EIRE
Ireland
Excursions
II. The
Confederation of Kilkenny (1642-1649)
III. The
Society of United Irishmen (1791-1803 ca)
THE
COAT OF ARMS OF IRELAND IS A GOLDEN HARP WITH SILVER STRINGS ON A BLUE FIELD
(AZURE,
A HARP OR, STRINGED ARGENT).
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Irish High
Kings Early Irish
kingship was sacral in character. In the early narrative literature a king is
a king because he marries the sovereignty goddess (Medbh), is free from
blemish, enforces symbolic buada (prerogatives) and avoids symbolic geasa
(taboos). According to the seventh and eighth century law tracts a hierarchy
of kingship and clientship progressed from the rí (king of a single
petty kingdom) through the ruiri (a rí who was overking of
several petty kingdoms) to a rí ruirech (a rí who was a
provincial overking). Each king ruled directly only within the bounds of his
own petty kingdom and was responsible for ensuring good government by
exercising fír flaithemon (rulers truth), convening its óenach
(popular assembly), raising taxes, public works, external relations, defence,
emergency legislation, law enforcement and promulgating legal judgement. Early Christian
Kings Even at the time the law tracts were
being written these petty kingdoms were being swept away by newly emerging
dynasties of dynamic overkings. The most successful of these early dynasties
were the Uí Néill who as kings of Tara had been conquering petty kingdoms,
expelling their rulers and agglomerating their territories under the direct
rule of their expanding kindred since the fifth century. Native and foreign,
pagan and Christian ideas were comingled to form a new idea of Irish
kingship. The native idea of a sacred kingship was integrated with the
Christian idea in the ceremony of coronation, the relationship of king to overking
became one of tigerna (lord) to king and imperium (sovereignty)
began to merge with dominium (ownership). The church was well disposed
to the idea of a strong political authority. Its clerics developed the theory
of a high kingship of Ireland and wrote tracts exhorting kings to rule rather
than reign. In return the paruchiae (monastic federations) of the
Irish church received royal patronage in the form of shrines, building works,
land and protection. The concept of a high king was occasionally recorded in
various annals, such as an entry regarding the death of Máel Sechnaill mac
Máele Ruanaid in 862 in the Annals of Ulster which lists him as rí Érenn
uile (king of all Ireland), a title which his successor, Aed Finliath
apparently never was granted. It is unclear what political reality was behind
this title. (Wikipedia) |
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Construction
of the Celtic- or Ringed Cross: A Latin cross charged with a Greek cross makes a
double cross. A double cross charged
with a corona makes a ringed cross. The corona can safely be
considered the symbol of the (Roman) Empire. |
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The most striking monuments of Ireland are
certainly the stone crosses, called High Crosses which we can find on many
places on the island. [1] The crosses
are roughly of three different kinds. The first consists of a decorated
and integrated latin and greek cross.
This kind of cross probably is the eldest form of the high cross. The second is a socalled ringed cross
and this cross consists of a latin cross charged with a greek cross the
junction supported by a ring or corona. Crosses of this kind are
inspired by the cross of Emperor
Justin II (565-587)
and Empress Sophia that was send to Pope John III (561-574). These crosses
symbolize the sovereignty of the Eastern Roman Empire in Ireland. After the
foundation of the Western Empire in 800, these crosses symbolize the
sovereignty of the Church of Rome in Ireland.
Crosses
of the third kind are also inspired on the cross of Justin II but they are
covered with a program of images of which the image of Christ on one side and
the image of the High King on the other side are the main features. On the side with the image of Christ are
depicted biblical scenes but on the side of the High King are depicted scenes
symbolizing the institutions of government, including the parliament, the
judicial power and the army. No Emperor or Pope are depicted as one would
expect, because these dressed completely different. As such these crosses symbolize the
sovereignty or autonomy of the High King in Ireland. The
greater autonomy of the High Kings illustrated by these crosses, may be
explained by the quarrel of te Irish Church and the Church of Rome about some
ecclesiastical dogma’s. This quarrel was the main reason for the bull Laudabiliter in which Pope Adrian invited king
Henry II of England to reconquer Ireland for the Church of Rome and restore
order in matters of the faith. As a
consequence these crosses are not younger than the end of the twelfth
century, when Ireland was reorganized by Henry II and the institution of High
King, for having been propagated by the Irish Church, came to an end. |
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Irish Crosses 1. Cross of Kilbrony (Down); 2. Cross of Ahenny
(Tipperary), 8th C.; 3. Cross of Clonmacnoise (Offaly), face. 9th - 10th C. * The Cross of the Scriptures, Clonmacnoise, was
commissioned by Máel Sechnaill's son Flann Sinna and erected in 901. Simpler
crosses were erected by Máel Sechnaill, including the south cross at
Clonmacnoise and those at Kinnitty and Killamery by Kilkenny. |
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The Royal Image The ringed crosses of the third kind are
the more interesting because they give us, though often very weathered, an
impression of how the Irish High Kings were dressed and of the regalia they
used to bear. A very good but unique picture of such a king, that matches
very well with the sculptures of the kings on the High Crosses, is given in
the socalled Lichfield Gospels. These have been dated at the beginning of the
8th century and so it is possible that the king depicted is Flaithbertach (r. 728-734 (723-729) †
765). [2] * The dating of the manuscript is uncertain
but fixed on about 730. On page 218 is a picture of a man, usually determined
as St. Luke because of the winged bull depicted above his head. However, the
person depicted is sitting on a (lion’s) throne and has two sceptres in his
hands. [3] Behind his head is a corona which
makes him a prince of the Empire. This makes it very improbable that St Luke
is depicted because this evangelist is never bearing royal paraphernalia. Of
the sceptres our man is holding, the golden cross charged with a corona may symbolize his spiritual power (in
Ireland). The other sceptre, consisting of a thunderbolt, may symbolize his
temporal power. Matching the figure
with the figures on the 9th/10 century High Crosses points at the image of a
king and for this king Flaithbertach may
be a possibility. [4] In his time the bishop of Armagh was Suibne nepos MruichessaichI (r. 715- † 730) and this
prelate may be depicted on page 142 of the same manuscript. |
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St. Luke, alias
Flaithbertach, Highking of Ireland, in
the Lichfield Gospels, p. 218.[5] We
may suppose that the sceptre in his left hand symbolizes his spiritual power
over Ireland or his own kingdom. The sceptre in his right hand may symbolize
a thunderbolt and thus his temporal power. It
is not certain who is actually portrayed. |
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Four
Irish Kings 1.
