The history of the Irish flag is deeply intertwined with the mythology and cultural narratives that have shaped Ireland’s identity and aspirations for nationhood.

Flags are powerful symbols, their colours and designs imbued with meaning that transcends their physical form. In Ireland, the evolution of national flags reflects the cultural and political struggles to define a shared identity, laden with both unity and division.

Early Irish flags, such as the green field bearing a golden harp, drew from the mythology of Gaelic Ireland, invoking the land’s ancient sovereignty and its cultural heritage. By the late 18th century, during the revolutionary era of the United Irishmen, the green flag with a harp had become a rallying emblem for those seeking independence. The harp, a symbol of Irish kingship and resilience, carried centuries of cultural weight, reinforcing a collective mythos of Ireland as a proud and distinct nation.

The introduction of the tricolour in 1848 by Young Ireland leader Thomas Francis Meagher added a new layer to this evolving narrative. Inspired by the French tricolour, the Irish flag’s green, white, and orange sought to encapsulate the myth of reconciliation: green for Catholics and Irish nationalists, orange for Protestants and Unionists, and white for peace between them. Though its message of unity was aspirational, the flag itself became a symbol of the contested visions of Ireland's future. It was not until the Easter Rising of 1916 that the tricolour began its transformation into a potent emblem of Irish independence. Raised above the General Post Office in Dublin during the rebellion, it embodied the mythology of resistance and sacrifice for national freedom. In the years that followed, as Ireland forged its identity through the fires of the War of Independence and the Civil War, the tricolour became the official flag of the Irish Free State and, later, the Republic of Ireland.

Today, the Irish tricolour carries both the cultural baggage of a divided past and the mythology of unity and peace. Its symbolism remains a cornerstone of national identity, reminding us that nation-building is not just a political project but a cultural one, steeped in the myths we tell ourselves about who we are and who we aspire to be.