Which Irish republican organization adopted green in the 1790s?

Which Irish republican organization adopted green in the 1790s? The answer is the United Irishmen.

The Society of United Irishmen was founded in 1791, initially seeking parliamentary reform and greater political equality across religious divisions. It later moved toward republican revolution and helped organize the failed Irish Rebellion of 1798 against British rule.

In the 1790s, the organization adopted green as a revolutionary colour. Members were associated with green clothing, ribbons and flags, while the shamrock and harp became powerful visual symbols of Irish identity. The phrase “wearing of the green” is closely connected with the suppression of these nationalist symbols.

Green was not invented by the United Irishmen: it had already appeared in Irish symbolism and in the colours of earlier organizations, including the Friendly Brothers of St Patrick. The United Irishmen’s importance was political; they gave green a particularly strong association with Irish republicanism.