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Celtic Radio Community > Gathering of the Clans > Irish Clans


Posted by: Macfive 05-Jan-2005, 08:14 PM
The good news is we are obtaining Coat of Arms for about 1,000 names that span Scotland, England and Wales. However, I have not been able to locate a collection of Irish Clan Coat of Arms.

Tried Google and a few other search engines. If anyone knows a company that is selling an Irish Clan collection (clipart) would appreciate a link! wink.gif

Posted by: A Shrule Egan 05-Jan-2005, 08:22 PM
Mac, the Irish really don't have a Coat of Arms. There are a few being designed today for some names.

The old Irish only used County Tartans to designate their region.

Posted by: Irish Stepper 05-Jan-2005, 10:39 PM
Actually, a lot of Irish Families do have a Coat of Arms. I'm not sure where you can get clipart for free...but here's a site that lets you look at the coat of arms for each family.

http://www.irishsurnames.com/coatsofarms/gm.htm

Posted by: Macfive 06-Jan-2005, 04:47 AM
This is a good site Irish-Stepper!

I was thinking that I would have to pay for a collection of clipart that I could use for CelticRadio.net and also producing some products. Although my budget for this would be under $100, certainly more in the range of $30-$60.

However, this site has given me a thought because I have a collection of royalty free heraldry clipart that I could try and produce one of these Coat of Arms from. Perhaps I will try with the Coat of Arms you have for your avatar! Although can not promise anything - I am no graphic artist!

biggrin.gif

Posted by: Macfive 06-Jan-2005, 04:51 AM
Seems to be a number of red rampent lions on some of these Irish Coat of Arms. I thought that was more reserved for England and Scotland???

Heraldry is such an interesting topic, I am sure there is someone on here that can answer this question!

Posted by: Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas 06-Jan-2005, 03:36 PM
QUOTE
Family Coat-of-Arms
Although strongly encouraged by commercial vendors of all things heraldic, a family coat-of-arms is simply not possible. Coats-of-arms were not granted to families. They were granted to individuals, sometimes with the right to bestow them upon direct descendants. Even then, children other than the eldest son often had to change the coat-of-arms in some way. Furthermore, it was never granted to all possessors of a surname. The chances are very great that your relative of that surname is not related to the original grantee at all.

See, for example, http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=6827.
QUOTE
An Ulster King of Arms was first appointed in 1552, and records of grants in Ireland exist from that date. Heraldic jurisdiction over Northern Ireland was transferred to the College of Arms in 1943, the office of Ulster King of Arms being joined to that of Norroy King of Arms. In the Republic of Ireland, an official Genealogical Office was established in Dublin, with the Chief Herald of Ireland at its head, and his authority is the primary one in Eire. Photocopies of the old records of Ulster King of Arms are deposited in the College of Arms, the originals being retained by the Chief Herald.

See, http://genealogy.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rootsweb.com%2F%7Erwguide%2Flesson19.htm.
According to the official website:
QUOTE
The Chief Herald of Ireland is the State's authority on all heraldic matters relating to Ireland. The Genealogical Office, which is the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland, is our oldest Office of State.
http://www.nli.ie/h_auth.htm.
In the US, there are generally no restrictions on assuming anyone's arms, so long as there is no copyright or trademark infringement involved. However, in Scotland, which likely has more extreme protection for arms than any other country, the situation is very different.
QUOTE
The wrongful assumption of arms in Scotland is punishable by fine and imprisonment. The regulation of Scottish heraldry differs considerably from the system in England, and all persons using arms are required to register or "matriculate" their right to arms in the Court of Lord Lyon King of Arms. No "Visitations" were made in Scotland, and the records of grants and matriculations of arms commence only in 1672. The shields of arms (but not the crests) are all listed for the period 1672-1973 in Sir James Balfour Paul, An Ordinary of Arms contained in the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland (2 vols. 1903 and 1977).
http://genealogy.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rootsweb.com%2F%7Erwguide%2Flesson19.htm
Links to heraldy resources can be found at http://genealogy.about.com/od/heraldry/
The Society for Creative Anachronism to which I belong (and with which I have formally registered a heraldic device--"Azure, a boar's head couped close and a chief argent") also maintains links to heraldry resources at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/links.html.

