St. Patrick's blue

File:Armorial Wijnbergen.jpg

The first record of blue as representing authority in Ireland appears in the late 13th century French roll of arms, known as the Armorial Wijnbergen. Within the document, a shield bearing a gold harp on a Blue field with the inscription Le Roi d'Irlande ("king of Ireland") written underneath is listedMorris, Ewan (2005). Our own devices: National symbols and polititcal conflict in Twentieth-Century Ireland. Irish Academic Press. p. 12. {{ISBN|0-7165-2663-8}}. The Order of St Patrick was established in 1783 as the senior order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Ireland. The colour of its honours needed to differ from those of the Order of the Garter (dark blue) and the Order of the Thistle (green). Orange was considered, but the association with orangeism felt to be too sectarian, so the lighter blue was chosen.

{{cite book |last=Galloway |first= Peter |title=The most illustrious Order: The Order of St Patrick and its knights |year=1999 |publisher=Unicorn |location=London |isbn=0-906290-23-6 |edition=2nd |page=172 }}

Knights and officers of the order wore a "sky blue" mantle and riband, a hat lined with "blue", and a badge ringed with "blue" enamel.

{{cite book |author=Order of St. Patrick |title=Statutes and ordinances of the most illustrious Order of Saint Patrick |publisher=G.A. and J.F. Grierson |year=1831 |pages=24, 29, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 67, 68, 69, 83, 104, 112, 116, 119, 120 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c40UAAAAYAAJ }}

The name St Patrick's blue was common but never officially used by the Order.Galloway, p.174

{{cite news |title=Protest To The Queen From Irish Women Against Home Rule. |last=Stewart |first=Georgiana L. |date=14 August 1893|issue=34029 |work=The Times |page=6; col E |quote=The whole was contained in a very handsome walnut casket lined with Irish poplin of the shade known as St. Patrick's blue, which is the colour of the riband worn on the robes of the Knights of St. Patrick.}}

The exact shade of blue used varied over time. A sky blue tinged with green was used by Lord Iveagh in 1895 and confirmed in 1903.

File:Starry Plough flag, Ireland.jpg , Collins Barracks, in Dublin ]]

There has been debate over the extent to which blue was a national colour of Ireland prior to the creation of the Order, and whether it was associated with Saint Patrick himself independently of the Order. Jim Smyth characterised the Order's adoption of St Patrick's Blue and Saint Patrick's Saltire as examples of invention of tradition.{{cite journal|last=Smyth|first=Jim|date=July 2000|title=Strum and Drang|journal=Fortnight|issue=387|pages=14–16: 15|jstor=25560008}} Shane Leslie speculated that the green-blue of St Patrick's blue might be "but a reminiscence of the woad-stain used by all colour-loving Celts".

{{cite book|last=Leslie |first=Shane |title=The Celt and the World: A Study of the Relation of Celt and Teuton in History |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |location=New York City |year=1917 |page=35 |url=https://archive.org/stream/celtworldstudyof00lesluoft#page/34 }}

Constance Gore-Booth believed blue was "the old colour of Ireland" and incorporated it in the regalia of the Irish Citizen Army (ICA).

{{cite book|last=O'Casey |first=Sean |title=Drums under the windows |publisher=Macmillan |year=1946 |page=338 }}

Scientific analysis of the ICA banner, the Starry Plough, found it had originally been a rich deep poplin field of blue before being replaced with green in advance of being flown over the Imperial Hotel during the 1916 Easter Rising.Phelan, Rachel. (2014). [https://www.historyireland.com/volume-22/citizen-armys-starry-plough-flag/ The Citizen Army’s ‘Starry Plough’ flag]. History Ireland. Vol 22(6). Retrieved 13 April 2020{{cite web|title=Object: Plough and the Stars Flag|url=http://www.rte.ie/centuryireland/index.php/articles/plough-and-the-stars-flag-object-national-museum-of-ireland|website=www.rte.ie|publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann|access-date=20 February 2017|language=en}} Antiquarian nationalist Francis Joseph Bigger considered St Patrick's blue a "fake colour" and Saint Patrick's Flag a "fake flag".