Clonmacnoise 901: Flann Sinna (879-926) above his head an eagle; 2.
Monasterboice: Possibly Donnchad Donn (919-956), son of Flann Sinna, above
his head an eagle; 3. Kells, above his head a deer, below his feet an eagle;
4. Durrow, above his head a lion (?) |
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Feudal Symbols |
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Cormac
Mac Cárthaigh (†1138) was a Gaelic Irish ruler who served as King of Munster.
A member of the Mac Cárthaigh clan of the Eóganacht Chaisil, he was the final
king of the unified Kingdom of Munster before the realm was divided
into the Kingdom of Desmond and Kingdom of Thomond in the
aftermath of the Treaty of Glanmire. In 1127
Cormac MacCarthy, King of Desmond, erected close to his palace on the
"Rock" (of Cashel) a church, now known as Cormac's Chapel, which
was consecrated in 1134, when a synod was held within its walls.
Cashel north doorway tympan Lioness and Centaur
In the
tympan are the sculptures of a lioness-with-a-cub and a centaur with a bow
wich may be referring to Cormac and his main enemy Richard de Clare, a
representative of the english invaders of a bad reputation. Indeed a centaur
is a ferocious barbarian being half horse and half man as was, for example
Richard de Clare nicknamed Strongbow. [6] An other
possibility is the corps of sagittaries of Cormac. |
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Heraldry |
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All Irish heraldry seems to be of British origin and
we may doubt if the Irish ever contributed to it. Even the establishment of
the institue of King of Arms of Ireland in 1392 existing until 1485,
and of Ulster’s Office established in 1552, does not change the fact
that Irish Heraldry was mainly a British business. The
first coat of arms in Ireland was the coat of arms of Richard de Clare, earl
of Pembroke. He bore: Or, six chevrons
Gules. [7] After
him the Lords and Kings of Ireland bore the personal arms of the Kings of
England, beginning with John Lackland and ending with King George VI in 1949.
A blason for Ireland was introduced in these arms only in 1603. Heraldry
of the main British officers in Ireland was introduced in the beginning of
the thirteenth century, starting wit the arms of Richard
de Burgh († 1243) Justiciar of Ireland 1228-1232, who bore: Per pale
gules and or, a bordure vert. [8] From the middle of the thirteenth century there
appeared a few different coats of arms in relation to Ireland, be it called
arms of the King of Ireland or the arms of Ireland itself. In
order of appearance these arms are: 1. A coat of arms with a harp. 2. A coat of arms with three crowns 3. A coat of arms with a sitting king 4. A coat of arms with a stag and a tower For the sake of continuity the coat of arms with the
harp will be discussed in the last section of this article. |
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The
arms of Robert de Vere
1487 Groat, Geraldine issue [9]
Three
crowns coat of arms on the design for a seal for Ireland of Queen Elizabeth
I, ca. 1584. (reconstruction after
Nicholas Hilliard) |
A manuscript from the beginning of the 17th century
notices that “In ye time of Edward ye IVth a commission being to enquire
the arms of Ireland it was returned yt ye 3 crownes were the armes”. [10] Indeed, three crowns in relation to Ireland appear for the first time
in the coat of arms of Robert the Vere a favourite of King Richard II who was
made a Duke of Ireland in 1386. In the Letters Patent of the 3rd
of January of that year, by which Robert de Vere was permitted to quarter his
personal arms with a blason with three crowns ´for the term of his office´
this blason is described as “arma de azuro cum tribus coronis aureis
et una circumferentia vel bordura de argento”. (Azure, three crowns Or 2 and 1 and a
bordure Argent) [11]. This coat of arms became obsolete when Robert de Vere took his
flight in 1387 to escape arrestation and the title of Duke of Ireland was
abolished the next year. Of the arms only one example is known. It is on a
tile found in Essex. [12] A
second example of three crowns in relation to Ireland can be found on one
groat-coins, minted in 1487 in the reign of Garret More FitzGerald, 8th
Earl of Kildare and lord lieutenant of Ireland from 1477 tot 1513. In
correspondence with the notice of the commission from the time of Edward IV,
there are three crowns, one above the other, on the reverse. On the obverse
are the royal arms between the arms of the FitzGeralds of Kildare, then
“Sable, a saltire Or”. A real coat of arms with three crowns is on the
design of Nicholas Hilliard. for a seal for Ireland of Queen Elizabeth I, from about 1584 or earlier.
On this design the Queen is sitting between a coat of arm with a harp, from
then on the coat of arms for Ireland, and a coat of arms with three crowns.
This last coat of arms was to be the coat of arms of Munster, the Irish
province ruled for such a long time by the FitzGeralds of Desmond. After this
single occurence the arms with the three crowns disappears from royal
heraldry for unknown reasons. |
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The Three Crowns Symbol |
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Much is written
about the three crowns as a heraldic symbol by Heribert Seitz, mainly on the
three crowns in connexion with the coat of arms of Sweden. [13] Later Gerard J. Brault has
written about the three crowns in the coat of arms of the legendary mediaeval
King Arthur. [14] They have come to the following conclusions. A legend tells the story of St. Helen, daughter of
the King of Colchester who married Emperor Constantius I Chlorus (r.
