms adopted by various Irish organisations, and some outside Ireland.
The arms of
Cork cityCork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
show red-saltire flags on the two towers, though not on versions prior to 1800.
Coleraine Borough CouncilColeraine Borough Council is a local council mainly in County Londonderry and partly in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters are in the town of Coleraine. Small towns in the area include Garvagh, Portrush, Portstewart and Kilrea...
includes Patrick's cross, as Patrick is said to have given
ColeraineColeraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
its name.
The original arms of the
Royal Irish AcademyThe Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
in 1786 did not have the saltire, but those granted in 1846 do. There are red saltires in the arms of the Queen's University in Ireland (est.1850, arms granted 1851; dissolved 1879) and its successor Queen's University Belfast (est.1908, arms granted 1910); and the
Royal College of Surgeons in IrelandThe Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , is a Dublin-based medical institution, situated on St. Stephen's Green. The college is one of the five Recognised Colleges of the National University of Ireland...
. The
Royal Dublin SocietyThe Royal Dublin Society was founded on 25 June 1731 to "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland". The RDS is synonymous with its main premises in Ballsbridge in Dublin, Ireland...
's flag, dating from c.1902–12, has a red saltire, but its significance is unknown. The
Irish Free State Girl GuidesThe Irish Girl Guides is a Girl Guides organisation in the Republic of Ireland.Together with the Catholic Guides of Ireland, it forms the Council of Irish Guiding Associations...
, descended from the Unionist
British Girl GuidesGirlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
, had a Patrick's Cross on the flag it used from its establishment in 1929 until the
1937 ConstitutionThe Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...
. The
Church of Ireland diocese of ConnorThe Diocese of Connor is in the Province of Armagh of the Church of Ireland.-Overview and history:Christianity has been present in Connor Diocese for over 1500 years. Tradition holds that St. Patrick herded sheep on Slemish, in the heart of the Diocese, when first brought to Ireland as a slave...
's arms, granted in 1945, include Patrick's Cross in memory of his supposed enslavement at
SlemishSlemish, historically called Slieve Mish , is a volcanic plug in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies a few miles east of Ballymena, in the townland of Carnstroan.Slemish is the remains of the plug of an extinct volcano...
.
The cross is incorporated in the badge of the
Reform MovementThe Reform Movement is an organisation whose goal is to have the Republic of Ireland become part of the Commonwealth and to promote British culture throughout Ireland....
, a "post-nationalist" pressure group in the
Republic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
seeking closer ties with the United Kingdom.
The Patrick's Cross was on the flag proposed in 1914 of the
County Down-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
unit of
Irish VolunteersThe Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
. A writer in
The Irish Volunteer complained that
The O'RahillyMichael Joseph O'Rahilly , self-described as The O'Rahilly was an Irish republican who took part in the Easter Rising, during which he was killed in the fighting.-Early life:...
should have known the cross was "faked for Union Jack purposes".
The cross appeared on the house flag of Irish Shipping, founded 1941, and that used by Irish Continental Line in 1973–9. It replaced the
St George's CrossSt George's Cross is a red cross on a white background used as a symbolic reference to Saint George. The red cross on white was associated with St George from medieval times....
in 1970 on the flag of the
Commissioners of Irish LightsThe Commissioners of Irish Lights is the body that serves as the lighthouse authority for Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands...
. The badge of the
Royal Society of Antiquaries of IrelandThe Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland is a learned society based in Ireland, whose aims are 'to preserve, examine and illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of the arts, manners and customs of the past, as connected with the antiquities, language, literature and history of Ireland'. ...
, designed by John Vinycomb, incorporates the cross and the arms of the four provinces. The Urban District Council of Rathmines and Rathgar was granted arms in 1929, a year before it was absorbed into
Dublin CorporationDublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
; these featured a Cross of St Patrick and a Celtic Cross.
