Shamrock

The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland. It is a three-leafed old white clover. It is sometimes of the variety Trifolium repens (white clover, known in Irish as seamair bhán) but today usually Trifolium dubium (lesser clover, Irish: seamair bhuí).

The diminutive version of the Irish word for "clover" ("seamair") is "seamróg", which was anglicised as "shamrock", representing a close approximation of the original Irish pronunciation. However, other three-leafed plants—such as black medic (Medicago lupulina), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and wood-sorrel (genus Oxalis)—are sometimes designated as shamrocks. The shamrock was traditionally used for its medical properties and was a popular motif in Victorian times.

Contents 1 Badge of Ireland 1.1 History 1.2 Modern usage 2 Other uses 3 Four-leaf clover 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Badge of Ireland

[edit] History

According to what the Oxford English Dictionary calls "a late tradition" (first recorded in 1726), the plant was used by Saint Patrick to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. However, the posthumous timing of this legend (coming some 1,200 years after his death), and the lack of supporting evidence found in St. Patrick's writings have caused some to question its authenticity.^[1]

[edit] Modern usage

The shamrock has been registered as a trademark by the Government of Ireland.^[2] It is also informally used as an emblem for sports teams and state organisations within Ireland: the IRFU, the Boston Celtics, Cliftonville F.C., Shamrock Rovers F.C., IDA Ireland, University College Dublin and Fáilte Ireland use it as part of their identity. In Northern Ireland, it is also used by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

The Celtic harp, often called "Brian Boru's Harp", is the primary symbol for Ireland, appearing on postage stamps, government insignia, the Irish euro coins, the armed forces insignia and the coat of arms of the President of Ireland. It is registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization as a symbol of Ireland.

Organisations, businesses and places around the world with links to Ireland often use either the shamrock or the Celtic harp to advertise their connections.

[edit] Other uses

• The flag of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada has a shamrock that is located in the lower right quadrant. The shamrock represents the Irish population, one of the four major ethnic groups that made up the population of the city in the 19th century when the arms were designed.
• The shamrock is featured in Canadian Coat of arms, at the bottom
• The shamrock is featured on the passport stamp of Montserrat, many of whose citizens are of Irish descent.
• The airline Aer Lingus uses the emblem in its logos, and its air traffic control call sign is "SHAMROCK".
• The Erin Go Bragh flag, originally of Saint Patrick's Battalion, uses an angelic Cláirseach, a medieval Irish harp, cradled in a wreath of clover. A flag strongly symbolic of Irish nationalism, it is often seen on Saint Patrick's Day, usually displayed during the parades.* Soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment of the British army use the shamrock as their emblem, and wear a sprig of shamrock on Saint Patrick's Day. Shamrock are exported to wherever the regiment is stationed throughout the world. Queen Victoria decreed over a hundred years ago that soldiers from Ireland should wear a sprig of shamrock in recognition of fellow Irish soldiers who had fought bravely in the Boer War, a tradition continued by British army soldiers from both the north and the south of Ireland following partition in 1921.
• The coat of arms on the flag of the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation was cradled in a wreath of shamrock.^[3]
• During the Russian Civil War a British officer Col. P.J. Woods, of Belfast, established a Karelian Regiment which had a shamrock on an orange field as its regimental badge.
• Celtic F.C. uses a four-leafed shamrock on its badge.
• The Danish football club Viborg FF uses a shamrock in its badge and it has become a symbol of the town Viborg.
• The shamrock is also featured on the badges of Panathinaikos and AC Omonia.

[edit] Four-leaf clover

The four-leaf clover is often confused with the shamrock. While the four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three-leafed shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a different significance.

[edit] See also

• Shamrock Shake
• St. Patrick's Blue
• Trefoil

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Nelson, E. Charles; Loughin, Bernard (1991). Shamrock: Botany and History of an Irish Myth: A Biography of the Shamrock in History, Literature, Music and Art. Boethius Press. ISBN 0-86314-199-4. 

[edit] External links

• The Shamrock : A Further attempt to fix its species, by Nathaniel Colgan, published in the Irish Naturalist 1893 on the From Ireland web site. Retrieved 2008-07-20
• The truth behind the shamrock on the BBC News website, dated 17 March 2004. Retrieved 2008-07-20
• Landscaping: Shamrocks and 4-Leaf Clovers on the About.com website. Retrieved 2008-07-20
• www.decodeunicode.org/en/u+2618 Shamrock as a symbol in Unicode