305-306). She was the mother of Emperor Constantine who legalized the
Christian Faith in the Empire. It was she who transported the remains of the
Three Magi, formerly in the St Sophia in Constantinople, to the Church of St.
Eustorgio in Milan. This legend dates from about 1137 and is told (and
invented) by Geoffrey of Monmouth in
his Historia Regnum Brittaniae. Later, after the siege of Milan
by Frederick Barbarossa, the relics were sent to Cologne where they arrived
on the 23rd of July 1164. The possession of the relics was very profitable
for the city because they attracted many pilgrims. In veneration of the Three
Magi, Emperor Otto IV presented three
golden crowns for their heads, and somewhat later these three crowns appeared
in the coat of arms of the city In
the second half of the thirteenth century a banner with three crowns was
attributed to St Edmund of East Anglia (855-871) a successor of the King of
Colchester. This banner is certainly inspired by the legend of St. Helen. It
is mentioned in the „Siege of Caerlaverock” (1300) in vss. 945 a.f. Puis
fist li rois porter amont Sa
baniere e la Seint Eymont, La
Seint George, e la Saint Edwart, (...) On the authority of the “Wardrobe account for
1299-1300”, the banner mentioned above was Azure, three crowns Or. [15] In
about 1325 the coat of arms with the three crowns was ascribed to King
Arthur, one of the supposed successors of St Edmund. It is borne by the
statue of King Arthur as one of the “Nine Good Kings” in the Hansasaal in the
Town Hall of Cologne. Intrigued
by these arms seems to be the “Treatise on Heraldry” from about 1345 and now
in Dublin, which gives some coats of arms with the three crowns in different
arrangements (that is to say: the one beside the other, the one below the
other and 2 and 1) but there is still no mention of a relation of the three
crowns with Ireland [16]. This
line of development of the coat of arms with three crowns ended in 1364, when
King Albrecht of Mecklenburg adopted these arms, the crowns arranged 2 and 1,
as the arms of the Kingdom of Sweden. Sir Antony Wagner was of the opinion that “there are
some (but not, I think conclusive) grounds for thinking that the same coat
(i.e. the coat of arms with the three crowns of Robert de Vere), perhaps in
consequence of this grant, came to be looked upon as that of Ireland”… and no
better explanation is offered since then (1939). Certainly
King Richard II was interested in heraldic inventions as his creation of the
arms of St. Edward, inspired by a coin from the time of that king,
demonstrates. The only match of St. Edmund and the Irish Kings is, however,
that they were Gaelic, and this seems to be a quite unstable foundation for
the adoption of the three crowns as the arms of Ireland. Whatever
it may be, we simply do not know why and when the coat of arms with the
crowns came to be the arms for Ireland, nor who was the author of these arms.
[17] |
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Some fifteenth century french and spanish roll’s of
arms give us a coat of arms for the King of Ireland, existing of a king, sitting
on his throne, crowned and with a sceptre with a lily in his right hand, on a
black field. This coat of arms can be found, amongst others, in
the following roll’s of arms:: |
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Le Roy de
Cracoe (1455ca) [18] |
after 1469 Rex Irlandiæ
ordinis S.Michaelis (founded 1469) [19] |
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c. In a spanish roll of arms, dated 1478 in the
Bibl. de Catalunya, Barcelona ms. 529 nr. 433 the coat of arms of the King
of Ireland is given as: El rrey de Tarcona: Trae de negro con un rey de
oro sentatdo en un sylla de oro tenyendo en su mano diestra un baston de oro
floretado. [20] |
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Le roy
dirlañde (1455 ca) Arms: Azure, a stag issuing fom a tower Or, and a meadow Vert.[21] .... the peculiar
attitude of the stag issuing from a gate is strangely identical with the arms
associated with Ireland since the end of the thirteenth century. (See S.M.
Collins, “Some English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish Arms in Medieval
Continental Rolls”, Antiquaries Journal, xxi (1941), 209-10. Add Paris,
Biblothèque Nationale, f.fr. 18651, fol. 103 recto and Paris Bibliothèque de
l’Arsenal MS. 5027, fol. 190 recto: “Roy Belsors d’Irlande”, azure , a stag
gules issuing from a gate argent.) (Brault, 1972, p. 28) At the end of the thirteenth century a coat of arms
is given for the King of Ireland, consisting of a stag issuing from a tower.
It is mentioned in a french manuscript from that time as being the arms of
„Roy Belsors d'Irlande” and it is: Azure, a stag Gules issuing from a gate Argent. [22] The stag and the gate are certainly taken from the Arthurian
romances. In an episode in the „Charrète” of Chrétien de Troyes (1180)
describing the Tournament of Noauz the coat of arms of King Ider is
also a stag springing from a gate. The verses of Chrétien de Troyes read: Et
veez vos celui qui porte An
son escu pointe une porte? Si
sanble qu’il s’an isse uns cers. Par
foi, ce est li rois Yders About the stag Brault remarks: “If this person is identical with
the knight Yder, son of Nut, mentioned in Chrétien’s earlier romance Erec,
the arms in question doubtless allude to the famous White Stag episode in
that romance. According to a time-honoured custom, the knight who succeeded
in slaying a white stag was obliged to kiss the fairest maiden at court, come
what may. During the hunt organized by King Arthur for this purpose, Erec
encounters Yder who allows a dwarf to affront Queen Guenevere. Erec
subsequently avenges this insult and wins the hand of Enide who, brought back
to Arthur’s court, is declared the fairest damsel of all. Versions of the
White Stag episode appear in the Seconde Continuation, the Didot
Perceval, and Durmart le Galois, but it is a striking parallel in
the Perlesvaus which lends support to our hypothesis. In the latter
romance, the hero is recognized by a white stag painted on his shield,
plainly an allusion to the episode as
told in the Seconde Continuation. [23] May this be as it is, it gives no explanation why
the stag and gate came to be associated with Ireland. Nevetheless it seems
that the idea was widely accepted because in the earlier mentioned spanish
roll of arms from 1478 the coat of arms of the King of Ireland is described
as: El rrey de Yrlanda. Trae de azul con
castillo de oro y un ciervo saliendo y entrando en una landa, que quiere
dezyr un prado verde con algunos arboles. [24] This
blason is identical with the sinister banner in the achievement for Ireland
in “Irish Nobility”, compiled between 1597 and 1603. [25] |
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The Crest |
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Indeed
it seems to be accepted that the white hart is borrowed from the impresa
(personal emblem) of King Richard II which was a hart couchant Argent,
attired, unguled and shackled Or. [26] A magnifique example of this impresa is on the back of the Wilton Diptych, (c. 1394-9), today in the National Gallery
in London. The white hart in the crest of Ireland thus points again to Robert
de Vere, the favourite of Richard II and would-be duke of Ireland. [27] The
tower triple towered may be determined in that case to be the Castle of
Dublin, the city of which he was created a marquess for life in 1385. A
thirteenth century seal matrix of the city of Dublin that features a triple
towered fortified structure being defended under siege, is not contrary to
this opinion [28] The
crest with the springing hart was intermittendly used for Ireland until the
end of the monarchy. [29] Also see: The Stag |
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The King and the Hart |
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In a document in Ulster's Office the achievement of Ireland is: “Sable, a
king sitting on his throne cross-legged, holding in his right hand a lily Or.
