On our recent trip to Scotland and Ireland, we visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. I always supposed this was a Catholic church but was surprised to learn that it belongs to the Protestant Church of Ireland.
I’ve posted some pictures of the interior below, but the part I found most interesting was this display of ancient regimental colors.
(Text below from St. Patrick’s Cathedral Website, click here for Web link)
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin began receiving regimental colors in the 1850s and these represented regiments who had fought in the Napoleonic wars. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, more flags were laid up (added) in the Cathedral and this tradition continues today.
“Soldiers do not die, they simply fade away”
When remembering soldiers lost to war this tradition or saying is given physical representation in the Cathedral. Regimental Colors hung from the walls, are left to decay slowly over time. Eventually, these flags will fall from the flagpoles at which point they are placed in a display case and mounted on the walls.
