History

Historical Influences of the Emeralds Symbols found in the Greater Rochester Emerald Society Patch

The Shamrock

The diminutive version of the Irish word for "clover" ("seamair") is "seamróg" which was anglicized as "shamrock", representing a close approximation of the original Irish pronunciation. According to what the Oxford English Dictionary calls "a late tradition" (first recorded in 1726), the plant was used by Saint Patrick to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity.

The Green, White and Orange

The Irish Tricolour is essentially a flag of union. Its origin is to be sought in the history of the early nineteenth century and it is emblematic of the fusion of the older elements, represented by the green, with the newer elements, represented by the orange.

The combination of both colors in the tricolor, with the white between in token of brotherhood, symbolizes the union of the different stocks in a common nationality. The green pale in the flag symbolizes the older majority Gaelic tradition of Ireland, made up mainly of Roman Catholics. Green had long been associated with Ireland as a nation, and with the revolutionary groups within it. The orange represents the mainly Protestant minority who were supporters of William of Orange. He, of the House of Orange and originally the Stadtholder of the Netherlands, had defeated King James II and his predominantly Irish Catholic army at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. It was included in the Irish flag in an attempt to reconcile Protestants in Ireland with the Irish independence movement. The white in the center signifies a lasting truce between the two cultures and a living together in peace.

The Irish Harp

The Society of United Irishmen, a republican movement which emerged in the 1790s, used a gold harp on a green field (the 'Green Flag'). This flag was carried in the rebellions of 1798 and 1803 and it quickly achieved popular acceptance as the national flag. The flag was used during the widespread peaceful agitations for 'Repeal' of the act of union in the 1830s and 1840s but was viewed as a seditious emblem by the British authorities. The symbolism of a golden harp against a green field representing Ireland was first used in the standard carried in 1642 by Owen Roe O.Neill. A veteran of the Spanish army on the continent, O'Neill returned to Ireland to take part in the fighting that was both part of and apart from the civil war in England between parliament and King Charles I. A flag bearing a golden harp against a green background reportedly flew at the maintop of the ship that brought O'Neill and his supply of arms to Ireland. The arms were for the army of the Catholic Confederation of Kilkenny, an army that Owen Roe O'Neill would raise, train, and command in its successful campaign in Ulster.

The Maltese Cross

Symbol of Honor, Courage, and Dedication

The eight-point Maltese Cross is the international symbol of the fire service's willingness to make great sacrifices in order to protect others from the ravages of fire. It is a badge of courage and honor and it's story is a hundred years old.

This honored symbol originated with a group of eleventh century knights who were serving in a Jerusalem hospital. They became known as the Order of Knights Hospitaller and later became the Knights of St. John. This charitable organization cared for the ill with great compassion.

Later they assisted the Knights of Crusaders in their effort to win back the Holy Land. As the Knights of St. John and Knights of Crusaders attacked the city walls, the Saracens first threw glass bombs containing highly flammable liquids and then flaming torches. Many knights were severely burned, some suffering agonizing deaths. Risking horrible death, those knights who were able struggled desperately to help their burning comrades, beating out the flames and dragging them to safety. In acknowledgment of their heroic deeds of rescuing fellow knights and fighting fires, the cross which they wore was decorated and inscribed.

Today, firefighters wear the Maltese Cross to symbolize their willingness to risk their lives to save others.

The Black Fire Helmet

Jacobus Turck, the "caretaker" of New York City's two then-new Newsham hand pumpers, is credited with inventing the first fire helmet in the 1730s. It was leather, with a high crown and wide brim. Years later in 1836, Henry T. Gratacap designed a helmet similar to the one we use today, referred to as the "traditional" fire helmet. The design was a reinforced dome-shaped leather helmet with a front shield and brim rolling to a long back tail. Finally the firefighter's head was awarded some protection from falling materials and water that ran off the back of the helmet.

Although fire helmets come in many colors, the Emerald Society helmet remains black in memory of our fallen brothers and sisters who have sacrificed their lives is service to those we protect.