Dublin City Coat Of Arms

Dublin City Coat Of Arms, originally uploaded by infomatique.

The Coat of Arms of the City of Dublin was first granted officially to the municipal authority, Dublin City Assembly in 1607. It includes the ancient device of the three castles, which has been the symbol of the city since the Middle Ages.


The three castles are shown on the 13th century Dublin City Seal as three watchtowers surrounding one of the gates of the medieval City Wall. In the central watchtower two sentries sound the alarm, while in each of the other two towers an archer stands with cross-bow at the ready. The scene is symbolic of the readiness of the citizens to defend the city.



With the passage of time, the three watchtowers became three separate castles, with three battlemented towers in each castle. Flames now appear from the towers in place of the sentries and archers. It is often supposed that the Castles are on fire, but in fact the flames symbolise zeal; they represent the zeal of the citizens in defence of Dublin.

The Coat of Arms is completed by the city’s motto in Latin which reads: “Obedientia Civium Urbis Felicitas” which can be translated as “Happy the city where citizens obey”

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