The musical instrument that is a national symbol of Ireland is the harp.
Ireland’s harp, or cláirseach, is one of the country’s oldest emblems. It appears on Ireland’s coat of arms, official seals, passports, coins and presidential symbols. The state’s modern design is based on the medieval harp displayed at Trinity College Dublin, often called the Brian Boru harp.
The harp became an official emblem of the Kingdom of Ireland during the reign of Henry VIII, appearing on Irish coinage from the 1540s. The independent Irish Free State adopted it as a state emblem in 1922, retaining its association with Irish identity and sovereignty.
A common mix-up involves Guinness: its logo also uses a harp, but it faces right, while the Irish state emblem faces left. The Trinity College instrument was once traditionally linked to Brian Boru, but its construction dates to the 14th or 15th century, centuries after his death in 1014.