Crest - A tower triple towered or, from the portal a hart springing Argent
attired and hoofed gold.” [30] Ulster’s Office was founded in 1552 in the time of King Edward VI
(1547-’53) as the successor of the King
of Arms of Ireland existing from 1392 to 1485. We may expect from this
Ulster’s Office that it was well informed about heraldry in Ireland but in
how far it was the keeper of the documents of the former King of Arms of
Ireland we do not know. If the document with the achievement of Ireland did
belong to the inventory of the King of Arms of Ireland we do not know and
consequently we do not know when this document was drawn up. Maybe it was a
design for a new royal coat of arms for Ireland that was never adopted. Like it is dificult to ascertain of the national
coat of Ireland with the three crowns, what by this nation is meant, it is
difficult to determine which king is meant by Le Roy de Irlande. We
may be sure in any case, that no
English king is meant because they bore the title “Lord of Ireland”
and about the forms of adress, taking into account the importance of titles
in those ancient times, the roll’s of arms were certainly quite accurate in
the spanish and french roll’s of arms. It is for sure that between the death
of Ruaidri and the adoption of the royal title by Henry VIII in 1541 there
have been only two princes who called themselves King of Ireland by
right. These were Brian Ua Niall (1258-1260) and Edubard a Briuis (= Edward
Bruce) (r.1315-1318). The
reign of the first matches with the coat of arms of le Roy d’Irlande
in the Wijnbergen roll, and these arms will be discussed in a section below. The
second undertook a campaign in Ireland in 1315. We read about him: “For
this, Edward was well received and after almost a year he was crowned King of
Erin (Ireland) at Dundalk on May Day, 1316. He soon had almost all of
Northern Ireland in his grasp. His end came when an army led by John de
Bermingham was marching against him in the late summer of 1318. Bermingham's
forces were vastly superior to those of Edward Bruce, but he was emboldened
by his string of victories and sallied forth against the menace. His force of
Scots, Irish and Meath rebels met the army on October 14th, 1318 and were
soundly defeated. “Bruce
was killed by dint of fierce fighting. Many Scots died with him. A special
messenger was immediately dispatched to inform the Dublin exchequer of the
'great victory' and the death of Bruce. His head was sent to the king by de
Bermingham, who was rewarded with a grant of the new earldom of Louth. The
rest of Bruce's body was quartered. His heart, hand and one quarter were brought to Dublin and the other
quarters were sent “to other places”.[31] As Bruce had been offered the Irish crown by
a league of Irish chiefs under Donal O’Neill, Rex Ultonie, his
kingship and following defeat must have made a great impression on the Irish
who had lost their autonomy for would be a long period of time. Proof may be
the O’Neill coat of arms which, from the time of Hugh Reamher O'Neill (1345 -
1364), shows the bloody hand of Bruce sent to Dublin. For
this reason we may suppose that the coat of arms with the sitting king was
the coat of arms of those who resented the government from Westminster, be it
the native Irish themselves, the “degenerate English” or the “English by
blood” and all those oppressed by the Statutes of Kilkenny (1366) which had
followed not long after the defeat of Bruce. The fact that the spaniards and
the french were the “natural allies” of these groups, explains why this royal
coat of arms is documented in Spanish and French manuscripts and not in
English ones. It also explains that this coat of arms became obsolete after
the death of the last Irish-born vice-king Garret Og FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare in 1534.
As such this coat of arms belongs to the era of aristocratic home rule in
Ireland in the 15th century which lasted until 1534. |
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A harp is the symbol of David for the time before
he became King of Israel, that is before 1010 B.C. I Sam. 16.23 reads: Whenever
the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then
relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would
leave him. [32] Pictures
of David playing the harp are on some High Crosses, for example those of
Casteldermot and Durrow. More often however Daniel is depicted, and in
particular in the scene of Daniel in the lion’s den. Here Daniel 6:2-4 applies: 2 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty
satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 3 and over these, three governors, of
whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so
that the king would suffer no loss. 4 Then this Daniel distinguished himself
above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in
him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. And also
Daniel 6. 22: My God
hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt
me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee,
O king, have I done no hurt. As
such the picture of Daniel symbolizes “the most excellent governor” and also
“the preferred heir of the throne” as well as “by God’s grace master of the
lions”. It seems not to be too far fetched that with these “lions” the petty
Irish kings are meant. The harp, on the contrary, symbolizes the servant
of the king, as it was used in the time that David was the servant of King
Salomon (I Sam.16.21).
