Introduction
The flag of Montserrat is a British Blue Ensign with a shield in the fly showing a woman in green holding a golden harp and embracing a black cross.
Meaning & Symbolism
The woman is Erin, the personification of Ireland, and the harp is the Irish harp. Montserrat was settled in the seventeenth century by Irish Catholics, many of them sent from Saint Kitts or transported from Ireland, and the island has kept the connection.
It is the only place outside Ireland where Saint Patrick day is a public holiday, though on Montserrat the date also commemorates a slave uprising planned for that day in 1768.
History of the Montserrat Flag
The arms have been in use since 10 April 1909.
Since 1995 much of the island has been uninhabitable: eruptions of the Soufrière Hills volcano buried the capital, Plymouth, and forced most of the population to leave. Plymouth remains the official capital, which makes Montserrat the only territory in the world whose capital is a ghost town under volcanic ash.
Curiosities
- The woman on the shield is Erin, the personification of Ireland, complete with harp.
- Montserrat is the only place outside Ireland where Saint Patrick day is a public holiday.
- On the island that date also marks a slave uprising planned for Saint Patrick day in 1768.
- The official capital, Plymouth, has been buried in volcanic ash since 1997 and is still the capital on paper.
- It is nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, and not only for the vegetation.
Download Flag
Download the flag of Montserrat in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
Digital icon artwork; its proportions may differ from the official flag proportions listed on this page.