Ireland Flag

Three equal vertical bands of green, white, and orange make up the Irish Tricolour. The flag's symbolism is intentionally unifying: green represents Ireland's Catholic nationalist tradition, orange represents the Protestant Unionist community (after William of Orange), and white represents peace between them.

The proportions are 1:2 (height to width), making the flag notably elongated compared to most European tricolours.

Thomas Francis Meagher introduced the tricolour on 7 March 1848 in Waterford, inspired by the French Revolution's tricolore. The flag gained prominence during the 1916 Easter Rising when it flew over the GPO in Dublin.

The Irish Free State (1922) used the tricolour informally. The 1937 Constitution of Ireland formally enshrined it as the national flag. Northern Ireland continues to use the Union Jack, and the flag remains a symbol of aspiration for Irish unity.