There
may be a connexion of our coat of arms with the monastery of St. Davids in
Pembroke. In the first place this is situated in the earldom of Richard de
Clare, the invader of Ireland in the 12th century. In his time David FitzGerald was bishop of
St. Davids (1147-1176). His brother
Maurice (I), stewart of St. Davids, received a territory in Wexford by king
Dermot MacMurrough (†1170) and so the
FitzGeralds controlled the two land-abutements of the most important
road between Wales and Ireland. The son of Maurice (I), William, was also invested with the stewartship of
St. Davids and his brother’s son Maurice (II) was justiciar of Ireland from 1232-1245. This
last Maurice (II) belonged thoroughly
to the faction of the King of England, then Henry III. “In 1234 he fought and
defeated his overlord, the earl marshal, Richard, earl of Pembroke, and he
also fought for his king against the Irish, the Welsh and in Gascony, dying
in 1257 ”[34]. Because of his close connexions with the monastery of St. Davids and
because he certainly was a faithful servant of his king, the coat of arms
with the harp would fit him very well. Also it is for sure that the
Wijnbergen Roll was compiled during his lifetime. |
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The
new coat of arms is described in Walford’s Roll (1275) as: Morice le FitzGerald, d'argent un sautoir de gulez, and in Camden Roll (1280): Munsire Moris le FizGeroud, l'escu
de argent a un sautur de gules. [35] The
heritage of MauriceFitzGerald (IV), the “heir male and head of the race” was
the nucleus of the Earldom of Kildare of his heir John FitzThomas, who was
granted the Earldom in 1316. His successor Maurice
FitzGerald FitzThomas, the 4th earl (*1318-†1390) bore, at the siege of Calais 1345-‘48:
argent a saltire gules. and we may conclude from this that the arms with the
saltire in Camden and Walford’s Roll’s were actually the arms of Maurice
FitzGerald (IV).[36] |
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Le Roi d’Irlande |
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The legend “Le Roi dirlande” of the coat of
arms with the harp in Wijnbergen Roll may pose a problem if we interpret the
term “Roi” too narrowly. In that case only Brian O'Neill, who was Highking of Ireland from
1258-1260, would be the candidate as the owner of the arms with the harp.
This would be highly improbable because no trace of a local Irish heraldry
can be found in the thirteenth century. Also it would mean that the High King
of Ireland considered himself as the servant of another king, i.c. King Henri
III, which properly speaking, was, by the terms of the Treaty of Windsor, in fact the case. Another possibility is that Brian O’Neill
considered the Pope
(i.e. Alexander IV (1254-1261)) as his legal suzerein and aimed at restoring the constitutional
situation before the Norman conquest. Certainly, however, this can not have
been his ambition because his legitimacy laid in the fact that he had received the “kingship of the Gaels of Ireland” from
the hands of “Fedlimid O Conchobair and Tadg O Briain at a famous meeting at
Caeluisce near Belleck on the Eerne”. There is no sign that his kingship was
ever recognized by King nor Pope. Both possibilities seem quite far
fetched to me and therefore I will stick to the hypothesis that the term
“Roi” in Wijnbergen Roll has to be interpreted as “Ruler” or “Prince” and
that the coat of arms with the harp was the coat of arms of Maurice
FritzGerald in his office of Justiciar
of Ireland. |
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Excursion I: The Harp of Brian Boru The harp is preserved in Trinity College Library in
Dublin. The
legend reads: |
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Irelands oldest Harp. This is the oldest and finest of the surviving Irish
harps. Traditionally but mistakenly linked with Brian Boru, highking of
Ireland who was killed in the Battle of Clontarf (now in the suburbs of
Dublin) in 1014, it probably dates from the later middle ages (14th
or 15th c.). It came to light in Limerick in the eighteenth
century and was presented to the College by William Burton Comyngham. The harp is made of willow and had 30 strings of
which, after restoration, twenty nine have been left. It was restored and
restrung in 1961. The harp was made the badge of Ireland by Queen
Victoria and subsequently became the charge of the presidential seal and coat
of arms of the Irish Freestate in the twenties. The seal and coat of arms of Ireland show the harp in
the form before restoration. |
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The Harp, Symbol of
Ireland. |
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The harp reappears as a
symbol of the ruler (lord) of Ireland
in the socalled Rous Roll.[37] In this roll there is a portrait of King Richard
III (r. 1483-1485) with his wife and son, surrounded by helmets with the
crests of St Edward, Engeland, France, Ireland, Gascony and Wales, the
crest of Ireland a harp. This is in accordance with the remark of Sir William
Segar that “Ye three
crowns are ye antient arms of Ireland, the harp but an antient badge” [38] Maybe
the arms and crest were chosen at the instigation of the King of Arms of
Ireland who certainly should have had a say in the matter. This office
however did not survive Yorkist rule and that maybe the reason why both
emblems disappeared for some time. |
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Richard III surrounded by the crests of his
territories, as depicted in Rous’ Roll. [39] Above the legend Ireland a helmet with a harp as a crest.
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The Harp Badge Under Tudor rule the harp reappeared, not as a crest
but as a badge of Ireland. The oldest
examples of this badge can be found on groats minted in 1534, even
before Henri VIII had proclaimed himself King of Ireland in 1541. No trace of
a coat of arms can be found, the coat of arms with the three crowns being not
displayed for fear, it is stubbornly said, that the three crowns might be
taken for the three crowns of the Pope. The
harp has remained the symbol or badge of Ireland ever since its reapperance
in the beginning of the 16th century. In the time of the monarchy the harp
was always royally crowned. In the symbol of Ireland after 1922, the symbol
is left uncrowned. The
harp of the badge has always been a leverharp, its column at first of a
simple form. During the Commonwealth and
Protectorate (1649-1660) a column in the form of an angel was
introduced. After the discovery of the Brian Boru Harp in some (Victorian)
drawings of the badge the harp was of the Brian Boru type but for most
purposes the ancient form with the angel was preferred. The
Irish Freestate adopted the uncrowned harp of the Brian Boru type as its
badge and in this form it is also used nowadays. The harp-badge has been printed on Irish
coins without interruption from the time of Henri VIII to the modern times. [40] |
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The
Harp Badge: 1.
