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Conference tallis::celt

Title:Celt Notefile
Moderator:TALLIS::DARCY
Created:Wed Feb 19 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1632
Total number of notes:20523

1506.0. "Origin of the Red Hand" by BRUMMY::BIOTEK::LONERGAN ("Digital PC's it together?!") Mon Sep 25 1995 09:18

  Here's one for the historians amongst you. In a discussion (very sober) during
the All-Ireland football final, someone remarked that it was strange that Tyrone
banners sported the Red Hand as he thought it was a Unionist symbol. My own
recollection is that it dates from ancient times, something to do with
Cuchulainn and the Red Branch knights(?) and that this all happened in the
general area of where Ulster is today. So can anyone give me a potted history so
I can really impress them all with my knowledge!!!

Sean
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
1506.1XSTACY::JLUNDONhttp://xagony.ilo.dec.com/~jlundon :-)Tue Sep 26 1995 05:0416
According to my local knowledge on all things northern, he says that
the legend of the Red Hand comes from an ancient tale concerning a
Scottish army leader invading Ireland.  He wanted his troops motivated
for the landing and promised the first person to touch land his weight
in gold.  The two main men in the army started vying for the shore;
one of them soon lagged slightly behind.  This man then had the bright
idea (thank God I don't have ideas like that every day) of cutting off
his right hand and tossing it towards the shore.  Needless to say his
hand touched the shore first to win the prize. 

As for the symbol, as the Unionists use it, he thinks it's to do with
the separateness of the traditions in the north. 

Maybe someone else has a different interpretation of the legend/story?

                          James.
1506.2Seems plausibleBRUMMY::BIOTEK::LONERGAN"Digital PC's it together?!"Tue Sep 26 1995 12:2010
James,

	Thanks for that. I've gotten pretty much the same from another source,
thanks also John Donovan. Not heard that one before, just assumed it had to be
something to do with the Red Branch Kinniggits. 

Regards,

	Sean