Eire Tri-Colour

The National Flag of Ireland (Irish: An Bhratach Náisiúnta), also known as the Irish tricolour, was adopted officially in 1919 by the the state called Ireland (Éire in Irish), sometimes known as the Republic of Ireland. The tricolour was given constitutional status under the 1937 Constitution of Ireland. The tricolour is regarded by many nationalists as the national flag of the whole of island of Ireland. Thus it is flown (often controversially) by many nationalists in Northern Ireland as well as by the Gaelic Athletic Association. Historically Ireland has been represented by a number of other flags, including Saint Patrick's cross, and the "four provinces" flag. The flag's colours are turned the other way round in the shorter flag of Côte d'Ivoire. The tricolour, with its three equal vertical bands (pales) of green (hoist side), white and orange was first flown from the Wolfe Tone Club, on The Mall in Waterford City, on 7 March 1848 by Thomas Francis Meagher. Apart from the constitutional status of the flag there are no additional statutory provisions on the flags construction but the colors of the flag, under the Pantone Matching System, are green (Pantone 347), white and orange (Pantone 151)[1]. It was first used by Irish nationalists in 1848 during the Young Irelanders' rebellion, though the colours on the original flag were in reverse order to the modern version. Inspired by the French tricolour and the Newfoundland Tricolour (Meagher's father was born in Newfoundland) it was designed to represent the Nationalist (mainly Roman Catholic) majority (represented by green) and the Unionist (mainly Protestant) minority (represented by orange due to William of Orange) living together in peace (symbolised by the white band)..