St. Patrick’s Saltire Flag - History, Meaning & Usage #7237 (License: Personal Use)

This image displays the Saint Patrick’s Saltire, a heraldic symbol consisting of a red diagonal cross (saltire) on a white field. Adopted in 1783 as the badge of the Order of St Patrick, it later became incorporated into the Union Flag in 1801 to represent Ireland within the United Kingdom. Though not an official national flag today, it remains widely recognized in Northern Ireland and among Irish diaspora communities.

Used on government websites, educational resources about UK/Irish history, cultural heritage pages, and in discussions of vexillology; matches user intent for historical symbolism, flag identification, or regional identity research.