{{cite book|last=Bigger |first=Francis Joseph |title=In Remembrance: Articles & Sketches : Biographical, Historical, Topographical |editor=John Smyth Crone, F. C. Bigger |publisher=Talbot Press |year=1927 |page=65 }}

More recently, Peter Alter{{cite journal|last=Alter |first=Peter |year=1974 |title=Symbols of Irish Nationalism |journal=Studia Hibernica |issue=14 |pages=104–23 |doi=10.3828/sh.1974.14.6 |s2cid=242527504 }} and Christina Mahony{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0312_040312_stpatrick_2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060307220350/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0312_040312_stpatrick_2.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 March 2006 |title=St. Patrick's Day: Fact vs. Fiction |last=Vernon |first=Jennifer |date=15 March 2004 |work=National Geographic News |publisher=National Geographic Society |page=2 |access-date=2009-05-13 }} have supported the historicity of the colour, while Brian Ó Cuív questioned it.

File:Arms of Ireland (Historical).svg ]]

The Irish arms used by Irish monarchs since Edward IV had an azure field; originally the device was three crowns (now the arms of Munster) until Henry VIII changed it to a harp. This is still the arms of the modern Irish state, and also appears in the lower left quarter of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom.{{cite book|last=Morris |first=Ewan |title=Our own devices: national symbols and political conflict in twentieth-century Ireland |publisher=Irish Academic Press |year=2005 |page=12 |isbn=0-7165-2663-8 }} In Irish mythology, Flaitheas Éireann, the sovereignty of Ireland, was sometimes represented as a woman in a blue robe.{{cite web |url=http://www.nli.ie/GetAttachment.aspx?id=72fd744a-aced-43b4-a63b-b64be7b272ec |publisher=National Library of Ireland |date=2007-04-18 |access-date=2008-03-17 |title=Heraldry in Ireland |page=3|first=Eoin |last=Carragin }} Although the arms of the province of Mide has a blue field, when its device was used as the arms of Ireland, the field was sable. The Irish College in Paris, completed in 1776,

{{cite web |url=http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0034726 |title=Collège des Irlandais |work=Structurae |publisher=Nicholas Janberg |access-date=2009-05-13 }}

was renovated in 2002; the paint uncovered on the chapel walls was described as "St Patrick's blue" by a visiting journalist.

{{cite news |url=https://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2002/oct/13/an-oasis-for-saints-and-scholars-in-paris/ |title=An oasis for saints and scholars in Paris |last=Lyng |first=Marlene |date=13 October 2002 |work=Sunday Tribune |access-date=2009-05-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310212955/http://tribune.ie/archive/article/2002/oct/13/an-oasis-for-saints-and-scholars-in-paris |archive-date=10 March 2016}}

As regards green in association with Patrick: in 1681, Thomas Dineley reported people wearing crosses of green ribbon in their hats on Saint Patrick's Day.

{{cite journal|last=Shirley |first=E. P. |year=1858 |title=Extracts from the journal of Thomas Dineley, esquire, giving some account of his visit to Ireland in the reign of Charles II|journal=Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society |volume=new series |issue=1 |pages=143–6, 170–88 }}; cited in {{ODNBweb|id=21562|title=Patrick (St Patrick, Pádraig)}}

At a "National Ball" during Edward, Prince of Wales' 1868 visit to Ireland, his wife Alexandra wore a dress of "St Patrick blue".

{{cite news |title=This Evening's News: The Royal Visit to Ireland |date=24 April 1868 |work=Pall Mall Gazette |location=London}}

In 1886, a garden party given by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to showcase Irish manufacturing had an Irish-themed dress code. The Freeman's Journal criticised some of the code as difficult to comply with, but said 'Irish poplin ties of "St Patrick's Blue"—which we think looks rather green in a certain light—may [...] be had without much strain.'

{{cite news |title=The Royal Visit |date=23 April 1868 |work=Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser |location=Dublin}}

The Guardian's report of the party stated 'the display of the new colour, "St. Patrick's Blue," was everywhere visible.'