Henry VIII; 2. Mary; 3. Confederation of Kilkenny; 4. Republican and Stuart;
5. William and Mary; 6.& 7 Georgian; ; 8 United Irishmen 1791-’98; 9 Victorian.
10. Freestate. 11. Freestate, second version. |
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Excursion
II: The
Confederation of Kilkenny
(1642-1649) Confederate
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” (based in the
city of Kilkenny). The remaining Protestant enclaves in Ulster, Munster and
Leinster were held by armies loyal to the royalists, parliamentarians or
Scottish Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The Confederates
failed to defeat the British armies in Ireland in 1642–49 in a conflict known
as the Irish Confederate Wars and joined a royalist alliance in 1648 against
the Rump Parliament. The Seal
of the Confederation of Kilkenny of 1648 shows: A Latin cross between a royal
crown and the Irish harp. In chief a dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit and in
base a flaming heart L.: pro deo rege
et patria hiberni vnanimes. (United for God, the King and the Irish
Fatherland) [41] Excursion III: The Society of United Irishmen (1791-1803 ca) The Society of United Irishmen
was founded as a Liberal political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland
that sought Parliamentary reform. However it evolved into a revolutionary
republican organisation, inspired by the American Revolution and allied with
Revolutionary France. In 1798 it launched the Irish Rebellion of 1798 with
the objective of ending British rule over Ireland and founding an independent
Irish republic. The United Irishmen (1791-1798/1803) devised a seal incorporating the
harp to represent Ireland with the slogan IT IS NEW STRUNG AND SHALL BE HEARD / EQUALITY. The red cap of liberty, presented to freed Roman
slaves, is included. [42] More about the SUI
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The Coat of Arms with the Harp
Arms of King
David In the portuguese Livro do Armeiro Mor fol 1 v. In the beginning of the 16th century a coat of arms
with a harp was ascribed to king David
and a king of Ireland who was a historical category by the time.
Arms of the
King of Ireland In the portuguese Livro do Armeiro Mor (beginning 16th cent.(1511)) These arms were not adopted by the king in fact bearing
the title Lord of Ireland (Dominus Hibernie) being the Kings Henry VII and
VIII of England. It is
said that a coat of arms with three harps appeared on coins minted in the
time of King Henry VIII but only the aforementioned groats with the
harp-badge have been found until now. We may suppose that no royal arms
for Ireland was adopted at all and that the royal arms of Henry VIII were not
only used in Eng;land but in Ireland as well. A coat of arms with three harps two
and one is printed on a coin of Queen Elizabeth I, dated 1561. This was
certainly meant as the royal arms for Ireland. |
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Coin of
Elizabeth I On the obverse: ELIZABETH D.G.AF ET HIBERNIA REG. Falsely dated 1661 |
Seal of Carrickfergus, 1602 SIGILL CVSTVM A
POR TVS CARICFERGI : ANO three-harped arms |
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These
arms were soon abandoned. On the design for the seal of Queen Elizabeth I for
Ireland by Nicholas Hilliard she is sitting in coronation
robes between a coat of arms with only one harp and a coat of arms with three
crowns. [43] Because the Queen is depicted quite young
here, the design must have been made not long after 1561 but, as the information
of the British Museum states, in any case before 1584
Dsign for the seal of Queen Elizabeth I Brit Museum
number1904,0704.1 Description Portrait of
Elizabeth I, whole-length in a roundel, seated in a throne and holding orb
and sceptre; arms extending from clouds on left and right Engraving Producer name Print
made by: Anonymous After: Nicholas Hilliard School/style British Date 1586 (c.) Materials paper Technique engraving Dimensions: H.: 127 mm
(trimmed) ´ W: 123 mm
(trimmed) Curator's comments: A
reproduction of a portrait of Queen Elizabeth in pencil and ink on vellum, in
the collection of Peter Gellatly. The drawing is for the obverse of the Great
Seal of Ireland, and the original was given to the BM by Peter Gellatly's
widow in 1912 (see see 1912,0717.1). Bibliography O'Donoghue
1908-25 131 Location Not on display
(BH/FF10/Portraits British CI)
The arms
with the harp and the arms with the crowns by Nicholas Hilliard 1586 |
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The
harp-blason seems to have been introduced little by little. No proceedings
of Ulster’s Office or any other heraldic authority have been preserved, the
oldest remark on the coat of arms of Ireland being the one of William Segar,
Garter. We cannot be sure therefore about how exactly the coat of arms was
introduced. The Hilliard design of the great
seal was not used and instead a great seal, showing the Queen sitting between
her quartered royal arms was cut. Following this, a banner for
Ireland was introduced. This banner is depicted on a map of Augustine Ryther
showing the route of the Armada in 1588. On this map are the achievements of
the Queen herself and of the Lord High Admiral (= Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham
(1585-1619), of Scotland and of England (pp. of England and the
royal arms, crown, Garter). Ireland is represented by a banner with a
harp, supported by a crowned lion rampant guardant.
