Ireland: Starry plough (2024)


This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Last modified: 2022-04-16 by rob raeside
Keywords: ireland | starry plough | star | plough | big dipper |
Links: FOTW homepage |search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors


image by Vincent Morley

  • The Starry Plough in Irish life
  • Long Kesh flag
  • Variant in National Museum of Ireland
  • Use of the Starry Plough in funerals
  • Songs inspired by the Starry Plough

See also:

  • Ireland
  • Northern Ireland

The Starry Plough in Irish life

In 1913 police in Dublin attacked a demonstration by striking workers, killing two people. Trade union leaders then formed a paramilitary organisation, the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) with the intention of providing protection for labour demonstrations. The ICA developed into an armed and uniformed force and in 1914 it adopted the starry plough as its flag - the shade of bluish green used in the flag matched the colour of the ICA's uniform. In 1916 the ICA took part in the rebellion of that year. The original starry plough was captured by British forces but was returned to Ireland in 1966 on the fiftieth anniversary of the rebellion and is now preserved in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin.

In 1934 the largest trade union, the ITGWU, introduced a simplified version of the starry plough with a sky-blue field, and it rapidly gained acceptance as the flag of the Irish trade union movement and of the movement's political wing, the Labour Party. This flag continues to be used at trade union conferences and marches. Because of the ICA's participation in the rebellion of 1916, the flag is used by republican paramilitary groups. Versions of the starry plough have also been used by a variety of socialist groups. The Labour Party continued to use the 1934 flag until the late 1970s when the field was changed from blue to red. In the late 1980s the red starry plough was in turn replaced by a white flag showing a red rose - an emblem used by many other European socialist parties.
Vincent Morley, 18 March 1997

George William Russell (AE) designed the famous Starry Plough flag for the Irish Citizen Army which was unveiled on 5 April 1914 and flown during the Easter Rising.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_William_Russell,
https://www.lurganancestry.com/aegeorgerussell.htm
David Lawrence, 21 March 2022

Long Kesh flag

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 13 February 2010

A 1975 Long Kesh Interment Camp flag signed by 150 prisoners (114 by 178cm., 45 by 70in.) was posted on eBay in February 2010. This is a plain version of that flag (no signatures). It is a light blue flag with seven regular five-pointed stars oriented irregularly and placed to (very) roughly match the Big Dipper asterism (in Ursa Major), in what seems to be a variant of the design above.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 13 February 2010

Variant Flag in National Museum of Ireland

(obverse) image by Jaume Ollé after a photo by Nozomi Kariyasu, 5 May 2005

The starry plough flag of the Irish Citizen Army, flown in the 1916 rising.
Laurence Jones, 27 December 2005

Use of the Starry Plough in funerals

image provided by Tom Dolan 10 March 2016

During INLA funerals, the caskets of their dead are draped exclusively in the light blue Starry Plough flag.

image provided by Tom Dolan 10 March 2016

However, there have been a few exceptions over the years. For example, during the Hunger Strikes in 1981, the INLA members who died on hunger strike had both the Starry Plough flag and the Irish Tricolor draped on their coffins (the Starry Plough flag being given more prominence, of course - most of the time, the Starry Plough would
cover the Orange section of the Tricolor). The reason being was for the INLA to distinguish their members from that of the Provisional IRA, who used the Irish Tricolor exclusively on their coffins.

After the Hunger Strikes, the INLA reverted back to once again solely draping the caskets of their dead with the Starry Plough flag.

In recent times, however, a few veterans of the Irish RepublicanSocialist Movement/Party (IRSM/IRSP) made special arrangements over what flags would cover their coffins.

image provided by Tom Dolan 10 March 2016

Example #1:
At the funeral of Johnny White in Derry, his casket was draped in both the Starry Plough and the plain Red Flag of International Socialism Each flag shared equal prominence on the coffin.

image provided by Tom Dolan 10 March 2016

Example #2
For the funeral in Derry (in April 2012) of INLA veteran, Seamus 'Chang' Coyle, a striking Starry Plough with 7 stars on a red background adorned his coffin. However, upon closer inspection, one clearly sees the white stars are not in the same constellation as the normal Starry Plough. Instead, the stars appear to be arranged in a way so as to resemble more or less a Sickle (a common Socialist symbol). This arrangement of the stars was most likely deliberate.
Tom Dolan, 10 March 2016

The Starry Plough in Irish life

The Starry Plough is widely used as a symbol across Ireland. Here are some links:

Jan Mertens, 9 November 2008

Ireland: Starry plough (2024)

FAQs

What does the Irish Starry Plough mean? ›

It symbolized a free Ireland that would control its own destiny by controlling its means of production… “from the plough to the stars.” During the Easter Rising of 1916, the flag was raised above the Imperial Hotel when it was occupied by the ICA. That building was among the first to burn during the Rising.

What does the plough in the stars mean? ›

Two of the Plough's seven stars point to Polaris, the North Star. James Connolly, co-founder of the Irish Citizen Army with Jack White and James Larkin, said the significance of the banner was that a free Ireland would control its own destiny from the plough to the stars.

Did the IRA have a flag? ›

They have always used the Tricolour, the official national flag of the Republic of Ireland. Some battalions have their own banners, etc. but most of the time only bring them out for the annual pilgrimage to the grave of Wolfe Tone in Bodenstown, County Kerry.

What are the starry Plough stars? ›

The Plough is a group of seven stars that in mythology form the body and tail of the mighty constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. It's therefore not a constellation, but rather an asterism, which means it's a number of stars that make a recognisable shape.

What is the Irish proverb for Ploughing? ›

- Irish proverb.

