Did you know blue not green is the color of Ireland?

Ever wonder why the Constitution of Ireland
comes in a blue book?

THE CHANCES ARE that by the time the St Patrick’s Day celebrations wrap up night (or tomorrow morning) you could be pretty fed up with seeing people wearing the colour green – and be happy to pack up your various green clothes for just a while.

But here’s something that you might never have thought about: where did green come from as Ireland’s national colour anyway?

And what if we were to tell you that Ireland’s national colour might not be green at all… but blue.

A look back at Irish history through the recent centuries means there’s no clear reason why green has become known as the national colour of Ireland – or, equally, why blue was seen as the first national colour (and why it fell out of favour).

A colourful history

Ireland’s history with the colour blue is largely related to its colonial history, but there are older associations too – Flaitheas Éireann, the embodiment of Irish sovereignty in mythological times (a sort of Irish answer to Uncle Sam or Jack Bull), wore blue.

The crest for the older Kingdom of Meath, the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, showed the image of a ruler sitting on a green throne with a blue background.

This historical connotation inspired Constance Markievicz to use the light blue as the background for the ‘Starry Plough’ flag of the Irish Citizen Army when it was formed in 1913 to defend trade unionists during the 1913 lockouts. That flag is still associated with modern Irish socialism.

However, the formal use of blue was first seen when Ireland was turned into a Kingdom in 1542 under the reign of King Henry VIII.

continue at The Journal 

Also for today: Croagh Patrick, strap off your boots 

And what about this!

Irish Bars Were Close

Ireland has been officially celebrating St. Patrick's Day since 1903, when Irish politician James O'Mara introduced a bill in Westminster that made it an official public holiday back in his homeland. But not until the 1960s could you find revelers celebrating at a bar. Ireland is heavily Catholic, and St. Patrick's Day falls during Lent, which means that although celebratory feasts and drinks were allowed, an all-night party seemed a little too sinful. Fearing excessive drinking, Ireland introduced a law that forced all pubs to close on March 17. Luckily for beermakers, the law was repealed in 1961. The Irish are now free to get as drunk as the Americans who use the day to get drunk celebrating the Irish. [being a drunk isn't really a celebration of anything except for a celebration of self.  Irish saints have fought against this decadence for thousands of years]

Read more: Irish Bars Were Closed - 10 Things You Didn't Know About St. Patrick's Day - TIME

And from the Cardinal's time in Ireland (his Irish roots motivate him to visit often).  This is SS. Peter & Paul's Church in Cork.