Coffey Cousin's Clearinghouse

A Brief Look at the Irish flag and Coffy/Coffey Coat of Arms

The colors in the Irish Flag are Orange, which stands for Irish Protestants; Green stands for Irish Catholics and the Republican Cause; White stands for Hope and Peace between them. Orange is associated with the northern Irish because of William III, or William of Orange who was King of England, Scotland and Ireland, and in 1690 defeated King James II, a Roman Catholic.

Green, besides standing for the Catholics of the south, probably also has something to do with the green landscapes that Ireland is famous for.

The flag was first seen in 1848, displayed by Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish militant who later became a New York City attorney, and was a general on the Union side in the American Civil War.

One definition of the term "Coat of Arms" is: "A coat of arms is a light garment worn over the armor of knights of the 15th and 16th centuries, often embroidered with heraldic devices of the wearer."

One of the most ancient and frequently used of the coats of arms of the Coffy or Coffey family of Ireland is that described in Burke's General Armory, 1884:

  • Arms: "Vert, a fess of ermine, between three coons or Irish cups"
  • Crest: "A man riding on a dolphin, proper" (proper = nude)
  • Motto: "Non prudentia sed victoria"

Explanation:

  • Arms: "Vert" is the color green on the coat of arms. "Fess" is the wide horizontal band across the middle of the escutcheon. "Ermine" represents the skins, or fur, of the ermine and are usually colored blue, on white. The three "Coons" or "Irish Cups" are usually depicted as a goblet, with the stem and foot.
  • Crest: The dolphin has a characteristic heraldic form, and is usually embowed, that is, bent in a curve. When blazoned as "Proper", it is shown with scarlet fins and tonque.
  • Motto: "Non Prudentia Sed Victoria" translates to "No forethought, except victory." An alternative motto used is: "Non providentia, sed victoria." The translation of this is very close to the first motto.

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