Life & Style

Leo Varadkar has split public opinion on his decision to wear a shamrock poppy in the Dáil

The Taoiseach has been seen wearing a shamrock poppy pin on his suit jacket while giving a talk in the Dáil today.

Leo Varadkar has split public opinion with his decision to wear a pin which looks like a poppy shamrock hybrid, a mark commemorate Remembrance Day, the 11th of November when the first World War ended.

According to the website, the lapel pin "presents an evocative emblem of Irish Remembrance intended to draw particular attention to the sacrifice of the people of Ireland in both World Wars. The simple, attractive and distinctively Irish iconography also allows the wearer to express their Irish identity, origin or descent wherever they may be."

The wearing of a shamrock is usually denoted as having symbolism with the Irish republican movement and many regard poppies as remembering the soldiers who died in the British army defending their country, thus the amalgamation of both the poppy and shamrock has confused a lot of people considering the conflicting history between Irish and British armies throughout the decades.

Irish politicians in the past such as Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore both refused to wear poppies while making public appearances on Remembrance Day in Northern Ireland... do you think Leo was right to wear a shamrock poppy hybrid?

People took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the new lapel pin.

A shamrock-poppy hybrid. Give me strength.

— Carrie Kelly (@karolinecelly) November 7, 2017

Where the fuck do you even get a poppy shamrock??

— Sadvent Calendar (@Bubblenoma) November 7, 2017

I've just seen the poppy shamrock and now I feel ill

— Clíona (@newkiedookie) November 7, 2017

Eugh, that's a crime against taste if nothing else. No issue with the poppy, but a poppy shamrock? pic.twitter.com/8eshnE0VxM

— Tiernan Fitzgibbon (@TFitzgibbon86) November 7, 2017