Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1883 — Ireland’s National Color. [ARTICLE]

Ireland’s National Color.

It is strange to be told that, after all, green is not the old national color of Ireland. The popular belief for centuries is in favor of emerald color. But the old books show that the popular belief is contrary to the fact. There was a Duke of Ireland in Richard ll.’s time, Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland and Marquis of Dublin, to whom the King granted a coat of augmentation, “azure, three crowns, or with a border argent.” In Edward IV.’s time the arms of Ireland were such a problem for the heralds that commissioners were sent to investigate and to re pot t. The Commissioners pronounced that the arms of that kingdom were three crowns in j>ale. A drawing in the British museum settles the .question. The drawing was made in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, or, at least, registered the colors as they existed in her reign. The national flag appears then to have been a harp or with strings

argent on an azure ground. Thus in early times the national flag was certainly bine. It may be that the color changed imperceptibly. There are blues that are almost ,green. Twenty years ago the Italian tri-color was brick-red, white and olive-green. These were the esthetic tints in use at a time when Carlyle had not yet explained to us in a note how Richter invented the word “esthetic” and what be meant by it. Now any one who looks at the Italian flag floating over the Houses of Parliament in the Piazza in Rome will see that the red is bright carmine and the green is rank emerald. —Pall Mall Gazette. -----