Wear an Easter Lily

The first Easter Lily badges were designed in 1925 by the republican women’s organisation, Cumann na mBan.  Proceeds from the sale of the badge went to the Irish Republican Prisoners' Dependants Fund. Traditionally, they were sold outside church gates on Easter Sunday and worn at republican commemorations.
In February 1935, the Fianna Fáil leadership ordered the party to stop selling the Lily as it was “the symbol of an organisation of whose methods we disapprove”.

The Easter Lily is known as a symbol of Peace.

Since the 1930s, successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments have set out to suppress sales of the Easter Lily.  Throughout the decades many republicans have been harassed, arrested and jailed for keeping alive the memory of the men and women of the Easter Rising through promotion of the Easter Lily.  My granddad, like many Republicans in his time, went to prison a number of times for selling the Easter lily.

When the Irish Republican Army (IRA) split in 1970 to form the Provisional IRA and the Official IRA both organisations continued to use a paper representation of the Easter Lily in their separate commemorations.  Official IRA members wore an Easter Lily with a self-adhesive backing and hence became known as 'the Stickies', while the Provisional IRA supporters secured theirs with a traditional pin.

The Easter Lily represents the North & South united in an expression of appreciation of the principles  for which the Republicans of Easter week gave up their lives.
The Easter Lily is an emblem of Hope and Confidence in the ultimate realisation of every Irish person’s dream, “Ireland free from the centre to the sea.” 

Irish republicans wear the Easter Lily to honour all those who have given their lives in the cause of Irish freedom in 1916 and in every decade since.

We would encourage everyone, young and old to wear the Lily at Easter as a national emblem that promotes the ideals of those patriots who died in Easter 1916 and since.
Ireland united and independent with peace between Orange and Green. 

le Mary McGirl