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The Wearin’ of the Green

The Wearin’ of the Green is an Irish street ballad that dates to

the Irish Rebellion of 1798, launched by the revolutionary republican

organization that launched the rebellion, the United Irishmen. s the

ballad bitterly says, !They’re hanging men and women there for the

wearing o’ the green."

#ut one of the things that is a little unclear is $hether the $earing

of the green refers to green garments, the green coc%ade the United

Irishmen $ore in their hats, or the shamroc% itself. It&s probably a

reference to the uniforms the United Irishmen $ore, but one version of the

lyrics runs'

Oh, Paddy, dear, and did ye hear the news that’s goin’ round?

The shamrock is by law forbid to grow on Irish ground!

The Wearin’ of the Green  recounts the ridiculous lengths the

#ritish $ere prepared to go to in a desperate attempt to suppress Irish

nationalism in the 18th and 19th centuries.

 (he colour green had already assumed a symbolic signi)cance in

Ireland by that time. 

In Ireland, there is plentiful rain and mist, so the

*+merald Isle* really is green all yearround. (he beautiful green landscape

$as probably the inspiration for the national colour.

lso, because it $as the colour of the shamroc%, $hich itself carriedhuge signi)cance.

 

 (he shamroc% $as chosen Ireland*s national emblem

because of the legend that -t. atric% had used it to illustrate the doctrine

of the (rinity. (he (rinity is the idea that /od is really threeinone' (he

0ather, (he -on and (he oly -pirit. atric% demonstrated the meaning of 

the (hreein2ne by pic%ing a shamroc% from the grass gro$ing at his feet

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and sho$ing it to his listeners. e told them that 3ust as the shamroc% is

one leaf $ith three parts, /od is one entity $ith three ersons.

 (he shamroc% emerged as more than a religious emblem in the

early 18th century. It came to be seen as symbol of Ireland and by

e4tension, a symbol of Irish nationalism and independence.

It $as only a small step to imbue the colour green $ith the same

associations.

In the early 18th century, Irish patriots started $earing green ribbons to

sho$ their support for Irish nationalism. (o$ards the end of the 18th

century, the rebel organisation, the United Irishmen adopted green as

their o5cial colour as they planned their insurrection against #ritish rule.

 (he #ritish authorities $ere %een to stamp out displays of Irish

identity and independence such as the Irish language. -oon, they came to

see the colour green as a dangerous symbol that could rally Irish

nationalist fervour.

 (hey banned people from $earing green as an open symbol of their

Irish identity. Irish ne$spapers published notices stating that $earing such

items as green ribbons or hand%erchiefs as !an emblem of a6ection to

Ireland" $ere forbidden.

 (o $ear such items $ould !sub3ect a man to imprisonment,

transportation, the rope or the bayonet, and e4pose $omen to the brutal

insults of the common soldiery".

 (he move $as seen by the Irish as both outrageous and ridiculous

in eual measure.

 (he song The Wearin’ of the Green captures both those emotions

perfectly. (he opening verse con3ures up the sense of absurdity $ith the

line “the shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground”

 (he aim is to moc% the #ritish for thin%ing they could pass a la$

that $ould stop shamroc% gro$ing or green appearing. (hough ridiculous,

the ban is dangerous because the #ritish $ere prepared to be brutal to

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enforce it. s the song&s refrain says' “They’re hanging men and women

for the earing of the "reen” .

apper (andy $ho is referred to in the song, $as an Irish rebel

leader at the time of the 1798 Rebellion.

“I met with #a$$er Tandy, and he took me by the hand

 %nd he said, “&ow’s $oor old Ireland, and how does she

stand?” 

 e $as e4iled follo$ing the failure of the rebellion and died in

0rance in 18:.

 (he colour red that of the +nglish soldier&s uniform is associated

$ith the blood that the Irish has shed'

“%n’ if the color we must wear is 'ngland’s cruel red,

(et it remind us of the blood that Ireland has shed)” 

 (he ballad The Wearin’ of the Green is relevant to the chapter

;olonialism and the ationalist Imaginary because it captures the Irish

nationalism symbolised by the colour green and the $earing of the

shamroc%.

I often listen to this ballad on