Coat of arms of Northern Ireland

Last updated

Coat of arms of the Government of Northern Ireland
Coat of Arms of Northern Ireland.svg
Versions
Flag of Northern Ireland (1924-1953).svg
The banner of arms, which served as the territory's flag ('Ulster banner') 1924–1972
Armiger Government of Northern Ireland (dissolved in 1972)
Adopted1924
Blazon Argent a cross gules, overall on a six pointed star of the field ensigned by an Imperial crown proper a dexter hand couped at the wrist of the second.
Supporters Dexter a lion Gules armed langued and collared Or supporting a flagstaff Proper therefrom flowing to the sinister a banner Azure charged with a harp Or stringed Argent surmounted by an imperial crown Proper sinister an Irish elk Proper collared Or supporting a like staff therefrom flowing to the dexter a banner or charged with a cross Gules. [1]
Compartment On a grassy mount two flax plants each with three flowers on stems proper.
UseThe Parliament of Northern Ireland was prorogued in 1972. The arms have not been used officially since then.

The coat of arms of the Government of Northern Ireland was granted to the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland in 1924.

Contents

History

The coat of arms was designed by Major Sir Nevile Wilkinson, Ulster King of Arms, at Dublin Castle, in 1923. In January 1924, Major Wilkinson held discussions with Northern Irish officials in London regarding the coat of arms. The final design was completed by Wilkinson's deputy, Thomas Ulick Sadleir, for approval by the Northern Irish cabinet in April 1924. [2] The artwork was approved and the Royal Warrant signed by King George V and issued through the Home Office on 2 August 1924 and registered in the Register of Arms in Dublin as follows:

Royal Warrant Government of Northern Ireland
Argent a cross gules, overall on a six pointed star of the field ensigned by an Imperial crown proper a dexter hand couped at the wrist of the second.
Given at our Court of St. James in the 15th year of our reign 2nd August 1924 by His Majesty's command. [3]

The supporters were granted in 1925: a red lion rampant, as on the Royal Banner of Scotland, to represent the Ulster Scots, and an Irish elk to represent the "native element". [4] The lion bears a flag with the Irish harp and the Irish elk bears a flag with the arms of the De Burgh family (described above). [4] The supporters were blazoned as follows:

Dexter a lion gules armed langued and collared or, supporting a flagstaff proper, therefrom flowing to the sinister a banner azure, charged with a harp or, stringed argent, surmounted by an imperial crown proper; Sinister an Irish elk proper, collared or, supporting a like staff, therefrom flowing to the dexter a banner or charged with a cross gules. [5]

In 1971, the College of Arms in London added the compartment on which the supporters stand:

On a grassy mount two flax plants each with three flowers on stems proper. [6]

Present status

The grant has not been rescinded, but the arms are considered historical, as the body to which the arms were granted no longer exists, and so they cannot be used unless regranted to another armiger. The current Northern Ireland Executive does not use a coat of arms.

The former flag of the Government of Northern Ireland is derived from the arms. The flag is the arms alone (the shield), for supporters are never displayed on a flag. Supporters are not part of the arms – they support the arms, which are on the shield. [4] The formerly official flag continues to be used to represent Northern Ireland at some sports events. Use today can be controversial in some parts of Northern Ireland. [4]

Symbols currently used in Northern Ireland for official purposes

The Northern Ireland Office uses the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom [7] which also appear on the cover of Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly. [8] The Northern Ireland Assembly adopted an official emblem in 1998 which depicts six blue flax flowers. The six flowers represent the six historic counties that make up Northern Ireland and the region's history of linen making. The colour is similar to the seats in the assembly chamber at Parliament Buildings, Stormont. [9] This emblem is based on a design created by Leslie Durbin that featured six flax flowers and a coronet which was used to represent Northern Ireland on £1 coins minted in 1991. [10] The Northern Ireland Executive uses a logo depicting a representation of the Giant's Causeway. [11]

The Celtic harp represents Northern Ireland indirectly as Ireland in the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Prince Edward Island</span>

The coat of arms of Prince Edward Island, officially the King's Arms in Right of Prince Edward Island, are the coat of arms of Prince Edward Island, being the arms of King Charles III in right of the province. They were created when the shield and motto in the achievement were granted in 1905 by royal warrant from King Edward VII. The latest iteration was given by the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Saskatchewan</span>

The coat of arms of Saskatchewan, officially known as His Majesty's Arms in right of Saskatchewan, is the heraldic symbol representing the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Nunavut</span>

The coat of arms of Nunavut was granted by a warrant of Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada, dated 31 March 1999, one day before the territory of Nunavut, Canada, was created. The same document specified the flag of Nunavut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the United Kingdom</span>

The coat of arms of the United Kingdom are the arms of dominion of the British monarch. They are both the personal arms of the monarch, currently King Charles III, and the arms of the state. In addition to the monarch, the arms are used by state institutions including the Government of the United Kingdom, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the British judiciary. Differenced versions of the arms are used by members of the British royal family. The monarch's official flag, the Royal Standard, is the coat of arms in flag form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Saskatchewan</span> Official flag of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan

The provincial flag of Saskatchewan was adopted in 1969. It is blazoned per fess vert and or, in the fly a prairie lily slipped and leaved proper, in the dexter chief an escutcheon of the coat of arms of Saskatchewan fimbriated argent. The symbolism within the flag is shown just with the colours; yellow representing the grain fields in the southern portion of the province where as the green represents the northern forested areas. The western red lily in the fly of the flag is the provincial flower. In 2017, The Minister of Parks, Culture and Sports designated September 22 as Saskatchewan Flag Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Newfoundland and Labrador</span>

