Green Ensign

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The Green Ensign is a historic flag flown by some Irish merchant vessels from the 17th Century to the early 20th Century. The flag consists of a green field with a golden harp and a canton containing either the English Flag (St George's Cross) or a version of the Union Flag (pre 1800 - a combination of St George's cross and St Andrew's Cross, post 1800 - containing the addition of St Patrick's Cross).

This flag has appeared in these historical flag plates:

• 1685 Downham's Flag Chart
• 1700 Len's Flag Chart
• 1799 Flags of all Nations
• 1848 Flaggen Aller Seefahrenden Nationen
• 1889 Drawings of Flags of All Nations - British Admiralty
• 1917 National Geographic Flag Book

There remains a lively debate concerning whether the flag had any form of official status within the British Isles or was simply an informal flag used by some merchant ships.

[edit] See also

• Blue Ensign
• Red Ensign
• White Ensign
• Ensign