In 1932-33 a variation of the flag with a
St. Patrick's BlueSt. Patrick's blue is a name applied to several shades of blue considered as symbolic of Ireland. In British usage, it refers to various sky blue shades associated with the Order of St. Patrick. In modern usage in the Republic of Ireland, it may be a darker shade. While green is now the usual...
background was adopted as the badge and flag of the short-lived Blueshirts. This militant group incorporated right-wing, conservative and some former-unionist elements in opposition to the then left-wing
republicanIrish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
Fianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
party.
A flag combining
St Andrew's CrossA saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
, St Patrick's Cross, and the
Red Hand of UlsterThe Red Hand of Ulster is a symbol used in heraldry to denote the Irish province of Ulster. It is less commonly known as the Red Hand of O'Neill. Its origins are said to be attributed to the mythical Irish figure Labraid Lámh Dhearg , and appear in other mythical tales passed down from generation...
has been used by
Ulster separatistsUlster nationalism is the name given to a school of thought in Northern Irish politics that seeks the independence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom without becoming part of the Republic of Ireland, thereby becoming an independent sovereign state separate from England, Scotland and Wales...
, who wish to see Northern Ireland leave the United Kingdom and become an independent state, not joining together with the Republic of Ireland.
The
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Diocese of TruroThe Diocese of Truro is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury.-Geography and history:The diocese's area is that of the county of Cornwall including the Isles of Scilly. It was formed on 15 December 1876 from the Archdeaconry of Cornwall in the Diocese of Exeter, it is thus one...
, established in 1876, has a Patrick's cross in its arms, representing
Cornwall's Celtic heritageThe Kingdom of Cornwall was an independent polity in southwest Britain during the Early Middle Ages, roughly coterminous with the modern English county of Cornwall. During the sub-Roman and early medieval periods Cornwall was evidently part of the kingdom of Dumnonia, which included most of the...
. The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New YorkThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
, whose cathedral is
St Patrick'sThe Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
, incorporates the cross.
St. Patrick's High School, OttawaSt. Patrick's High School, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is a Catholic high school publicly funded under the Ontario school system as part of the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board...
has the cross in its flag and arms.
Unrelated flags
Other flags in which a red saltire on a white field feature include the
Flag of AlabamaThe current flag of the state of Alabama was adopted by Act 383 of the Alabama state legislature on February 16, 1895:The cross of St. Andrew referred to in the law is a diagonal cross, known in vexillology as a saltire...
— officially "a crimson cross of St. Andrew on a field of white"; and the
Flag of FloridaThe flag of the State of Florida consists of a red saltire on a white background, with the seal of Florida superimposed on the center. The design was approved by a popular referendum in 1900...
and the
Flag of ValdiviaThe flag of Valdivia is a red saltire on a white field. It is thought to have originated from the Spanish Cross of Burgundy Flag as the city of Valdivia in southern Chile was a very important stronghold of the Spanish Empire. It is virtually identical to the flag of Saint Patrick, although...
, both derived from the Spanish
Cross of BurgundyThe Cross of Burgundy flag was used by Spain 1506-1701 as a naval ensign, and up to 1843 as the land battle flag, and still appears on regimental colours, badges, shoulder patches and company guidons...
. The
Flag of JerseyThe flag of Jersey comprises a red saltire on a white field, and in the upper quadrant the badge of Jersey surmounted by a yellow "Plantagenet crown"...
is said by to derive from a misreading of "Ierse" as "Jersey" in a 1693 Dutch flag book: "Ierse" is Dutch for "Irish".
The arms of
West DunbartonshireWest Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East...
derive from the former arms of the
burghA burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
of
ClydebankClydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
, including a red saltire as the arms of
LennoxThe district of Lennox , often known as "the Lennox", is a region of Scotland centred around the village of Lennoxtown in East Dunbartonshire, eight miles north of the centre of Glasgow. At various times in history, the district has had both a dukedom and earldom associated with it.- External...
. Since
Old KilpatrickOld Kilpatrick is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.The village is on the north bank of the River Clyde immediately to the north of the Forth and Clyde Canal, three miles from Clydebank on the road to Dumbarton. The Great Western Road runs through Old Kilpatrick, and the next village to...
, a legendary birthplace of Saint Patrick, is in the district, the association of Saint Patrick's Cross may be considered appropriate, if coincidental.