I have been looking at some crests and I would love to know why they have the certain thing on their county crest so just write down what your county crest means! I could learn something eg. Derry has oak leafs because Doire means oak grove and when St Colmcille founded Derry it was an oak tree forest

Thanks ;)

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 04/07/2009 22:55:04    332343

Tyrone Crest Orlaith= Eoghan O'Neill a high king of ulster and was battling a scottish chieftain for land. The battle took place in the sea and the person who touched the land first with their hand was to be the rightful owner of the land. O'Neill was being well beaten in the race towards the land and so he cut off his hand and threw it onto the land. The hand was red from the blood hence the red hand of tyrone which appears on the Tyrone crest.

RedHand1992 (Tyrone) - Posts: 63 - 04/07/2009 23:17:56    332377

Oh very clever.

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 04/07/2009 23:26:56    332389

sorry red hand that story is a myth...it didn't actually happen!...some historians believe the crest came from a bloodied hand of one of the o'neill chieftains on the battlefield when he was killed...but yes the myth is a much more interesting story...but its just a story i'm afraid...the red hand is also found in other counties crests and can't be associated with eoghan o'neill who's ownership of land at his time did not extend much beyond the eastern shore of Lough Neagh.

mayotyroneman (Tyrone) - Posts: 1821 - 05/07/2009 00:48:48    332449

Fantastic post Orlaith I too would learn something. I have heard both stories re the red hand.

derryman (Derry) - Posts: 3246 - 05/07/2009 10:10:19    332534

Ath Cliath

well as yous know the dublin crest includes three castles in flame , a raven , a viking boat and a book , These Four things all have one thing or other to do with the countys past , the three castles in flame represents the Dublin city coat of arms , A Raven symbolises Fingal (which was formed by the historic county of Dublin) , the viking boat stands for Dun laoighaire / Rathdown (again which was formed from the old county of Dublin) , And the book represents "South Dublin" , Not the most interesting Crest history in the world but there ye go :)

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 05/07/2009 11:29:05    332569

I havent heard the second story before.... I suppose they are both myths but I think most people would go for the first one.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 05/07/2009 11:36:38    332574

Clare's is basically a war theme with swords and crowns of a king. At the bottom it says "Sa céad sa cait agus na deireannacha as" which means first into battle and the last out..

There ya go!!

banner_boy (Clare) - Posts: 1285 - 05/07/2009 11:44:11    332582

Interesting question Orlaith. A lot of the current GAA county crests are relatively new, most likely the brainchild of marketing & design gurus the various county boards hired. The newer versions can be officially copyrited by the GAA. Galway city has it's own crest/coat of arms as does the county. I've seen a number of different variations of the Galway GAA one. One is a sailing ship with sail raised and a maroon pennant fluttering in the breeze and lion rampant banner. I think the official GAA one for Gaillimh is the one showing the walled city, a Galway hooker, a football (they forgot the hurlers !) and the inscription Ceart agus Cóir.

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1060 - 05/07/2009 11:54:04    332586

Sligo, is Benbulben in the background North Sligo, a book ie the battle of the book in Drumcliffe, with colmcille, a shell, as Sligeach means land of the shells. The Land of Hearts Desire is how the great poet WB Yeats described Sligo.

Sligonian (Sligo) - Posts: 1642 - 05/07/2009 12:01:32    332592

Kildare Crest is St Brigid's cross. A pagan chieftain from Kildare was dying. Christians in his household sent for Brigid to talk to him about Christ. When she arrived, the chieftain was ranting and raving. As it was impossible to instruct this delirious man, it was going to be hard to convert him. Brigid sat down at his bedside and began consoling him. As was customary, the dirt floor was strewn with rushes both for warmth and cleanliness. Brigid started to weave them into a cross, fastening the points together. The sick man asked what she was doing. She began to explain the cross, and as she talked, his delirium quieted and he questioned her with growing interest. Through her weaving, he converted and was baptized just as he was about to die.

In the early nineties Kildare had a brilliant crest with a snake on it. Anybody know what was behind that? interesting thread Orlaith.

Daith (Kildare) - Posts: 1171 - 05/07/2009 12:20:14    332603

Wicklow's original crest was nice and represented the monastery at Glendalough and St. Kevin. Our current one is appalling and was designed by a 10 year old. I'm not messing there was a competition to design it and he won!!

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1139 - 05/07/2009 13:40:01    332645

I'm not too sure what the lion or whatever animal had to do with our old crest. Do you know Wicklowman?

Southern Dandy (Wicklow) - Posts: 789 - 05/07/2009 14:22:37    332674

Meath have a picture of a king to illustrate that we are kings of football and hurling. The king wears a crown and in 2009, Meath will win back their crown and like the king, return to our throne.

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 05/07/2009 15:13:26    332698

Southern Dandy - our lion stands for nothing - complete fabrication by some art and design student without probably no interest in GAA. No Lions in Ireland right!!

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1139 - 05/07/2009 15:23:12    332704

Back to school I think for you Loyal

derryman (Derry) - Posts: 3246 - 05/07/2009 15:29:59    332706

derryman
County: Derry
Posts: 465

332706 Back to school I think for you Loyal

What does Derry's leaf represent?

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 05/07/2009 15:43:16    332714

Meath has newgrange and the boyne valley because its cultural, a king because were the royals, and a brooch because we had to fill the space in the corner. it was also designed by a kid in a competition i think

ew1994 (Meath) - Posts: 32 - 05/07/2009 15:55:50    332723

Loyal
Did you not read the opening post. Derry is the Oak Grove nothing too mysterious about that

derryman (Derry) - Posts: 3246 - 05/07/2009 16:32:38    332741

Meath

Newgrange in the backgroung, along with the river boyne. The High King in the main centre & the Tara brooch. thats it really.

Louth

they had nothing so the put in a picture of a bridge in Meath & our river.


Q. What seperaters good players & poor players?

A. The Boyne..

Jinxie (Meath) - Posts: 6345 - 05/07/2009 17:36:50    332767