The Shamrock (traditional spelling: seamróg, meaning summer plant) is a

three-leafed clover that grows in Ireland. A common image in Celtic artwork, the

shamrock is found on Irish medieval tombs and on old copper coins, known as

St. Patrick's money. The plant is also reputed to have mystic, even prophetic

powers, for instance the leaves are said to stand upright to warn of an

approaching storm.

Legend has it that St. Patrick used the shamrock in the fifth century to

symbolize the divine nature of the trinity when he introduced Christianity to

Ireland.

The seamróg is a big part of Irish history, as the Shamrock was used as an

emblem by the Irish Volunteers in the era of Grattan's Parliament in the 1770's,

The Act of Union. When it became an emblem of rebellion in the 19th century,

Queen Victoria made wearing a seamrog by member's of her regiments

punishable by death by hanging. It was during this dark time that the phrase

"the Wearing of the Green" began. "The Wearing of the Green" also symbolizes

the birth of springtime. Irish legend states that green clothes attract faeries and

aid crops.