Hi all - perhaps a silly question - is it considered offensive in general to wear an orange shirt or sweater in Ireland? Or is it just a no-no on St Patty's day? Or is it not an issue at all?

It's not an issue - well except from a fashion perspective.

Am I on Candid Camera?

It's more offensive to refer to our national holiday as "St Patty's day".

Apologies Padraig - St. Patrick's Day.

My daughter wore a spice girl T shirt with a union jack emblem in July in a border town & got a few funny looks.

The union jack can be a problem, and not just in the border area. People who are generally well-disposed towards Britain and British people can be affronted by the flag. The reasons are complex (and not really appropriate for discussion here). Just don't wear it or fly it if you want a simple life.

Why would it be offensive? There is orange in Ireland's flag? The colors in the flag represent the following:

The green represents Northern Ireland with all its green land

The orange represents Southern Ireland and its warmer climate

The white represents the unity/peace between both regions

So to answer your question, no orange is not offensive.

Kristen,

Do you know anything about Ireland's history? I have read a little about it and I thinkt that the OP was referring to Orange as representing the Orangemen (Orange Society) or Irish Protestants which some think is an anti-Catholic organization. Google and read about it if you like.

According to some, the orange of the flag stands for Irish Protestants
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/irishflag1.html

Kristen,

Do you know anything about Ireland's history? I have read a little about it and I thinkt that the OP was referring to Orange as representing the Orangemen (Orange Society) of Irish Protestants which some think is an anti-Catholic organization. Google and read about it if you like.

According to some, the orange of the flag stands for Irish Protestants
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/irishflag1.html

Actually, I thought the Orange stood for the Protestants as well - William of Orange or something like that.

Orange is a colour generally understood to have Protestant (or more specifically, Unionist) connotations. However when it comes to clothing orange has no significance, unless it's a sash, teamed with a natty little bowler hat.

I've never heard an interpretation of the Irish flag's colours before that attributes the Orange to the warmer climate of the Republic. I wonder was it put forward by some tourguide who was asked the significance of the colours in the Irish flag, had no idea but didn't want to forego his big tip and made it up on the spot!

I think a mountain is made out of a molehill on this issue. Orange is fine no one care...Orange sash and bowler...well thats another story and it depends on where you live

Go ahead, but please refrain from wearing orange in DC here in the USA. I don't think I can handle it.

Kristen's misinformation has been addressed in a general way. I would be happier if the distinction were not expressed in terms of religion, even though Northern Ireland Unionists (associated with Orange, after William of Orange) are mostly Protestant, and Northern Ireland Nationalists are mostly Catholic. There are -- admittedly not many -- Catholic Unionists and Protestant Nationalists. The divide in the north is not essentially a religious divide.

To add a little to your vocabulary: Unionists with stronger feelings are often known as Loyalists, and Nationalists with stronger feelings are often known as Republicans. Those who have in the recent past practised political violence are in the Loyalist and Republican camps.

Thank you very much Padraig. A branch of my family are Northern Irish protestants and have been staunch nationalists for generations.

Very occasionally the might of Dutch football turn up in the Island to play football at which point wearing orange is clear choice

>>Very occasionally the might of Dutch football turn up in the Island to play football at which point wearing orange is clear choice<<

Indeed. Fortunately, any potential political embarrassments tend to be averted by the comedy boobs and pigtails that form part of the standard costume on such occasions (they might enliven the average Orange march too, come to think of it).

"The orange represents Southern Ireland and its warmer climate"

What complete cobblers.

The tricolour was adopted by Irish nationalists before Partition had even been thought of: there was simply no such thing as "Northern" or "Southern" Ireland when the flag was invented in 1848.

There was however no shortage of tension between the Prods (orange) and Papes (green) - or of idealism that the tension might be eased once the English went away.

Nor since then has there been any shortage of fanciful, if bizarre, explanations. My dear old dad (RIP), for example, seriously thought the colours were green (for Ireland) and white and gold (the Papal colours), and that the flag was an assertion of Catholic triumphalism. Precisely the OPPOSITE of the Young Irelanders' intention in 1848.

To reply to previous responses: I was posting a little story that I heard on one of our tours. Yes, being such a political country, there is more reasoning behind the colors on the flag and etc.

I know A LOT about Ireland's history but I was simply offering a quick answer without going in depth about the color orange. As most people know, there is no problem of wearing any color in Ireland.

People need to be a little more polite on here when people offer up their opinions. They are supposed to be helpful and if you didn't find what I told to be helpful then thats great. I was merely repeating something that was shared with me.

PS- As a Syracuse ORANGEMEN Alumni, I would still wear my team colors and t-shirt with the logo with no problem! People in Ireland are extremely nice and rather than attack me about my shirt they would curiously ask about the team themselves.