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The story of Dromard Parish Coat of Arms
 The coat of arms is principally derived from the oldest known relic of early Christian Ireland , a 6th century ancient fragment now known (from the 17th century scholar, bishop Ussher) as the Usshers Codex on which the cross, now called the ‘Usshers Cross’ is depicted. The Cross is itself dervived from the two Greek letters ‘CH’ and ‘R’ and are in themselves an abbreviation for Christ.
To the lower right and left of the cross are the letters ‘Alpha’ and 'Omega' which again depict Christ,the beginning and the end of all.
Surmounting the Cross is the torch, the ancient symbol of learning and depicting the unique contribution of Dromard to learning and missionary education for centuries.
The motto ‘Dia ár nDíol’ is an old irish axiom which states the self –evident but often forgotten truism that God is all that we truly require in life.
(Ref : Usshers Cross – see Celtic Design – Illuminated Letters, Thames and Hudson, Ltd 1992, Aiden Meehan pp 19et al Motto see Dineen’s Irish-English Dictionary, Irish Texts Society 1927 ‘diol p.339)
(Courtesy of Benedict Reid) |
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