Banner of
Ireland, 1588 [44] The
next step in the introduction of a coat of arms for Ireland was the design in
the “Irish Nobility”, compiled between 1597 and 1603. The coat of arms
depicted in this work shows: Azure, a harp Or, crowned with an open crown and
a golden helmet guardant, lambrequined Argent and Gules. And for crest, on a wreath of the colors, a tower triple
towered Or, a deer Argent issuing from its portal, and two banners in
saltire, the dexter Sable, a king sitting on his throne, crosslegged, Argent,
the sinister Azure, a house before four trees Or, springing from its door a
stag Gules. Because of its military nature, this coat of arms fits
the Deputy Marshal of Ireland, in this period, until 1603, Thomas Burgh, 7th Baron Strabolgi for
1597, and Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire for 1600 - 1603. |
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Coat of arms of Ireland
in “Irish Nobility”, 1597-1603. National Library, Dublin GO Ms 34. [45]) Under
Stuart rule these arms became obsolete and were replaced by the royal arms for
Ireland. These were the crowned arms with the harp. This coat of arms was for
example on the frontispiece of the Heraldic Vistitation (1607). |
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Arms of Ireland: 1. 1607, on the
frontispiece of “The Books of Heraldic
Visitation”; 2. 1638, on a map of Blaeu, the hoops of the crown missing; 3.
Cromwellian (after the obverse of his seal for Ireland); 4. Over the Speakers
Chair in the House of Commons, 1660-1801; 5. In the German Heraldischer
Atlas, 1899, with the hart-and-tower crest. 6. On florins, 17th C. until 1926 (issue 1921).
After 1926 the arms appear with a harp of the Brian Boru type and without
crown. |
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The Royal Achievement |
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The
achievement of state of the Government of Ireland was the royal achievement.
Consequently the nucleus of the achievement was the royal arms. At the end of
the sixteenth century this was, as we have seen a blue shield with a golden
harp. The royal achievement for Ireland was in this time the crowned arms
with the harp, surrounded by the strap of the Order of the Garter and
supported by the lion of England and the dragon of Wales.
Royal achievement for
Ireland. as on the map of The
Province of Mounster by Francis Jobson (1598) |
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At
the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and the nine years war, the royal achievement was less friendly to Irish autonomy. It
consisted of the coats of arms of England, Ireland and Wales in alliance
and this may be the last achievement Queen Elizabeth actually used.
Royal Elizabethan
achievement for the personal union of England, Ireland and Wales. The motto Semper Eadem
is the personal motto of Queen Elizabeth I After
the accession of King James I in 1603 the blason for Ireland was introduced in
the third quarter of the royal arms and of the royal achievement. A quote of
Arthur Fox Davies about this introduction reads: “For the following two paragraphs I am
indebted to a small pamphlet published by Mr. John Vinycomb: At the accession
of King James I to the English throne when the change of the Royal arms was
made, Sir William Segar relates that the Earl of Northampton, the Deputy Earl
Marshall, observed that he had no affection for the change; that for the
adoption of the harp the best reason he could assign was that it resembled
Ireland in being such an instrument that it required more cost to keep it in
time than it was worth.” [46] The new royal coat of arms was
printed on the irish currency in about 1613 and was maintained in its
different forms on it until 1828. [47] For all the time of the monarchy
the royal achievement for Ireland was identical to the royal achievement for
England. It was
displayed in the House of Commons. |
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Commonwealth and Protectorate
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1649-1660 |
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The
use of the royal arms and achievement was interrupted during the Commonwealth
and the Protectorate (1649-1660).
Plaster cast of the seal
of Oliver Cromwell for Ireland. L.:
MAGNUM SIGILLUM HIBERNIÆ. |
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In
this time the arms for Ireland of the Lord Protector were: Azure, a harp Or
and in nombril point an escutcheon Sable, a lion Argent (Cromwell). The
achievement on the great seal was changed accordingly. It existed of the arms
of the Lord Protector. Crest.: On a crowned royal helmet a lion statant
guardant imperially crowned or. Mantling: Sable and ermine; Supporters.: D.:
a lion rampant guardant imperially crowned or for England; S.: a dragon with
wings elevated gules for for Wales. Motto: pax
quaeritur bello (Peace is Sought by War). [48] Only at the end of the 18th century there appeared a
royal achievement for Ireland with the Irish harp unmarshalled. It is still
displayed on Custom House in Dublin of 1791.
Nine years later the Irish parliament was dissolved and the Union of
England, Scotland and Ireland established.
Achievement for Ireland
on Custom House, Dublin 18th century
(1791) The royally crowned arms
of Irland, supported by the lion of England and the unicorn of Scotland |
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Excursion
IV: The Irish Crown Jewels. |
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For the Irish Crown Jewels I may quote the
following from Stephen Patterson’s “Royal Insignia”: The Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick. The Order of St. Patrick, founded in 1783, finally
lapsed with the death of the last surviving recipient, Prince Henry, Duke of
Gloucester, in 1974. The Irish equivalent of the Garter and the Thistle, the
Order never acquired the same status as its earlier cousins, and can be
viewed as an Order to reward those in high office in Ireland and Irish peers
on whose support the government of the day depended. Its most famous insignia
were the badge and star used by the Lords Lieutenant (and later Viceroys),
who were always Grand Master of the Order during their term of office, but
rarely Knights in their own right. This badge and star, dubbed the ‘Irish
Crown Jewels’, were made available for the Lord Lieutenant’s use by King
William IV in 1830, having been made by Rundell, Bridge and Rundell from 394
stones taken in part from three bows of brilliants and pearls which had
belonged to Queen Charlotte and a briljant badge of the Order of the Bath
which had belonged to King George III. The Lord Lieutenant was also given “a
large Brilliant Badge” which had originally belonged to King George IV. The
insignia achieved some notoriety after their theft from Dublin Castle in
1907. The pieces were never recovered. The collar was an amalgamation of
designs, bearing the harp of Ireland with roses and love knots similiar in
style to the Garter; but the badge and star provided the opportunity to work
with coloured stones, particularly emeralds and rubies. […..] The Order effectively went into abeyance with the
establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 and after that date only four
Knights were appointed, three of whom were royal Knights: the Prince of Wales
(later King Edward VIII) in 1927, the Duke of Gloucester in 1934, and the
Duke of York (later King George VI) in 1936. [49] The badge of the Order consists of a green
enamelled shamrock, each leaf with a five-arched crown, set on a red
enamelled cross of St. Patrick, encircled by the motto QUIS SEPARABIT MDCCXXXIII (Who will separate us 1783), and a yellow bordure charged with twelve
green shamrock leaves. In this “Cross of St. Patrick” we recognize the
cross of the arms of the FitzGerald family. This cross was also taken for the
flag of Ireland, designed for the Union of 1801: White, a red saltire. |
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In 1916 there was an rising in Dublin
against the British Government. This rising is known as the Easter Rising. The Easter Rising (Éirí Amach na
Cásca) was a rebellion staged in Ireland in Easter Week, 1916. The Rising
was an attempt by militant Irish republicans to win independence from
Britain. It was the most significant uprising in Ireland since the rebellion
of 1798. Organised by the Irish Republican
Brotherhood, the Rising lasted from Easter Monday April 24 to April 30, 1916.
