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All Irish citizens, male or female, may petition the Chief Herald for a Grant of Arms . A Grant of Arms may also be made, upon petition, to persons normally resident in Ireland; persons living abroad who are of provable Irish descent in either the paternal or maternal line; persons with significant links to Ireland; corporate bodies within Ireland; corporate bodies with significant links to Ireland but based in countries with no heraldic authority. A Grant of Arms is then made to the petitioner by the Chief Herald on, and with the authority of, the Government of Ireland. Arms granted by the Chief Herald are vested in the grantee and his/her descendants forever. In the past this has usually, but not always, been through the male line. Nowadays, should a woman choose to retain her natal surname and transmit it to her children, she may transmit her Arms with her name.
After the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 and the subsequent Flight of the Earls, the old Gaelic aristocracy scattered throughout Catholic Europe. Some of them were officially recognised by the Chief Herald as Chiefs of the Name, signifying that they are the most senior members of their family, but following official blundering that allowed several impostors to receive recognition in the 1990s this practice was abandoned in July 2003. The tradition of the Irish abroad seeking grants of arms from the Chief Herald continues to the present. Responding to this demand is an expression of the nation's "special affinity with those of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage" (Article 2, Constitution of IrelandThe Constitution of Ireland is the founding legal document of the state known today as Ireland. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy, and)
At the request of the Irish Government a Grant of Arms was made to U.S. PresidentsThe President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. Under the U. Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and commander in chief of the armed forces. Because of the superpower status of th John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy ( May 29, 1917 November 22, 1963), often referred to as Jack Kennedy or JFK was the 35th ( 1961 1963) President of the United States. He was the youngest ever to be elected president and the youngest president ever to die in office in 1963Events January-March January 11 The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. January 14 George Wallace becomes governor of Alabama. January 22 Elysee treaty between France and Germany January 28 Black student Harvey and Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan ( February 6, 1911 June 5, 2004) was the 40th ( 1981 1989) President of the United States and the 33rd ( 1967 1975) Governor of California. Reagan was also an actor in films before entering politics. Early life and career Reagan was b in 1984This page is about the year 1984. For other uses of 1984, see 1984 (disambiguation). 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday (link shows calendar). Events January January 1 Brunei becomes a fully independent state January 1 AT&T is broken up into 22 indepe. The Kennedy Arms, prepared by Gerard Slevin, Chief Herald, are still considered a masterpiece of heraldic design.
As Chief Herald Of Ireland, Slevin also suggested the circle of 12 golden stars on a deep blue background as the flag of the Council of Europe. It is now the European flag ( European Union). This achievement was widely acclaimed in European heraldic circles and won him membership of the Academie Internationale d'Heraldique.
Countries with an official heraldic authority - Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain, Canada and South Africa.