Patrick's Cross
The Patrick Cross ( English Saint Patrick's Saltire , Irish Sailtír Naomh Pádraig ) is a symbol of St. Patrick . He is venerated as a saint and patron saint in Ireland . His cross is a red St. Andrew's cross on a white background. This slanted cross has been in the Union Jack since 1801 and embodies Ireland (now Northern Ireland ) as a political area. It goes back to the order cross of the Order of St. Patrick , which the English King George III. Founded in 1783 for the Irish nobility. Earlier references of this type of cross to St. Patrick or Ireland are not proven. The Patrick's cross is therefore rejected by most Irish nationalists as a British invention.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Hayes-McCoy, A history of Irish flags from earliest times , p.38
Web links
- Patrick's Cross in the Heraldry Wiki