5 fascinating facts about Irish family crests and coats of arms

Here at Irish Gift Solutions, we're big fans of using family crests to personalise our gifts. Whether it's for a wedding gift, an anniversary, or even the arrival of a new little one into the family, two family crests sitting side by side are a visual reminder of two families becoming one.

But what is the background to an Irish Coat of Arms?

The 1707 version of the Irish Coat of Arms, with the British symbols and motto "God and my right". Today, the Coat of Arms is simply the harp on the azure blue backdrop.

• The history of our Coats of Arms, crests and emblems has been documented since 1552. Today, it is the responsibility of the Genealogy and Heraldry Division of the National Library of Ireland. They say: "By the 12th century, personal badges were widely used by the nobility, and a century later, arms could be inherited. This meant that they had to be officially recorded and their display controlled. Specialists, known as officers at arms or heralds, were employed to record these coats of arms in rolls of arms (armorials)". 

• Irish Coats of Arms were worn on the armour, shields, robes and flags of ancient Irish families. They consist of a decorated shield and a motto in either Irish or Latin. Both the visuals and the motto were deeply symbolic, representing what mattered most to the families. The Byrne family motto in Latin reads "Certava et Vici", which  means "I have fought and I have conquered", while the O'Sullivan motto as gaeilge reads "Lamh foistenach abu" which means "A steady hand to victory".

• Even the colours chosen in the design are rich with meaning, for example red represents martyrs, blue signifies loyalty and truth, gold represents generosity, and white represents peace, 

• The 10 most common Irish names for heraldic coats of arms are Murphy, Kelly, Byrne, Ryan. O'Brien, Walsh, O'Sullivan, O' Connor, Doyle and McCarthy. Almost all of us will have friends or family bearing these surnames, which have survived and thrived through the years; they represent old and often prestigious Irish families.

• It's not just families that have heraldic coats of arms - places have them too. Ireland's emblem is a golden harp on a deep blue background, while Leinster's is very similar but on a dark green backdrop. Connacht has a Coat of Arms believed to derive from a 14th century monastery in Germany. Munster's regal crowns are believed to derive from a previous lordship, while in Ulster the Coat of Arms comes from the combined family crests of the de Burghs, Earls of Ulster, and the O'Neills.

The history of medieval Irish Coats of Arms is extensive, there is one for each county in Ireland and for most traditional Irish surnames - this is a very basic introduction to a topic that's deeply connected to Irish heritage.

We're always happy to help you to find the right crest or Coat of Arms to bring your one-of-a-kind gift to life, and we'll help you choose an Irish proverb or blessing if you'd like to include that too.

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