Church of Ireland Cross

Why did the Church of Ireland choose the Celtic Cross for its logo?

The design of the Church's logo was influenced by the style of the Celtic Cross. The Celtic Cross itself one of several Christian related symbols of Ireland, along with the harp, various flags, and the shamrock. Any of those symbols could have been chosen by the Church:

The Cláirseach (harp), for example, dates back to the Middle Ages and about the time the Church of Ireland was formed.
The flag of St. Patrick is politically controversial for some, although the Church does fly it on Holy Days and other special occasions.
The shamrock, ubiquitous in meadows and on Irish pub signs, has been used as a Pagan-related good luck symbol. But it was also used by St. Patrick when talking about the mysteries of the Holy Trinity, and there is a distinct 4-leaf shamrocky-shape of the logo's cross.
The Celtic Cross also has pagan roots and while that style is unlikely to be the design of the cross used to crucify Jesus, most people now associate the symbol with Christianity.

Of these four symbols, the cross is universally recognised for its symbolism. The job of the Church is to make people universally aware of its meaning.

For more information about the Church of Ireland, see ireland.anglican.org.

This cross, designed by the Church of Ireland, was copyrighted in 2004. The synod will normally grant permission for use of its emblem within the Church itself, and by "fair use" (such as on this page), but may not be used for other purposes.

The Church's emblem is nearly always coloured blue; the colour may change if, for example, the background happens to be a similar colour.