Wearin' o' the Green

What do the Emerald Isle, the shamrock, St. Patrick's Day, Brian Kelly's last name, the Official Banner of the Fighting Irish, and the prettiest jerseys in all of college football have in common?

GREEN: a color worth fighting for.

The Notre Dame student section will be representing their true Fightin' Irish heritage on Saturday night by wearing green as their boys in Blue and Gold take on the Ketchup and Mustard wearing Trojans from the University of Sanctioned Cheaters.  The students have called for a stadium-wide "Wearin' o' the Green."  Do your duty for Fightin' Irish Nation by donning some Kelly, Emerald, Lime or Forest in a show of unity.  Why is this color so important, you ask?  Read on.

Pushups look sexy in green

Irish history directly influenced the Irish-American experience during the Civil War when Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish rebel leader who had escaped to the United States, formed a brigade made up entirely of Irish soldiers which quickly gained a widespread reputation as one of the bravest and best fighting units in the entire Union force. Commonly rreferred to as the “Fighting Irish,” and marching under their notorious green flag which never seemed to fall from its position in the front line of every battle, these Irish-Americans established themselves as a widely celebrated symbol of both Irish pride and American patriotism. Both the original Banner of the Fighting Irish, as well as Meagher's sword (which I have held!) are currently in possession of the University of Notre Dame Archives.


Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., chaplain of the Irish Brigade and later president of the University of Notre Dame, also gained wide renown as a Catholic, Irish-American, and American figure due to his reputation for bravery on the battlefield. In 1863, moments prior to the Battle of Gettysburg, he “performed an act that seized the imagination of his countrymen” by granting general absolution to all of the Union troops about to engage the enemy. Matching statues commemorating that moment stand on the memorial sight in Gettysburg and outside the aptly named Corby Hall on campus at Notre Dame (you may know of it as "Fair Catch Corby").

Fr. Corby blesses the green Banner of the Fightin' Irish at Gettysburg

Legendary Coach and expert promoter Knute Rockne made use of the color green as he put Notre Dame on the map by building the greatest football franchise in history. He highlighted the color as a prominent symbol of Irish nationalism when he had his teams dress in blue to begin their toughest games before instructing them to reveal the fiery green sweaters they wore underneath at the right moment. This tactic worked more than once against heavily favored foes, eliciting praise from The Scholastic - 1928 Football Review: 
“Mr. K. K. Rockne may, or may not, be a psychologist. But, he did array his Fighting Irish in bright green jerseys for their battle with the United States Naval Academy. Mr. Rockne evidently surmised that garbing a band of native and adopted Irish in their native color is somewhat akin to showing a bull the Russian flag.” 

The tradition lived on at Notre Dame when the color green played an integral role in our 1977 national championship run, which included the legendary “Green Machine” game (Ironically played on October 22) against our arch rival Southern Cal Trojans (click the link for a great video recapping that game). 


The Trojans came into Notre Dame Stadium in 1977 riding a 7-1-2 record over the past ten contests against the Fighting Irish. Recognizing that “something special was going to be needed to get the Fighting Irish back in the winning trend,” Coach Dan Devine reached back to the days of Rockne and beyond in order to give his team the edge they needed.


After their final practice leading up to the game, he spoke to the team as a whole about the name “Fighting Irish” which they shared with the famous Irish Brigade of the Civil War. He told them the story of the Irish Brigade’s notorious green flag that brought fear to the hearts of Confederate soldiers while inspiring the Union forces to "fight like Irishmen." He then explained how the color green symbolized a great struggle for freedom in Ireland during which brave men had "died so that Ireland might be free."


Devine’s history lesson left his team feeling confused as they left practice, but when they arrived in the locker room before the game after warming up in blue, they were greeted by the sight of bright green uniforms hanging in each of their lockers. The players’ adrenaline began to pump at that moment, and when they came charging out of the tunnel into a surprised Notre Dame Stadium they overawed their fans and their opponents alike with “Fighting Irish” bravado.


Their newfound swagger led them to a 49-19 annihilation of the Trojans, and the momentum generated by that game carried them all the way to the Cotton Bowl, where they defeated Texas to claim their spot atop the college football world once again. The “Green Machine” game engineered by Devine would become a legendary symbol of the “Fighting Irish” spirit. 

Green Fire: ND v SC midnight drum circle tradition

From Irish Rebels like Meagher, to legendary Irish-Americans like Corby, to National Champions like Rockne and Devine, the color green has remained central to the history of the Fightin' Irish.  Honor this history on Saturday night by wearing green in solidarity with the students who proudly call themselves the Fightin' Irish.

Even Jesus loves rocking Kelly Green