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Ireland:
Culture,
Land and Sea Flag
Letter published in The Irish Independent
23 August 2004
We need a new flag
Sir -
While reading A History of Irish Flags by G. A. Hayes-McCoy,
two
things struck me: the continuity of the harp as an emblem of
Ireland since the early 1500s, and the fact that the maritime
nature of our geographical position has never been represented in
our national flags.
I believe it is time to move on from the past religious differences
represented in the Irish tricolour and create a new flag which
would symbolise our cultural heritage and national resources.
Therefore may I suggest a new design:
a gold harp on a green background in the upper
left corner continuing as three green stripes on a white background
(to represent Irish culture and the land) with two blue and white
stripes below (to represent the sea).
Such a design, I feel would go a long way towards uniting all the
people in a new multicultural Ireland.
Yours, etc., Caoimhghin Ó Croidheáin
The design is based
on the Greek flag -
for the following
reasons:
1/ Greece as the
historical home of democracy.
2/ The Greek flag is based on nine equal horizontal stripes and said
to represent the letters of the word "freedom" (Greek: Ελευθερία).
3/
Horizontal lines
visually flow better in the wind than vertical lines.
4/ Ireland and Greece have much in common as maritime nations.
You could say that
the E shape in green represents Eire!
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