Irish shamrock

My first association with Irland is the three-leafed shamrock. I am going to write about this very famous symbol of Irland. The shamrock appeared as a symbol of freedom and independent temper a long time ago: it was eight centuries ago when the English tried to colonize the island. The Catholics, struggling against the English, pinned leaves of a shamrock on their chest, which became to their distinguishing sign. As the English managed to gain the land, the shamrock became a symbol of freedom for the Irish. Trying to mock at the Irish people, Cromwell called them "shamrock" but despite that the shamrock appeared on the flags of some Irish counties. 1708 this symbol became national, when some acivists, carrying a big banner with a picture of the shamrock, destroyed the central quarter of the city, where the English were living. Since then the banner became the flag and the shamrock is associated with Saint Patrick.