The Irish Shamrock: International symbol of the Irish people – up there with Guinness, milky tea and approaching every situation with sarcasm.

Legend has it that St Patrick made good use of the plant, using it as a device to help spread Christianity to sceptical pagan lands. Check this out, check this out, Bossman Pat would go, your confusion ends here; see how this plant has three sides to it – yeah wait for this – these represent the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. ~ Drops Mic ~

Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story, as they say. 

A shamrock is always composed of three heart shaped leaves. The four leafed clover, symbolising good luck, specifically, “the luck of the Irish,” is a more modern invention. While the four-leaf clover has come to symbolise a type of Irishness through its repetition in popular media, and most people consider it an innocent rremix of the national symbol, the shamrock is considered the much more authentic of the two.

Shamrock Tattoos & St. Patricks Day

On St Patrick’s Day, for example, people will often pin a sprig of shamrocks to their clothing. And as part of an important ceremony, each 17th March, a Waterford Crystal bowl full of shamrocks is presented by the Irish to the American head of state, something which has become an integral feature of US-Irish customs in recent times, cementing centuries of close historical and cultural links. 

Indeed, the shamrock is perhaps the ultimate symbol of Irish-American relations. Given that St Patricks Day was originally largely an Irish-American tradition, which has been exported back to the Emerald Isle, it’s a fitting way to display pride and affection for this special transatlantic bond.

Shamrock Tattoo Designs

Shamrock tattoos themselves can take several forms. The most widely seen type is probably a confident, mid-sized bright green piece, often rendered in a cartoon or old school style. 

Some more recent trends incorporate Celtic imagery and make for a really special way to express a love for one’s heritage and culture. Celtic shamrock tattoos are a whole world in their own right, with loads of stunning ways the shamrock can be combined with complex trinity knots, for example. Sometimes these can also be combined with an Irish tricolour flag.

There’s also the option of going a bit left-field and mixing things up with a striking photorealistic shamrock tattoo, or experiment further by opting for a series of shamrocks running up the arm or leg, to craft an intricate and unique foliage tattoo piece. 

Other Shamrock tattoo designs that emphasise the natural heart shapes of the leaves, pairing shamrock-based tattoos with inscriptions of text, or watercolour shamrock tattoos, which can be a really interesting twist on the style.

Most shamrock tattoos are vivid in colour. Ireland is well known for the deep green shades of its majestic fields – perhaps the one upside of living in a perpetually rainy climate. However you can also go for no colour – minimalist black shamrock tattoo in simple bold lines are increasingly experimented with, to great effect.

In terms of placement, the wrist is one of the most popular places. Upper arm, forearm, chest or foot are also sought after. But because the shamrock can create a feeling of cultural connection in so many different ways for so many people, there’s no right place or way to get one of these done. 

Drop into us and chat with our experienced team to explore where your shamrock tattoo idea can go!