Ireland: Flag and Facts
The Irish flag has three equal vertical stripes: green next to the pole, white in the middle, and orange on the outer edge.
- Official name
- Republic of Ireland
- Capital
- Dublin
- Region
- Northern Europe
- Population
- 5.2 million (2024)
- Languages
- English, Irish
- Currency
- Euro
- Area
- 70,273 km² (27,133 sq mi)
- People
- Irish
- Calling code
- +353
- Highest point
- Carrauntoohil 1,041 m
- Independence
- 6 December 1921 (from the UK)
- National symbols
- harp, shamrock (trefoil)
- Borders
- United Kingdom
About Ireland
Officially, the colors have no set meaning. A popular reading links green to Irish nationalism, white for a truce, and orange for followers of William of Orange between them. Oddly, the national colors are listed as blue and green, and the harp and shamrock are the national symbols.
Celtic tribes arrived between 600 and 150 B.C. Brian Boru ended the era of Norse raids by defeating the Danes in 1014. Norman invasions in the 12th century began more than seven centuries of struggle with England. The famine of the mid-19th century cut the island's population by almost 25 percent. A failed rising in 1916 stirred support for independence, and a treaty in 1921 created the Irish Free State, though six of the 32 counties stayed British as Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland Act took effect in 1949.
Did you know?
- Carrauntoohil is the tallest mountain in Ireland at 1,041 m.
- Skies over Ireland are overcast about half the time.
- Ireland's national holiday is Saint Patrick's Day, held each year on 17 March.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Ireland
What languages are spoken in Ireland?
English and Irish are the two official languages.
What currency does Ireland use?
Ireland uses the euro. Its capital, Dublin, had about 1.27 million people in 2023.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.