Inappropriate colors

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/ireland/wearing-orange

Is that orange like on the flag of the Republic of Ireland?

Mardee, thanks for the link, that was fascinating, the things I learn on the Forum!

Haha, I know what you mean, Sandancisco!

To be honest, I doubt anyone would make the connection, especially after you open your mouth and say something (you know, those tourists).

Mardee, what a great link! Stephan McPhilemy responded on it-- the greatest RS guide in the history of the universe! His stories of growing up in the troubles are moving, sad, thoughtful and hilarious. If anybody is qualified to speak of the subject of “orange”, it is him. Thank you for linking the other thread!

Happy travels

David, you're welcome, and thanks for letting me know who he was! I don't usually follow the Ireland threads as I haven't been there and don't have any immediate plans to go there, but that's very interesting.

It's a valid question. Especially in Belfast and the six counties. Green is for Catholics, red, white and blue is for Protestants. Orange doesn't carry the same weight. I don't think these codes apply to tourists really, south of the border particularly. How much relevance they have in wider society is up for debate too. There's still some messaging associated with what colours you wear and where you wear them in Northern Ireland particularly for sure.

"Colours" in the UK will often mean football colours. In Northern Ireland that's Glasgow Celtic (green and white) and Glasgow Rangers (royal blue). Celtic represent the Catholic community, Rangers the Protestant. I don't think anyone from here is going to be going around Dublin in a Rangers top, but there's statements in which football team one is seen in public to support. Quite often pubs will turn away football shirts right across the UK, including in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Here is one McPhilemy story he told during our RS tour-- I'll butcher it and I can't do it justice. But here goes.

McPhilemy: In Derry, our next door neighbors were the Campbells. Mr
and Mrs Campbells had 17 kids. My friend Glen was one of them. And
before you ask, yes, Glen is not a common name in Ireland. Of the
millions of people who lived in Ireland, he was only one. But Mrs.
Campbell loved Glen Campbell’s singing-- but none is really part of the
story.

So Glen and I had few coins and we went across the river to get some
boiled sweets at the wee shop. Boil sweets? Hard candies. And when we
walking home we walked by a group of Mincéirs — what you might call
Irish Travellers. Anyway, a couple of the travelers said “what do we have
here? Why are eating my boiled sweets? Come on, give them here.” And
he was much bigger than me so I just gave him by bag. And then he
turned to Glen. “Now you.” And Glen said “nope” and popped a candy in his
mouth. Now Glen was less than 8 stones but his fist were flying and he
was getting wailed on. I just ran, screaming all the way home.

And later Mr Campbell came over to see me. I asked if Glen was okay
and he said "yes." Mr Campbell was old— like 80. “But Stephen, you ran
away. You don’t ever run away from fight and leave your friends
behind. That’s not the way”

Stephen McPhilemy was Catholic. Our driver was protestant. The teasing was funny and relentless. He had us singing. I don't think he does RS tours anymore but he owns a hotel in Dingle that RS tours still use.

Happy travels

David, that's a wonderful story, and you told it brilliantly! I can even imagine the original storytelling in my head. If I ever make it to Dingle, I will hit you up for that hotel name. He sounds like a fascinating person.

It might be more contentious in Northern Ireland where the colour orange is linked to the Orange Order and Unionist/Loyalist traditions. Probably best to avoid wearing bright orange around July 12th which is the peak marching season in Northern Ireland... (It all goes back to William of Orange who was crowned King after deposing the Catholic James II. He defeated James at the Battle of the Boyne and has never been forgiven by the Northern Irish Catholics. Memories are very long in Ireland....)

They probably won't bat an eyelid south of the border.

Now, if you were wearing that orange coat with a red baseball cap that had white lettering …

Unless you are planning to join a march during marching season I would not worry about it- I don't think anyone will notice or care. Orangemen wear orange sashes anyway, not orange coats.

The inn that Steve McPhilemy (and his husband) own in Dingle is called Milltown House. We stayed there in May on the RS Heart of Ireland tour. Very nice B&B type place. Only 17 rooms (I think), so could be hard to get a room there when the RS tours are running.

Being somewhere where those colours do have meaning, all an orange down coat will indicate is 'I am wearing an orange down coat'.
Any problems from wearing orange or green in the wrong place will largely be from wearing football tops rather than anything else.