A country without a symbol is not a country. And Northern Ireland is no exception to the rule. Its symbol is familiar to everyone who is even slightly interested in the history of the United Kingdom. The shamrock was not chosen by chance. There is a long and interesting story behind it, which is worth getting to know.
In order for you to become a little clearer why the three-leaf clover has become the symbol of Northern Ireland, you need to get acquainted with another equally, and even more important character - St. Patrick.
Afro-Irish of British blood
There are controversial figures behind many of the symbols. Northern Ireland is no exception.
Patrick was born and raised in Roman Britain in the town of Bannavem. According to historical information, we are talking about one of the provinces during the reign of the Roman Empire in the British Isles.
The young man grew up as a normal person, without special divine preconditions and aspirations to cognize the spirituality of everything and everyone. Perhaps it would have been if not for his captivity and subsequent slavery in Northern Ireland. The young man could not endure the hardships of imprisonment for a long time and fled. I must say that it was not very successful, because he was seized and again the bonds of bondage could not hold him.
Considering that divine conduction helped him, Patrick decided to take the ordination of a priest. And he began to preach in Ireland about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And here the same shamrock appears on the scene. Three sheets - three hypostases of God. Saint Patrick found something in common in this and, using the example of three-leaf clover, explained the role of the Divine Trinity.
Today you can see images of a saint holding this plant in his hand. It is customary to portray it in this way. Even on a festive day, when a saint is being honored, it is customary to dress in green clothes, have fun music parties, generously treat friends to beer and wear crosses made of paper or fabric on clothes. Interestingly, earlier on this day all drinking establishments were closed throughout Ireland. But the holiday cannot be banned, and the authorities eventually allowed all true Irish people to observe the tradition.
And why he is African, it becomes clear when you learn that in Nigeria he is revered no less than in Ireland.
Truth and fiction
Not everything is true that is generally accepted. The shamrock has its defenders and opponents.
Not all historians share the version about the role of the shamrock in Patrick's sermons in Northern Ireland. In the writings of the saint there is no indication of such facts. Therefore, it is generally accepted that clover is to some extent a folk fiction that does not correspond to reality.
Nevertheless, the shamrock became popular, and today it is one of the main symbols of Northern Ireland, along with Saint Patrick himself, a special Celtic harp, a white flag crossed with red stripes, and many others. Just as it is impossible to imagine a Russian without a tricolor flag, so it is impossible to imagine a modern Irishman without three green leaves of this simple plant, which played such a significant role in spreading faith in God.
