Harps, shamrocks, hands, crowns, swords, mythical female embodiments of Éire: all Irish symbols and all up for discussion in this episode, in which Tim and Naomi are joined by Darach Ó Séaghdha of the Motherfoclóir podcast to discuss Irish flags past, present, and future.
We consider the merits and perils of the different symbols as debate begins to stir on whether a new flag might be required if Northern Ireland were to ever unify with the Republic.
Tim runs through the history of flags and their association with the nation state, Darach explains why the colours of the Irish flag have special names in the Irish language, and Naomi talks through some international examples of countries that have debated changing their flag.
To see images of the flags we are discussing, follow this link: https://www.theirishpassport.com/2021/04/07/flags-discussed-in-our-latest-episode/
This is a bonus Halfpint episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters. All our bonus episodes are available at Patreon.com/theirishpassport.
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Lordship of Ireland: from first colonisation until 16th centuryKingdom of Ireland flagIrish presidential standardIrish confederacy flag
Seal of the United Irishmen:
Flags of the provinces
Flag of Leinster / United Irishmen flagFlag of UlsterFlag of MunsterFlag of Connacht
Combinations and alternatives
St Patrick’s SaltireUnion Jack, made up of Cross of Saint Andrew (Scotland), Cross of Saint Patrick (Ireland), and Cross of Saint George (England).
Combination of Irish flag with red hand of Ulster, author unknown
Newgrange
The Newgrange triskelionNaomi’s idea of a flag representing the light entering Newgrange, symbolising new beginnings
International examples
South African flagFlag of East GermanyRejected proposed Nordic cross German flag in 1944Flag of Weimar Republic, West Germany, and today’s unified Germany
The real history of the Irish pub, the backstory to the leprechaun, and what St Patrick’s Day has meant throughout the generations: Naomi and Tim sum it up in this St. Patrick’s Day special in honour of the national day.
If you are celebrating the holiday around the world, we have a special message for you this year. Take a look: https://youtu.be/qnLcat_eJBw
This episode was first published in 2018.
Check out our bonus Q&A on the US election and its impact on Ireland exclusively for Patreons over at https://www.patreon.com/posts/43683072
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.
Surprise! While we continue to prepare Season 5, we’ve decided to make last month’s Halfpint episode freely available to all our listeners. In this edition, Tim builds on our recent Season 4 finale by delving deeper into the colonial Irish Parliament around the time of the Act of Union of 1801. If you haven’t heard that Season 4 finale yet, you can go back and listen to it here:
We make Halfpint extra content as a thank you to our Patreon supporters, who keep the podcast running. If you would like to support us too, and gain access to our full back catalogue of extra content along the way, you can become a supporter of the Irish Passport Podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
This episode features music from Peter Rudenko: Stay 17; Sublime Melody; and Iced Spring Theme, from the album Inner Mechanics.
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