Green Ensign

The Green Ensign (Irish: An Meirge Uaine) is a historical flag flown by some Irish merchant vessels from the 17th century to the early 20th century. The flag consists of a green field with a golden harp and a canton containing either the English Flag (St George's Cross) or a version of the Union Jack.

Green Ensign after 1800
Green Ensign circa 1701
On a 1783 flag chart
Possible version of the Green Ensign with the flag of Great Britain in the canton

This flag has appeared in these historical flag plates:

  • 1685 Downham's Flag Chart
  • 1700 Len's Flag Chart
  • 1772 French Encyclopédie
  • 1783 Bowles's Universal Display of the Naval Flags of all Nations
  • 1799 Flags of all Nations
  • 1848 Flaggen Aller Seefahrenden Nationen
  • 1868 Johnson's new chart of national emblems
  • 1889 Drawings of Flags of All Nations - British Admiralty
  • 1917 National Geographic Flag Book

There remains a lively debate concerning whether the flag had any form of local official status within the British Isles or was simply an informal flag used by some merchant ships.

See also
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