Restoring Order 1916-1922 | Adoption of the Tricolour

Illustration from Cover of An tÓglach
Illustration from Cover of An tÓglach

An editorial in An t-Óglách stated that it is the “duty of all soldiers and citizens … to restore the good name which Ireland has always retained as the most crimeless country in the world, and to bring about conditions of order and security for all citizens.” 

Óglaigh na hÉireann
Badge of Óglaigh na hÉireann

The illustration also includes details in the background of the badge of the Irish army, with the Irish words, “Óglaigh na hÉireann” [Irish Volunteers is the English translation].

Professor Eoin MacNeill, Chairman of the National Executive of the Irish Volunteers (founded in 1913), designed the badge. Major General Jim Sreenan, the Commandant of the Irish Army in 2012, wrote that the “tradition of service and loyalty, that runs as a theme throughout our history, was set by the Volunteers in 1913 and is continued to this day in the modern Defence Forces.” 


Supporting Material

Digital copies of An t-Óglach are available online at the Military Archives website.

An t-Óglách is often described as a successor to the Irish Volunteer publication. This illustration and text was published on June 22nd 1922, and the full magazine can be downloaded from the Military Archives Website


In Your Opinion

  1. The soldier is guarding a tricolour. What does this suggest about his role in the new Irish Free State?
  2. The soldier is standing on two boxes, with words discipline and training written on them. What special meaning have these for the life of a soldier in the new army of the Irish Free State?
  3. What, in your view, is the essential meaning of this image?
  4. The cartoon (illustration) was displayed beside an editorial from An tÓglách. In your view, how does this brief comment contribute to an understanding of the cartoon (illustration)?

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