{{cite news |title=Viceregal garden party |date=23 May 1886 |work=The Guardian |page=3 }}

The 1912 court uniform and dress code specified that the household of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland should wear St Patrick's blue,

{{cite book |last=Trendell |first=Herbert A. P |title=Dress worn at His Majesty's court |publisher=Harrison & Sons |location=London |year=1912 |volume=1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dresswornathisma00trenuoft/page/161 161] |url=https://archive.org/details/dresswornathisma00trenuoft }}

as should Pages of Honour when the King was in Ireland.Trendell, p.9

The Ireland association football team organised by the Irish Football Association (IFA) wore St Patrick's blue jerseys from 1882 until 1931, when they switched to green.

{{cite news |title=From Belfast Celtic to Shelbourne |last=Byrne |first=Peter |date=16 November 1996 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=2, Sport |access-date=2009-05-13 |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/1996/1116/96111600165.html }}

The IFA team is now the Northern Ireland team. The Football Association of Ireland sent an Irish Free State team to the 1924 Olympic football tournament; it wore a St Patrick's Blue change strip against Bulgaria, whose strip was Ireland's usual green.

{{cite news |url=http://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2000/jul/30/the-first-tango-in-paris/ |title=The first tango in Paris |last=Howard |first=Paul |date=30 July 2000 |work=Irish Independent |access-date=2009-11-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309025804/http://tribune.ie/archive/article/2000/jul/30/the-first-tango-in-paris |archive-date=9 March 2016}}

In 2021, the Republic of Ireland wore a St. Patrick's Blue jersey in a friendly against Qatar for the 100th anniversary of the FAI.{{Cite web|title=Here's why Ireland are wearing a blue jersey against Qatar for their friendly game in Dublin|url=https://www.independent.ie/news/heres-why-ireland-are-wearing-a-blue-jersey-against-qatar-for-their-friendly-game-in-dublin-40942822.html|access-date=2021-11-07|website=independent|language=en}}

In the 1930s, the Army Comrades Association's Saint Patrick's blue shirts earned it the nickname of Blueshirts. It was a quasi-Fascist shirted movement which rejected green as associated with its republican opponents.

{{cite book |title=The Blueshirts and Irish politics |page=47 |first=Mike |last=Cronin |year=1997 |publisher=Four Courts Press |isbn=1-85182-312-3 |location=Dublin}} The saltire flag of the Blueshirts was a variant of Saint Patrick's Flag with the white background replaced with a blue background. W. T. Cosgrave described the colour as "in perfect, traditional, national accord with our history and in close association with the most revered and venerated memory of our patron Saint".

{{cite web |url=http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0050/D.0050.193402230002.html |title=Public Business. - Wearing of Uniform (Restriction) Bill, 1934—First Stage. |date=23 February 1934 |work=Dáil Éireann - Volume 50 |page=col.2121 |access-date=2009-05-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607132722/http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0050/D.0050.193402230002.html |archive-date=7 June 2011}}

The Irish Army Band's first uniform was St Patrick's blue, but this was soon changed to navy.

{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2003/0222/Pg036.html#Ar03602 |title=Changing of colours for the Army Band |last=Kelly |first=Olivia |date=22 February 2003 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=2, Weekend|access-date=2009-05-13}}

The Mounted Escort ceremonial cavalry of 1932–48 were nicknamed "Blue Hussars" from their uniforms, whose colour was sometimes described as St Patrick's blue.

{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1933/0318/Pg009.html#Ar00902 |title=St. Patrick's Day parade. March-past in the rain. "Hussars" again on view. |date=18 March 1933 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=9 |quote=the army's own flag of St. Patrick's blue trimmed with gold ... The same colours were worn by the little guard of horsemen who rode in advance. |access-date=2009-05-14}}

{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1933/0515/Pg004.html#Ar00400 |title=A colourful ceremony: French minister's credentials |date=15 May 1933 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=4 |quote=a troop of Free State cavalry clad in the attractive St. Patrick's blue and gold uniforms which were introduced for the Eucharistic Congress last June |access-date=2009-05-14}}

{{cite book |last=McIntosh |first=Gillian |title=The Force of Culture: Unionist Identities in Twentieth-century Ireland |publisher=Cork University Press |year=1999 |page=42 |isbn=1-85918-205-4 }}

The uniform introduced in 1970 for Aer Lingus air hostesses and ground crew

{{cite news |title=New uniform for Aer Lingus staff |date=4 July 1970 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=13 }}

combined green and St Patrick's Blue, described in The Irish Times as "a sparkling new colour".

