SPIRAL

The spiral may be the oldest symbol of human spirituality. It has been found scratched into rocks from thousands of years ago, on every continent in the world. The religious significance can only be guessed, but it has been found on tombs, and possibly has a connection with the sun- the sun makes a spiral shape every three months in its travels

TRIPLE SPIRAL

Perhaps the best known of all Celtic motifs the triple spiral dates back to the 5,000 year old tomb complex at Newgrange. Drawn unicursally (that is, in one continuous line ) and thought originally to have symbolized the Eternal Cycle of Life, death and rebirth (this hypothesis is bolstered by the fact that many of these appear to be deliberately placed where they catch the first rays of the sun on the solstice). In later times it came to represent the Great Goddess and her threefold manifestation of virgin, mother and crone. It was a much favored ornamental design used in the Christian Golden Age and remains a unique symbol of Celtic Heritage.

SHAMROCK

This is a symbol of all things Irish. Although today it is usually regarded as a simple good luck charm or a St. Patrick 's Day decoration, it is one of the oldest Celtic symbols. It's an enduring memento of Patrick, the great saint who first brought the Christian message to Ireland . The legend is that while Patrick was preaching an open air sermon on the Trinity, an old Druid began to heckle him, ridiculing the idea that the three divine beings could somehow be one. Patrick plucked a shamrock and, holding it aloft, replied, Just as the three leaves of the Shamrock are separate yet part of the whole, so it is with the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

HARP

The harp has long been a symbol of Ireland . Perhaps the legends of it's magical powers comes from the time when the bards would sing and tell stories of famous events to the Irish kings and chiefs. During the early 1500s, under the rule of Henry VIII, the harp was first depicted on Irish coins. That tradition is carried on today and the harp is also used for other official duties such as the Irish state seal, official documents and uniforms.

CHILDREN OF LIR

This symbol commemorates the tragic folktale where Finola, Aodh, Fiachra and Conn are turned into swans by their jealous stepmother.

St. BRIGID'S CROSS

St. Brigid was fascinated with St. Patrick's life and tried to bring Christianity to the many people she met and was once called to the deathbed of a dying man. She set about gathering the rushes from the floor of the room and made a cross, now called the St. Brigid's cross. With this cross she explained how Jesus died and rose again for all men and the cying man was converted before he passed away.

As a reminder of the tradition one girl named Brigid accompanied by a group of girls would carry crosses to the houses in their village. At each house she would be greeted with a blessing in Irish. There would then be an exchange of prayers and she would bestow the cross on the house. The cross would then be put into the rafters for the year. It is believed that the cross blessed the house and protected it from fire.

CLADDAGH

The symbol of the Claddagh (pronounced clah-dah�)Ring dates back to a fishing village in Galway known as Claddagh village. It represents the fishing Kings of Claddagh, whose motto was "in love and friendship let us reign." Later in the 17th century the symbol was made into a ring which became a popular gift throughout Galway . Tradition says that the heart is worn outward to show that the wearer is "heart whole and fancy free." Many Claddagh Rings have become family heirlooms and are a gift to be passed down from the mother and worn by a daughter on her wedding day.

IRISH FLAG

The tricolor flag of Ireland was introduced by Thomas Francis Meagher in 1848. The color of the green represents the Irish people, the orange represents the English supporters of "William of Orange" and the white color represents peace.

Thomas Meagher on the meaning of the Irish flag said, "The white in the center signifies a lasting truce between the Orange and the Green; and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in heroic brotherhood."

CELTIC CROSS

The meaning of the Celtic Cross is told in legend of Ireland 's St. Patrick. He was shown a sacred standing stone that was marked with a circle. St. Patrick took this opportunity to show the union of old and new ways. He marked a cross through the circle and blessed the stone.