What does the plough symbolize? ›

The plough symbolizes the peasants' leadership in rural areas, and the red color stands for the victory of the communist revolution. When it is depicted in works of art, it is generally shown in conjunction with Mao Zedong and/or armed peasants. An example of this can be found in an illustrated pamphlet titled "'This ...

Was the IRA mostly Catholic? ›

Irish nationalists and republicans, who were mostly Irish Catholics, wanted Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join a united Ireland.

Is the IRA still fighting in Ireland? ›

The Official IRA (OIRA), the remainder of the IRA after the 1969 split from the Provisionals, was primarily Marxist in its political orientation. It is now inactive, while its political wing, Official Sinn Féin, became the Workers' Party (Ireland).

What did the IRA call themselves? ›

The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA (OIRA; Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) was an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a "workers' republic" encompassing all of Ireland.

Is the Great Bear the same as the Plough? ›

The Plough is actually part of a much bigger constellation known as the Ursa Major or The Great Bear as it is also known. The Plough makes up the bear's hindquarters and tail. The Ursa Major is the third-largest constellation in the sky.

Why is it called the Plough stars? ›

In ancient Greece, people believed its shape resembled their old fashioned plough with a handle and a blade but, in France, it is called 'the Saucepan' because it looks a bit like a pot and handle.

Why is the Plough called the Plough? ›

The origin of the word 'plough' is difficult to determine as throughout Europe the spelling is similar - 'plog', 'ploh', 'pflug', 'ploeg', 'plogr' and old Saxon 'plog'. Ploughs were fastened to draft animals by their horns, tails and later using their shoulders to pull the implement through the soil.

What is the meaning of the plough star? ›

Definition: The Plough is a star pattern that is easy to spot in the night sky. It is not a constellation, just a distinctive pattern of stars that is part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. When stargazing, it is a useful tool to help locate other celestial bodies in the night sky.

What does the plough symbolize in My Antonia? ›

The plough, a symbol of the farm work the Shimerdas and the Burdens do on the prairie, symbolizes man's "beautiful and harmonious" connection to the land. At the end of Book 2, before Jim leaves Black Hawk for college, he sees a plough silhouetted in the circle of the red sun setting behind it.

What does the poem The Starry Night mean? ›

This poem suggests that beauty (like the beauty of the night sky) can make people long for a spiritual experience that will release them from pain—and that such longing for transcendence can also be a death wish. To this speaker, Van Gogh's “The Starry Night” is so lovely that it seems overwhelming, and even dangerous.

What does the three leaf clover mean in the Irish? ›

While trying to convert the Irish into Christians, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity with each leaf representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The three leaves of a shamrock are also said to stand for faith, hope and love. A fourth leaf is where we get the luck from.

References

Top Articles
My wife isn't 'just' a stepmom to my son. He sees her as his other mom.
Calm returns to Wall Street, and stocks bounce back after their worst drop in nearly 2 years
Food Universe Near Me Circular
Gateway Login Georgia Client Id
15:30 Est
Nosetf
Umass Medhub
Log in or sign up to view
What is international trade and explain its types?
Brazos County Jail Times Newspaper
Craigslist.com Seattle Wa
Discovering The Height Of Hannah Waddingham: A Look At The Talented Actress
Pear Shaped Rocsi
Eztv Ig
Spanish Flower Names: 150+ Flowers in Spanish
The Real Housewives Of Atlanta 123Movies
14 Must-Know 9GAG Statistics: How Is It Doing in 2023?
Pay Vgli
Cherry Crush Webtoon Summary
The Boogeyman Showtimes Near Marcus Menomonee Falls Cinema
Kim Dotcom to fight extradition, says he won't get fair trial in US
Irish DNA | Irish Origenes: Use your DNA to rediscover your Irish origin
Advance Auto Parts Near Me Open Now
Atlanticbb Message Center
Connection | Scoop.it
Teddy Torres Machoflix
Vip Market Vetsource
Best Auto Upholstery Shops Near Me
Nehemiah 6 Kjv
King of Battle and Blood
Who Is Acropolis 1989? Wiki, Bio, Age, Boyfriend, Net Worth | Biography Lane
Did Hannah Jewell Leave Wnem Tv5
Wolf Of Wallstreet 123 Movies
10-5 Study Guide And Intervention Tangents Answer Key
Labcorp.leavepro.com
Acadis Portal Indiana Sign In
Live Gold Spot Price Chart | BullionVault
Madden 23 Browns Theme Team
Agility Armour Conan Exiles
Sheex Sheets Review (2024) | Mattress Nerd
Son Blackmailing Mother
Papa Johns Pizza Hours
Intel Core i3-4130 - CM8064601483615 / BX80646I34130
Breakroom Bw
Roman Numerals Chart, Translation Tips & History
Hit Entertainment Wiki
Ohio (OH) Lottery Results & Winning Numbers
Gaylia puss*r Davis
Dairy Queen Blizzards: Our Updated Rankings
Dragith Nurn Rs3
Stuckey Furniture
Sdn Ohio State 2024
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Kareem Mueller DO

Last Updated:

Views: 5557

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (46 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kareem Mueller DO

Birthday: 1997-01-04

Address: Apt. 156 12935 Runolfsdottir Mission, Greenfort, MN 74384-6749

Phone: +16704982844747

Job: Corporate Administration Planner

Hobby: Mountain biking, Jewelry making, Stone skipping, Lacemaking, Knife making, Scrapbooking, Letterboxing

Introduction: My name is Kareem Mueller DO, I am a vivacious, super, thoughtful, excited, handsome, beautiful, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.