{{cite news |title=Women First |date=13 February 1970 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=6 }}

The 1970 uniform was replaced in 1975, after a design consultancy developed a common corporate image with a colour scheme of dark bottle green, bright green, and "a strong blue".

{{cite news |title='Corporate image' for Aer Lingus |date=2 December 1974 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=13 }}

Image:Flag of the President of Ireland.svg]]

The coat of arms of Ireland and the standard of the president of Ireland are a gold (or) Irish harp with silver (argent) strings on a field of blue (azure).{{cite web |work=Office of the Chief Herald|title=Arms of Ireland |location=The National Library of Ireland |url=http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/garmsBackReg198 |quote=(Grant Type: Registration; Register volume: G.O. MS 111G; Folio number: 20; Date: 9 November 1945) |access-date=30 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518035146/http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/garmsBackReg198 |archive-date=18 May 2013}} The standard was introduced at the end of Douglas Hyde's term in 1945;{{cite news|url=http://archive.catholicherald.co.uk/article/1st-june-1945/6/bd-oliver-plunket-jubilee|title=Bd. Oliver Plunkett Jubilee|date=1 June 1945|work=Catholic Herald|page=6|access-date=31 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315230925/http://archive.catholicherald.co.uk/article/1st-june-1945/6/bd-oliver-plunket-jubilee|archive-date=15 March 2014|url-status=dead}} contemporary news reports describe the blue as "St. Patrick's Blue".{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pktJAAAAIBAJ&dq=patrick's-blue%20president&pg=936%2C3753643|title=Irish fly new flag|date=29 July 1945|work=The News and Courier|pages=14–B|access-date=30 May 2013|location=Charleston, South Carolina}} The arms were granted by the Chief Herald of Ireland on 9 November 1945.{{cite web |url=http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/garmsBackReg198 |title=Grant of Arms (Registration): Arms of Ireland |work=Catalogue |publisher=National Library of Ireland |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518035146/http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/garmsBackReg198 |archive-date=18 May 2013}} Horses owned by the Irish National Stud are regarded as owned by the president and entitled to run in the presidential colours.{{cite web |url=http://www.turfclub.ie/site/RuleBook.pdf |title=Rules of Racing and Irish National Hunt Steeplechasing Rules |date=12 February 2009 |publisher=Irish Turf Club |page=57; §105 |quote=Horses the property of the Irish National Stud Co. Ltd. may be raced under these Rules in the name of the President of Ireland, who shall be deemed to be the lessee of such horses. |access-date=4 March 2010 |location=The Curragh, Co. Kildare |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119052300/http://www.turfclub.ie/site/RuleBook.pdf |archive-date=19 November 2007}} The racing colours are "Saint Patrick's blue with gold sleeves, and a St Patrick's blue cap with gold tassel".{{cite web|url=http://www.curragh.ie/racing-information/entries-template.asp?RaceNumber=158F|title=4.15: At The Races Curragh Cup|date=27 June 2009|work=Race Card: Audi Pretty Polly Stakes|publisher=Curragh Racecourse|access-date=4 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720235435/http://www.curragh.ie/racing-information/entries-template.asp?RaceNumber=158F|archive-date=20 July 2011|url-status=dead}} One such horse is Suailce,{{cite web |url=http://www.irish-national-stud.ie/pdfs/2008account_eng.pdf |title=Chairman's Statement 2008 |last=O' Reilly |first=Chryss Goulandris |work=Reports and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2008 |publisher=Irish National Stud Co. Ltd. |page=5 |access-date=4 March 2010 |quote=In addition the Irish National Stud owned Suailce. Racing in the colours of H E the President and trained by our director Dermot Weld, she was a high class winner here at home. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720184800/http://www.irish-national-stud.ie/pdfs/2008account_eng.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}

which won the 2008 Irish Cesarewich.

