| Coat of arms of Ulster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Versions | |
 Thebanner of arms, which serves as provincial flag | |
| Armiger | Ulster |
| Shield | Or, on a Cross Gules, an inescutcheon Argent, charged with a dexter hand erect aupaumee and couped at the wrist Gules |
Thecoat of arms of Ulster consists of aninescutcheon Argent displaying a red hand, upon the coat of arms of the ancientAnglo-Norman andHiberno-Norman noble dynasty, theHouse of Burgh.
It consists of the arms of thede Burgh dynasty,Earls of Ulster, combined with theRed Hand of Ulster, representing the medieval Irish over-kingdom ofUlaid, which theearldom of Ulster encompassed. The combination of them is blazonedOr, on a Cross Gules, an inescutcheon Argent, charged with a dexter hand erect aupaumee and couped at the wrist Gules.[1]
It has since then become the Gaelic coat of arms for theprovince of Ulster.
The gold background features ared cross comes from the coat of arms of theBurkes, aHiberno-Norman noble family.
Theinescutcheon featured a red, open hand, with the fingers pointing upwards, the thumb held parallel to the fingers, and the palm facing forward. This is known as the 'Red Hand of Ulster' (Irish:Lámh Dhearg Uladh), which is usually shown as a right hand, but is sometimes a left hand, such as in the coats of arms ofbaronets.
The arms of the historic province of Ulster is a composite achievement, combining the heraldic symbols of the cross of de Burgh and the red hand motif of the Irish over-kingdom ofUlaid, which later became associated with the O'Neills whose first use of it is dated to the mid-14th century.
WhenWalter de Burgh, Lord ofConnacht, becameEarl of Ulster in 1243, the de Burgh cross became inseparably linked with the Hiberno-NormanEarldom of Ulster, which spanned over a third of the north of Ireland. The seal of his son,Richard, for example, appended to a deed dated 1282, shows the heraldic cross in triplicate together with what may well be a portrait head of the Earl himself. At some point, the Red Hand motif was appended to the de Burgh cross, the result eventually coming to represent the entire province.
In the first half of the 17th century, the arms taken by the Vice-Admiral of Ulster imply that at that time, the arms of Ulster were simply a variation of the O'Neills':Argent a sinister hand couped at the wrist gules.[3]
The arms of Ulster is usually displayed alongside the arms ofLeinster,Munster,Connacht, or as part of the combined arms of theProvinces of Ireland.The arms is the official arms of theUlster Gaelic Athletic Association and theUlster rugby team, and is part of theIRFU four provinces arms and theIreland hockey team arms.
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