12 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About St Patrick's Day
8. The Shamrock Is Not The National Symbol Of Ireland
Shamrocks will be blazoned across the front of pubs around the world on St Patrick's Day - but it is not actually the national symbol of Ireland, although it does have connections to the day itself. The Irish coat of arms contains a gold harp with silver strings on a blue background and has been used since King Henry VIII's reign in the 1540s. This gold harp, and not the traditional shamrock flower, is the nation's symbol. St Patrick is closely associated with the shamrock, however.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
Shamrocks will be blazoned across the front of pubs around the world on St Patrick's Day - but it is not actually the national symbol of Ireland, although it does have connections to the day itself. The Irish coat of arms contains a gold harp with silver strings on a blue background and has been used since King Henry VIII's reign in the 1540s. This gold harp, and not the traditional shamrock flower, is the nation's symbol. St Patrick is closely associated with the shamrock, however.