Members of the Irish Volunteers, led by schoolteacher and barrister Patrick
Pearse, joined by the smaller Irish Citizen Army of James Connolly, along
with 200 members of Cumann na mBan, seized key locations in Dublin and
proclaimed an Irish Republic independent of Britain. There were some actions
in other parts of Ireland but, except at Ashbourne, County Meath, they were
minor. The Rising was suppressed after six days of fighting, and its leaders
were court-martialled and executed. (Wikipedia) |
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Arms of the Provisional
Government of the Irish Republic (Rialtar Sealadac na h
Eireann) proclaimed during the
Easter Rising of 1916. The arms
consist of the Irish harp on a shield. On the upper side of the shield is a
crowned helmet to the dexter with a crest of ostrich´s feathers. The shield
is supported by two three coloured
flags in saltire. The
three coloured flag of Ireland was first hoisted in 1848. This
achievement is on a picture, now at the Office of Public Works in Ireland,
showing the executed leaders of the Easter Rise (in alphabetical order): R. Casement, T. Clarke, C. Colbert, J. Conolly, E.
Daly, P.H. Hearse, S. Heuston, T. Kent, J. MacBride, S. MacDermott, T.
MacDonagh, M. Mallin, M. O’Hanrahan, W. Pearse, E J. Plunkett, E. Veannt. |
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SAORSTÁT EIREANN / IRISH FREESTATE |
1922-1936 |
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On 21st
of January 1919 the Irish Republic was proclaimed. As the new republic was
not recognized by the British Government the Irish War of Independence broke
out. As a result the Irish Freestate / Saorstát Eireann was established on
the 16th of January 1922. This Freestate had the status of a British Dominion with King George V as the head
of State. For its
arms a request was made in 1922 to Thomas U. Sadlier, Deputy Ulster King of
Arms by Hugh Kennedy, first Law Officer, for advice about the arms of Ireland
for possible use on a new Free State flag. Their correspondence on this
subject, including a report by Sadlier on the history of the arms of Ireland
and accompanying sketches, are held in the archives of University College
Dublin (UCD, P4/810/2). Sadlier’s
sketches made for the purpose were used by the Free State Government to form
the basis for the new Great Seal.The same seal was not registered in the
records of the Office and the actual execution of the design was undertaken
by the heraldic artist attached to the Office of Arms but apparently in a
private capacity as the Free State chose not to engage with the Office of
Arms directly in securing designs for its early symbols of State.’ Therefore ten years later in a comment made
by Thomas U. Sadlier, in a letter to A. T. Butler, Windsor Herald, in July of
1932 stated that ‘there are no arms on record for the Irish Free State.’ [50] |
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The Great
Seal of the Irish Free State (Irish: Séala Mor do Shaorstát Éireann)
was the official seal which replaced
the Great Seal of the Realm used to seal official documents of the Irish Free
State (Saorstát Éireann) by the Governor General. The Great Seal is currently
kept at National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, The reverse of
the Great Seal contains an image of the harp surrounded by the words "SAORSTÁT
ÉIREANN" in Gaelic
script, the obverse contained an image of George V, King of Ireland enthroned. After the Constitution of
Ireland was enacted the Presidential Seal was struck as a replacement to the
Great Seal. More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_Irish_Free_State About the end of the twenties a coat of arms
for the Irish Freestate appeared in continental sources. Nothing is
known about a bill or warrant legalizing this coat of arms. It consisted of
the so-called Harp of Brian Boru in gold on a blue field. It was placed within a frame decorated with
some ancient Irish art motifs and underneath the name of the Freestate in
Irish: „SAORSTAT EIREANN
Arms of Ireland
1928 [51] |
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EIRE |
1937-1949 |
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By
Constitution of 29th of December 1937 Ireland was proclaimed an independent
state with the name of „Eire”. From this time the harp appears on a shield
with a pointed base as depicted in the head of this article.
The Official
Seal of the President of Ireland (Irish: Séala Oifigeamhail Uachtarán
na hÉireann) was presented to the first President of Ireland, Douglas
Hyde (1938-1945) and every subsequent president, to be affixed to every
"...order, commission, warrant, or other instrument..."
which the president has witnessed. A serving president has custody of the
official seal, but if his powers are being carried out by the Presidential
Commision, then that body has custody of the official seal. The official
seal has the word “EIRE” in Gaelic script, and uses the
modified harp that is used as the official state symbol on coins and
documents of the Republic of Ireland. The official seal is similar to the
design of the Great Seal of the Irish Free State which was itself under the
custody of the Governor general of the Irish Free State. In the end a coat of arms for Ireland was
registered in 1945
Arms of Ireland 1945 Office of the Chief Herald, Registration G.O. Ms IIIG |
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POBLACHT NA
H EIREANN / REPUBLIC OF IRELAND |
1949-
Present |
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From
1949 Ireland is a republic with the name of „Poblacht nah Eireann / Republic
of Ireland”. |
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© Hubert de Vries 2008.08.08.
Updated 2020-03-07
Heraldry of the World
