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Irish heraldry are the forms of heraldry, such as coats of arms, in the Republic of Ireland. It is regulated by the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland.

Terminology

In English, achievements of arms are usually described (blazoned) in a specialized jargon that uses derivatives of French terms. In Irish, however, achievements of arms are described in language which, while formal and different from plain language, is not quite so opaque as Anglo-Norman terminology is in English. Nevertheless Irish heraldic terminology is a kind of specialized jargon. Examples include the use of Irish gorm and uaine for blue and green, as compared to the French-derived azure and vert used in English blazon.

Tinctures	Metals		Paints or Colours					Furs
Escutcheons
English	Or	Argent	Azure	Gules	Vert	Purpure	Sable	Ermine	Vair
Irish	Ór (órga)	Airgead (airgidí)	Gorm	Dearg	Uaine	Corcra	Dubh	Eirmín	Véir

Ordinaries Ríphíosaí
English	Chief	Pale	Fess	Bend	Bend sinister	Chevron
Irish	Barr	Cuaille	Balc	Bandán	Clébhandán	Rachtán
Ordinaries Ríphíosaí
English	Cross	Saltire	Pall	Pall subverted	Pile	Bordure
Irish	Cros	Sailtír	Gabhal	Gabhal aisiompaithe	Ding	Imeallbhord

Division of the field
English	Party per fess	Party per pale	Party per bend sinister	Quarterly	Quarterly charged with an inescutcheon
Irish	Gearrtha	Deighilte	Cléroinnte	Ceathair-roinnte	Ceathair-roinnte móide lársciath

Lines of division
English	Wavy	Indented	Engrailed	Invected	Nebuly	Embattled	Dovetailed	Potenty
Irish	Camógach	Eangach	Clasach	Dronnógach	Néállach	Táibhleach	Déadach	Cathógach

Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland

The Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland, sometimes incorrectly called the Office of Arms, is the Republic of Ireland's authority on all heraldic matters relating to Ireland and is located at the National Library of Ireland. The office was constituted on 1 April 1943, taking over the records of the Ulster King of Arms, a crown office dating from 1552.

It has jurisdiction over:

• All Irish citizens, male or female
• Persons normally resident in Ireland
• Persons living abroad who are of provable Irish descent in either the paternal or maternal line
• Persons with significant links to Ireland
• Corporate bodies within Ireland and corporate bodies with significant links to Ireland but based in countries with no heraldic authority.

Irish Coat of Arms

The Coat of arms of Ireland is blazoned as Azure a harp Or, stringed argent - a gold harp with silver strings on a St. Patrick's Blue background. The harp, and specifically the Clársach (or Gaelic harp), has long been Ireland's heraldic emblem. It appears on the coat of arms which were officially registered as the arms of the state of Ireland on 9 November 1945. The harp has been recognised as a symbol of Ireland since the 13th century

References

1. Williams, Nicholas (2001). Armas: Sracfhéachaint ar Araltas na hÉireann. Baile Átha Cliath: Coiscéim. pp. vii, 224, 39 Plates. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
2. Civic Heraldry of Ireland, National arms of Ireland, Ralf Hartemink, 1996

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