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What does the shamrock signify?

True meaning of the shamrock in an Irish context

By
MOLLY MULDOON,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Thursday, March 17, 2011, 12:24 PM
Updated Thursday, March 17, 2011, 12:38 PM

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The shamrock


Visit our special St. Patrick's Day section

With St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in full swing, people the world over are united in their appreciation for all things Irish.

But during all the parades, the mayhem and the overindulgence, few people will take the time to stop and consider the significance of the day and the shamrock emblem which has become synonymous with the 17th of March and everything Irish.

The significance of the shamrock is linked to St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. When he arrived in Ireland in 431, Patrick used the shamrock to teach Pagans about the Holy Trinity.

Literacy levels would have been a barrier when trying to educate natives about Christianity, so Patrick used the plentiful plant to demonstrate the most basic doctrine.

Plucking a shamrock from the grass growing at his feet he would tell listeners that the three leaves of the shamrock represented Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each symbolizes the three separate beings that together are all part of the Supreme Being.

Today the symbol of the shamrock is an Irish icon, which is recognized the world over. Many view it as a symbol of luck, something the Irish have always been credited for!

Visit our special St. Patrick's Day section

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6 Comments

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mjdocdougherty | Mar 19, 2011, 05:11 PM EDT
I am utilizing this as an opportunity to share an some what less well know explanation of another prominent symbol associated with the supposed teaching devices of St Patrick the following The Celtic Cross is a merger of the Christian cross symbolic of Jesus (aka) SON of God and the Celtic / Drudic worship of their foremost GOD the SUN whose outline or aura forms the circle around the intersection of the Crucifix. It is thought (likely not by the British Catholic Church fathers however) that it was better allow the Irish "converts" to Christianity a bit of the old religion as they assimilated

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jacersagain | Mar 19, 2011, 01:00 AM EDT
Yesterday, 18th of March, I dropped into my local grocery store in Ireland. It usually offers good bargains now and again, some fresh, some all pre-packed, all edible and ready to serve cooked or natural, full of the goodness of the earth. I saw hundreds of pre-packed, plastic-locked sachets of Irish Shamrock sprigs demoted for sale mixed in amongst fragranced wax candles, the sort of things that you would use for a relaxing morning’s rising or an evening’s relaxation any day – at reduced prices. >>> Now there’s a thing... everybody in Ireland knows that the three-leafed Shamrock plant grows freely in Ireland’s green fields most times of our seasons. So I ask...Why did I find it on sale, at reduced prices - in pre-packed plastic bags, mind you - in my local grocery store yesterday – and no one buying it yesterday, the day after we Irish celebrate St. Patrick's mission? Was it because it was past its sell-buy date in the grocery store? Or was it because of shoppers not realising the importance of the Shamrock plant that St. Patrick used is for every Irish person every day and still retains its every fragrance? I wonder if it is any wonder that Michelle Obama wants to plant its seeds in the grounds of her present abode. Is it that she knows what is signifies... and, like St. Patrick, wants everyone else to know the simplicity of, and yet of the power of, God in a small three-leafed shamrock plant?

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Irishqueen1879 | Mar 17, 2011, 07:52 PM EDT
From what I've read the four leaf clover is good luck. Three of the leaves are for Faith, Hope, and Love. The fourth leaf is for good luck. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

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lorraineb0215 | Mar 17, 2011, 02:05 PM EDT
I loved your story about the shamrock

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vicmcin | Mar 17, 2011, 01:48 PM EDT
thats what I thought it was, yeah!

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pmoretz | Mar 17, 2011, 12:48 PM EDT
I loved your story about the shamrock I did not know about it I am always finding four leaf clovers in my yard my great grandmother told me they were good luck.

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