Setting The Irish Record Straight

Seeing as how it IS St. Patrick’s Day and I am known for my abundance of completely useless knowledge I thought I’d throw them together.

So you know how we’re supposed to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate our Irish heritage whether we actually have any or not? Well, the reality is we should only wear green if we’re Catholic. Protestants should wear orange.

The history of the Irish flag goes a little something like this: The orange represents Northern Irish Protestants and signifies when William of Orange (King William, III) defeted and deposed the Roman Catholic King James, II near Dublin, securing Prostestand dominance (1690). The green represents the Southern Irish Catholics and the republican cause – possibly because of the lush southern landscapes, but more likely because green represents revolution. And the white represents a hopeful truce between the two.

Now, seeing as how I come from good Scottish come Irish Presbyterian roots, albeit grafted here and there over the last 300 years, I should be wearing orange. But honestly, orange is a hideous color on me. I’m much better suited to a minty green or heathery sage.

As Todd would say, BAM! I just dropped some knowledge on you!

Aren’t you glad you asked?