St. Patrick's Day Countdown: What is Ireland's official colour?
Written by Ciaran on Mar 03, 2025 | 0 Comments
We’re counting down the days to March 17th with an offer and some fun facts for you every day until St. Patrick's Day. Check back in with us each day to see what’s up next!
What is the official colour of Ireland?
Do you want the short answer? There isn’t one! We understand that you may still be reeling from the news we shared yesterday that shamrock doesn’t exist! And now we are coming for the green!?
Official or not, the green agate in this shamrock set is the perfect shade for a winning St Patrick's Day look.
Irish Blue?
That isn’t to say there's a strong case for saying Ireland’s de facto national colour is green. It's the colour that many of our national sports teams wear. And certainly our beautiful, if sometimes sodden, landscape is home to at least 40 shades of green!
The Golden Vale between the Knockmealdown and Galtee Mountains in Co. Tipparary is said to be the inspiration for Johnny Cash's song "40 shades of green."
Photo Credit: Stefan Jürgense (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The complication comes when you discover that both Ireland and our most famous patron saint were historically associated with blue rather than green! And the reasons for that, like many things in Ireland, are long and convoluted!
Some say the significance of blue in Ireland dates back to early Irish mythology when the sovereignty of the land, Flaitheas Éireann, was often represented by a woman dressed in a blue robe.
The blue field and gold harp of the Irish King in the 13th century Armorial Wijnbergen.
Photo Credit: Public Domain
The first historical record of blue as an official colour in Ireland is from a 13th century French roll of arms, known as the Armorial Wijnbergen. This document shows a shield bearing a gold harp on a blue field as the arms for the Le Roi d'Irlande, the King of Ireland."
There are also historical documents that link blue and our patron saint, Patrick. The earliest depictions of St. Patrick shows him clothed in blue rather than green.
A 13th century image of St. Patrick piercing the foot of King Oengus of Cashel, a High King of Ireland, while wearing his trademark blue robes.
Photo Credit: Huntington Library, HM 3027 F.40v., California
The establishment of the Order of St Patrick in 1783 as the senior order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Ireland cemented this link with blue. Knights of the order wore a rather unusual blue mantle which came to be known as "St. Patrick's blue."
A depiction of the founding of the order of St. Patrick on 17 March 1783 in the Great Hall of Dublin Castle.
This carried through to sports teams with the Irish football team wearing blue kits until the start of the 1920s. The Irish team also wore blue as their “away” colour at the 1924 Olympic games when their strip clashed with the green of their Bulgarian opponents.
The flag of the Irish president shows the official harp of Ireland against a rich blue field.
And the blue carries through to some official symbols to this day. The gold harp of Ireland is depicted against a field of blue on the flag of the Irish president, and St Patrick's Hall, the same location as the founding of the Order of St. Patrick, is now used for the inauguration of the president of Ireland and remains lavishly decorated with a rich deep blue.
Photo Credit: Antony-22 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Irish Green
Right about now, you may be asking yourself, why do we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day? Ireland has always been a spectacularly green land; Johnny Cash got it quite right! There are at least 40 shades of green at any one time in the Irish landscape!
But the association with the colour green took root long before the man in black was inspired to write about Ireland. During the Great Irish Rebellion of 1641, rebel fighters marched under a green flag emblazoned with a harp, another ancient symbol of Ireland. And the association with green and the cause of Irish independence was forged.
Photo Credit: R-41 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Records of green ribbons being worn for St. Patrick’s Day crop up in the 1680s, and early records of the “wearing of the green” shamrock date from around this time, too. So, while green became the dominant hue for St. Patrick and Ireland, our ancestors certainly wouldn’t have been decked out in head-to-toe in that shade.
Up until fairly recently, natural shamrock would have added the required splash of green to a St Patrick's day outfit for many adults, and badges made of ribbon or paper were typically worn by children.
Photo Credit: The National Museum of Ireland.
Stories abound in Irish folklore that the colour green could bring bad luck, being a favourite of the fairy folk! Decking yourself out in their favourite hue was sure to garner their attention; no good would come from that. The ultimate fear was that they would spirit the unlucky wearer away, never to be seen again! Perhaps this is as good a reason as any to keep your green accessorizing tasteful this St. Patrick’s Day!
What's Next?
Check back in with us tomorrow for Day 4 of our St. Patrick's Day countdown, or open Door Number 3 of our 17 Days of celebratory offers!
A splash of green for your St. Patrick's Day outfit
Looking for a subtle splash of green for a St. Patrick's Day accessory? Irish jewellery set with green Connemara marble, agate, malachite, or emerald is a perfect fit.
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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