Top 5 for Irish Canadians

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day (one of my favourite days of the year), I dedicate this list to my fellow Irish Canadians! The Irish flag is undeniably the most common flag used to celebrate the occasion, but this list is comprised of some alternatives that are entirely Canadian. Cheers!

1. Canadian Red Ensign (1957-1965)  

The Canadian Red Ensign tops my list, it being the most inclusive of all Irish Canadians. The ensign was the unofficial flag of Canada before the current maple leaf design was adopted in 1965; an earlier version of the flag (1922-1957) was the design under which Canadian veterans fought the First and Second World Wars. 

There are two Irish references on this flag. The first can be found in the flag's canton (upper left corner); as mentioned in my 'Top 5 for Saints' list, the flag of the United Kingdom is a combination of three saint flags, one of these being St. Patrick's Cross to represent Ireland. The second Irish symbol can be found in the flag's crest, that being the golden harp, Ireland's long-standing emblem. 

2. Newfoundland Tricolour

The Newfoundland Tricolour (also called the 'Pink, White and Green') has been around since the 1880s and is an unofficial but popular flag of Newfoundland and Labrador. Though a topic of debate, the flag is generally believed to be based upon the nearly identical flag of Ireland. Many Newfoundlanders are of Irish descent and Irish culture is still prevalent there. It is the only province in Canada where St. Patrick's Day is a holiday, and an Irish writer once wrote that Newfoundland was "the most Irish place in the world outside of Ireland". The orange found in Ireland's flag was changed to pink in order to match the official colours of a Newfoundland Catholic group established in 1871, called The Star of the Sea Association. The Tricolour is one of few flag designs in the world to utilize the colour pink.

  

3. Flag of Montreal, Quebec

Montreal has one of the oldest St. Patrick's Day parades in the world, running consecutively since 1824! The city's flag was adopted in 1939 and represents the four largest ethnic groups of that time: the fleur-de-lis for the French, the rose for the English, the thistle for the Scottish and, of course, the shamrock for the Irish.

4. Flag of St. Patrick's Battalion

  

St. Patrick's Battalion fought with the Mexican Army in the Mexican-American War of the 1840s. The soldiers were primarily Europeans (many of which were Irish), but there were also some Canadians. Most had joined the Mexican effort after deserting the U.S. Army (the Mexican government had some great incentives). The Battalion's flag utilizes the Irish clovers and another common Irish image, the harp combined with the female personification of Ireland, known as Erin. "Erin Go Bragh" can be translated as "Ireland Forever." There are several different interpretations of this flag based upon a written description, the original design lost to history.

5. Polar Bear Flag, Northwest Territories

This may seem like an unlikely choice to make my list, but it turns out that being Irish Canadian isn't limited to humans only. In 2011, scientists discovered that polar bears interbred with now-extinct Irish brown bears during the last ice age. The maternal lineage of these Irish bears can actually be traced to 100% of today's polar bear population. The polar bear flag can be found on government buildings in the Northwest Territories.