The coat of arms of Newfoundland and Labrador was originally granted by Garter King of Arms, during the reign of King Charles I, on 1 January 1637/8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Toronto</span> Official coat of arms of the City of Toronto

The coat of arms of Toronto is a heraldic symbol used to represent the city Toronto. Designed by Robert Watt, the Chief Herald of Canada at the time, for the City of Toronto after its amalgamation in 1998. The arms were granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority on 11 January 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Zimbabwe</span> National coat of arms of the Republic of Zimbabwe

The current coat of arms of Zimbabwe was adopted on 21 September 1981, one year and five months after the national flag was adopted. Previously the coat of arms of Zimbabwe was identical to the former coat of arms of Rhodesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of New Zealand</span> National coat of arms of New Zealand

The coat of arms of New Zealand is the heraldic symbol representing the South Pacific island country of New Zealand. Its design reflects New Zealand's history as a bicultural nation, with a European female figure on one side and a Māori rangatira (chief) on the other. The symbols on the central shield represent New Zealand's trade, agriculture and industry, and a Crown represents New Zealand's status as a constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Ireland</span>

The coat of arms of Ireland is blazoned as Azure a harp Or, stringed Argent. These arms have long been Ireland's heraldic emblem. References to them as being the arms of the king of Ireland can be found as early as the 13th century. These arms were adopted by Henry VIII of England when he ended the period of Lordship of Ireland and declared Ireland to be a kingdom again in 1541. When the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland were united in 1603, they were integrated into the unified royal coat of arms of kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland. The harp was adopted as the emblem of the Irish Free State when it separated from the United Kingdom in 1922. They were registered as the arms of Ireland with the Chief Herald of Ireland on 9 November 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Montreal</span>

The first coat of arms of Montreal was designed by Jacques Viger, the first mayor of Montreal, and adopted in 1833 by the city councillors. Modifications were made some one hundred five years later and adopted on 21 March 1938, and again on 13 September 2017, resulting in the version currently in use. The coat of arms was the only city emblem representing Montreal until 1981, when a stylized logo was developed for common daily use, reserving the coat of arms for ceremonial occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Moldova</span> National coat of arms of Moldova

The coat of arms of Moldova is the national emblem of the Republic of Moldova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster Banner</span> Heraldic banner

The Ulster Banner, also unofficially known as the Ulster Flag or Flag of Northern Ireland, is a heraldic banner taken from the former coat of arms of Northern Ireland, consisting of a red cross on a white field, upon which is a crowned six-pointed star with a red hand in the centre. It was the flag of the former Government of Northern Ireland and common flag of Northern Ireland from 1953 until that government was abolished in 1973 with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Scotland</span>

The coat of arms of Scotland, colloquially called the Lion Rampant, is the coat of arms historically used as arms of dominion by the monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland, and later by monarchs of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. The coat of arms, or elements from it, are also used in heraldry to symbolise Scotland in general. The arms consist of a red lion surrounded by a red double border decorated with fleurs-de-lis, all on a gold background. The blazon, or heraldic description, is: Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory-counter-flory of the second.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the British Antarctic Territory</span>

The flag of the British Antarctic Territory was granted on 21 April 1998. It features the coat of arms granted on 1 August 1963, a year after the British Antarctic Territory, a British Overseas Territory, was created. Previously, the Territory was a part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies and used the same flag. On 30 May 1969, a blue ensign with the British Antarctic Territory coat of arms in the fly was introduced as a civil ensign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Portugal</span> National coat of arms of Portugal

The coat of arms of Portugal is the main heraldic insignia of Portugal. The present model was officially adopted on 30 June 1911, along with the present model of the Flag of Portugal. It is based on the coat of arms used by the Kingdom of Portugal since the Middle Ages. The coat of arms of Portugal is popularly referred as the Quinas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Sierra Leone</span> National coat of arms of the Republic of Sierra Leone

The coat of arms of Sierra Leone, were developed by the College of Arms and granted in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of New South Wales</span> Coat of arms of the Australian state of New South Wales

The coat of arms of New South Wales is the official coat of arms of the Australian state of New South Wales. It was granted by royal warrant of King Edward VII dated 11 October 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory</span>

The coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory was first granted in 1952, when the territory was still a dependency of the Falkland Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Belfast</span>

The coat of arms of Belfast, now capital of Northern Ireland, was granted officially on 30 June 1890, although it has been used from 1643.

References

  1. "Grants and Confirmations of Arms Volume M". National Library of Ireland. p. 157. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  2. Susan Hood, Royal Roots, Republican Inheritance – The Survival of the Office of Arms, Dublin, 2002, p.119 – 120
  3. Genealogical Office, Dublin, Register of Arms 111C (Grants M), 1920 -1929, folio 49
  4. 1 2 3 4 How Northern Ireland got its flag by Herbert Malcolm McKee M.C. published on 8 August 1964 and available in PRONI file ANI/10/104 and reported on in Flying the Union Flag above Stormont (in 1975) published on SluggerO'Toole on 30 December 2016
  5. Genealogical Office, Dublin, Register of Arms 111C (Grants M), 1920 -1929, folio 66
  6. Coll Arm Ms 1.83/231, 6 January 1971
  7. "Northern Ireland Office".
  8. Budget Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 legislation.gov.uk June 2022
  9. "Information on Logo, Northern Ireland Assembly". 1999.
  10. "1991 One Pound".
  11. "Home". Northern Ireland Executive . Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  12. Hanley, Hugh (2015). "'The Last Shadow': Negotiating the Great Seal and Direct Access to the King, 1931". Irish Studies in International Affairs. Royal Irish Academy. 26: 257–274 : 266. doi:10.3318/isia.2015.26.13. JSTOR   10.3318/isia.2015.26.13. S2CID   156763438.