by James Lynne

Created on: March 09, 2009   Last Updated: March 17, 2010

The Legend of St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is irrevocably intertwined with the history and the symbolism of the Irish Shamrock. Its rich green color, its appearance in early spring, and its tri-shaped leaves all became symbols of Christianity in St. Patrick's message to the pagan Celts of the Irish Isle. More than that, the Shamrock symbolizes Ireland historically, politically, and religiously.

Even before St. Patrick adopted the shamrock as a visual aid to represent the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Irish Celts and Druids respected it for the mystical meaning of its three leaves. St. Patrick demonstrated to potential converts that the spirit of the Trinity was as natural as the three leaves of the Shamrock, one leaf and simultaneously three, just as God the almighty could be God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Druids revered the Shamrock for its unique three- leaf formation, but not in the same manner as Christians. Three was a sacred number in the Celtic religion. As a result, it was easy for them to comprehend Patrick's message about God using the Shamrock as a symbol. In Gaelic, the word for shamrock, "seamrog," translates "summer plant." It is a symbol of spring growth, summer warmth, summer vegetation and the new harvest. Its color green represented life to the pagan Celts.

The Shamrock has served as a badge to symbolize some concept of Irish honor and pride throughout Irish history. Its first mention as a badge is reported in the 1681 diary of Thomas Dinely, under the reign of King Charles II. His rendition claimed the wearing of the shamrock was uniquely a habit of the "vulgar" and superstitious common folk who also chewed it to sweeten their breath. It later became a symbol of underground rebellion as the common folk fought for economic freedom from the upperclass.

In 19th Century Ireland, a time of religious rebellion, anyone caught wearing a shamrock risked his life. Doing so was punishable by hanging. It became more than a symbol of the Christian faith associated with Catholicism during this time. It was a symbol of Catholic rebellion against religious and government oppression.

The four-leafed clover is often confused with the Shamrock. It is also considered a symbol of good luck because of its unique leaf arrangement, but it is a different symbol entirely from the Shamrock. The three-leafed Shamrock is uniquely a symbol of Irish Christian significance related to St. Patrick's use of it in symbolizing the Trinity. The clover is a symbol of luck associated with Irish superstition, not religion. This may seem a minor point to the non-Irish, but confusing the Shamrock with a clover is enough to start a bar brawl in Ireland.

As the official national symbol of Ireland, the Shamrock also became the official Irish flower. It appears on sports uniforms, flags, and other memorabilia for all things Irish. It is cultivated as a cash crop for export to world markets prior to St. Patrick's Day. The Shamrock is the foremost symbol in the tradition referred to as "the wearing of the green" that originated in the turbulence of the 19th Century.

Throughout the turbulent years of Irish history, the shamrock has served as a symbol of strength and national unity. Irish pride and Irish Catholicism are inseparable symbols of the Irish nation as much as the Shamrock is an inseparable symbol of St. Patrick's Day. "Erin go bragh" - "Ireland forever" comes alive in the symbolism and the history of the Shamrock.

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