Posted by: Irish Stepper 06-Jan-2005, 03:59 PM
Well, I guess it's strange then, that my family has it's own Coat of Arms. A couple variations of it can be found, but the Azure backround with a Chevron and 3 Trefoils is always on all of them. Most of them also show a Lynx for the Crest at the top it it. The Lynch Tribe of Galway seems to have more of history than some. unsure.gif Maybe that's why...but hey...what do I know?

Posted by: Macfive 06-Jan-2005, 06:21 PM
Ok, I've tried my hand at making my first Coat of Arms. First the disclaimer - this is not meant to be historically accurate, but more on the lines of clipart and such.

I've added this to the Coat of Arms avatar section for Lynch.

To create this arms I used a Clip Art collection of 5,000 + items that are common among Coat of Arms. Of course, alot of resizing and adjusting was required. Let me know what you think and I will see about doing more.

Posted by: bigjimhainey 06-Jan-2005, 09:55 PM
Not bad for your first attempt there mac. heraldry is actually something that i have been studying on and off for a year or so and really got into it the last month or so. the family coat of arms is not really a family thing. it passes down from first born to first born. the other children take the coat and modify it for themselves and then they pass it to their first born. as to the irish coat of arms, the whole coat of arms is a very british thing ( to many irish it was) and since the irish hated what the english were doing to them(at this time in history) they were proud of NOT having a coat of arms. i will hunt up the websites that i found most of this info if anyone is interested ( or just wanna check that im not blowin smoke)

Posted by: Irish Stepper 07-Jan-2005, 01:13 AM
That looks really awesome Paul! Not bad for a first try? I think it's great. biggrin.gif thumbs_up.gif

Posted by: sohosoul 12-Feb-2005, 11:47 PM
Eich neh gei...... Macfive..... Sohosoul here. The problem with your request is that there are actually very few coat of arms for the irish clans. Much of that was destroyed or stamped out by the English. There are a few coats affiliated with particular tartan colors and the main families are the Tierneys, Fitzgeralds, McCoy, Connoughts, to name a few. For the most part I believe there are only about one dozen families with any true coat of arms. What is more common among the older families and clans are clan totems or familiars. Especially among those of us who are of pagan (druidic) background. For instance my clan totem is that of the Wolf. Now depending upon your fate within the clan you might have a personal totem or familiar. My public one is that of the Hazel ( it marks when I was born{read sign} and my personal quest as well {knowledge}). Now from there I have my affiliation within the clan, or rank. Among my family and clan I am a second rank clan warrior and healer and my name seamus, in old Gaelic means Oaken one. So to find coats of arms for a clan or family will be more difficult than you think. Many of the older families have taken to adopting a coat of arms, or even creating one and registering it with the governing board of royal arms.

Posted by: gnomecelt 24-May-2005, 02:28 AM
QUOTE (Macfive @ 07-Jan-2005, 03:21 AM)
Ok, I've tried my hand at making my first Coat of Arms. First the disclaimer - this is not meant to be historically accurate, but more on the lines of clipart and such.

I've added this to the Coat of Arms avatar section for Lynch.

To create this arms I used a Clip Art collection of 5,000 + items that are common among Coat of Arms. Of course, alot of resizing and adjusting was required. Let me know what you think and I will see about doing more.

It's Beautiful I like verry much!!!

Greetings Gnome Celt Joyce

Posted by: gnomecelt 24-May-2005, 02:28 AM
QUOTE (Macfive @ 07-Jan-2005, 03:21 AM)
Ok, I've tried my hand at making my first Coat of Arms. First the disclaimer - this is not meant to be historically accurate, but more on the lines of clipart and such.

I've added this to the Coat of Arms avatar section for Lynch.

To create this arms I used a Clip Art collection of 5,000 + items that are common among Coat of Arms. Of course, alot of resizing and adjusting was required. Let me know what you think and I will see about doing more.

It's Beautiful I like very much!!!

Greetings Gnome Celt Joyce

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