On Ireland's national flag, what color stripe is nearest the hoist? Green. Ireland's tricolor is arranged vertically as green, white and orange, with green next to the hoist, or flagpole. The three stripes are equal in width, and official guidance specifies that the flag's length should be twice its height.
The colors carry a political and religious message. Green became associated with Irish nationalists and Roman Catholics, while orange refers to Protestants, especially those linked historically with William of Orange. The white stripe between them represents peace and the hope of lasting union between the two traditions.
The tricolor developed during the 19th century. Green-and-orange symbols appeared by 1830, and white was added to form the three-color design. Thomas Francis Meagher presented the symbolism prominently in 1848. The flag became especially powerful during the Easter Rising of 1916 and later received constitutional status under Ireland's 1937 Constitution.
A frequent error is reversing the Irish and Ivorian flags. Côte d'Ivoire places orange at the hoist and uses a shorter 2:3 proportion, while Ireland keeps green at the pole and uses a 1:2 proportion.