Desmond revolt

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Two Catholic rebellions against Protestant rule in Ireland in 1569 and 1579, sparked by the proposed plantations of Munster and Connacht by Protestants. The Geraldine Clan rose in protest, led by Sir James Fitzmaurice, a cousin of the Earl of Desmond. The revolt was suppressed in 1573 and Fitzmaurice fled overseas. He settled in Lisbon but returned in 1579 to lead another Geraldine uprising, but was soon killed. Gerald Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond took up arms, with some military assistance from Philip II of Spain and Pope Gregory XIII, but the revolt was crushed and the Earl killed in 1583. In the aftermath of the revolt, plantations were undertaken all the more vigorously in Kerry and Limerick, further alienating the Irish from the royal administration.

It is said that berries were used to dye the flag. Red represents the blood shed in the past and the willingness to offer it again. White stands for right, truth, the honour of free citizens, and trustworthiness. Effective date: 27 February 1990. >>