Green Ensign
Historical flag flown by Irish merchant vessels
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[1] The flag consists of a green field with a golden Irish harp and a canton containing either St George's Cross or a version of the Union Jack.
Proportion1:2
AdoptedBritish Merchant Navy
DesignGreen with the Union Jack occupying one quarter of the field and placed in the canton and a harp in the fly.
| Use | Civil ensign |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | British Merchant Navy |
| Design | Green with the Union Jack occupying one quarter of the field and placed in the canton and a harp in the fly. |



This flag has appeared in these historical flag plates:
- 1685 Downman's Flag Chart
- 17th century A New Table of all the Ships, Collors or Ensings, in the Wholl Water World Newly Eneressed and Amende and all falts or Errors Corrected Never befor thytim brought to Light[2]
- 1700 Len's Flag Chart
- c. 1700 Table des Pavillons quel on arbore dans toutes les Parties du Monde Connu (Peter Schenk the Elder)[3]
- early 18th century: A new table of all the names of the principal parts and rigging of a man of war[4]
- 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
Gallery
- Sledge flag used in the Arctic by Henry Kellett during his 1852–1854 search for Franklin's lost expedition[5]
Unrelated similar ensigns
- Flag of Gananoque, Ontario
- Flag of Haverhill, Massachusetts
- Flag of Newbury, Massachusetts
- Flag of the British African Front