{{cite news |title=Ten Acious |last=O'Hehir |first=Peter |date=24 August 2008 |work=Irish Daily Mirror |page=43 }}

The blue in the ribbon of the service medals of the Irish Defence Forces is described as "St. Patrick’s blue".{{cite book |edition=1st |url=http://www.military.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Info_Centre/documents/Df_Medals_2010.pdf#page=20|title=Medals of the Irish Defence Forces|last=Mc Inerney|first=Martin|date=October 2010 |pages=19, 21|publisher=Irish Defence Forces|access-date=18 April 2018}}

File:St. Patrick’s Hall Dublin Castle 2014.JPG

The official sporting colours of University College Dublin are "St. Patrick's Blue and Saffron", adopted in 1910.

{{cite web |url=http://www.ucd.ie/sport/whatswhat.htm#college |title=The Colours of the University |work=UCD Sport |publisher=UCD |access-date=2009-05-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090721090812/http://www.ucd.ie/sport/whatswhat.htm#college |archive-date=21 July 2009}}

The blue is commonly interpreted as 'light', 'Leinster or 'Dublin' blue; the GAA county colours of County Dublin include light blue jerseys. In the National University of Ireland's academic dress code, "Saint Patrick's Blue" is the colour of the faculty of Science; Veterinary Medicine has a darker "Celtic Blue".

{{cite web |url=http://www.mcginleygowns.ie/academicDressBooklet.pdf |title=Academic dress of the National University of Ireland |year=2006 |publisher=National University of Ireland |pages=10, 20 |access-date=2009-05-12}}

The academical dress of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland also features St Patrick's blue.

{{cite journal |date=28 May 1904 |title=Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland: Academic Costume |journal=British Medical Journal |page=1294 |doi=10.1136/bmj.1.2265.1293 |volume=1 |s2cid=220004281 }}

The Trinity College Dublin fencing club specifies that the azure in its colours is "St. Patrick's Blue (Pantone 295 as the Presedential [sic] Pennant)".{{cite web |url=http://www.fencing.tcdlife.ie/constitution.php |title=Dublin University Fencing Club |publisher=Trinity College Dublin |year=2005 |access-date=2009-04-15}}

Among Irish regiments of the British Army, a hackle of St Patrick's blue is worn in the bearskins of the Irish Guards

{{cite web |url=http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/index.html |title=A brief history of the regiment |first=Bryn |last=Taylor |year=2006 |access-date=2009-04-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415071115/http://www.irishguards.org.uk/pages/history/index.html |archive-date=15 April 2009}}

and in the caubeens of the London Irish Rifles.

{{cite web |url=http://www.londonirishrifles.com/caubeen.cfm |title=The story of the 'Caubeen' |publisher=London Irish Rifles Regimental Association |access-date=2009-05-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928072534/http://www.londonirishrifles.com/caubeen.cfm |archive-date=28 September 2007}}

The Guards' blue was chosen in distinction to the Royal Irish Fusiliers' green hackle.

{{cite book |last=MacLeod |first=Olaf |title=Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out: The Last Full Dress Uniform of the British Army |publisher=Lutterworth Press |year=1986 |page=36 |isbn=0-7188-2673-6 }}

St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin commemorates its historic association with the Order of Saint Patrick with St Patrick's blue on the cassocks of the choristers and under the clerical collars of the dean and the vicar.

{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1993/0827/Pg013.html#Ar01304 |title=St Patrick's blue |last=Byrne |first=Roy H.|date=27 August 1993 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=13 |access-date=2009-05-13}}

A cross-border flag for Ireland may be required where a sporting team combines athletes from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The arms of the four provinces of Ireland on a background of Saint Patrick's blue has sometimes served this purpose.Morris, p.194

• Saint Patrick's Flag

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20091023022341/http://www.irish-national-stud.ie/stud/stud-success/ Stud Success by the Irish National Stud] includes a picture of stallion Cairdeas being ridden by a jockey in the Presidential colours.

{{Shades of blue}}

Category:National symbols of Ireland

Category:Shades of blue

Blue