In the mid-19th century, a Celtic revival led to an increased use of the ringed cross in Ireland, and the Celtic Cross became not only a religious symbol but an emblem of Celtic identity.

And despite the gloomy weather, a group still traveled to Emmet Park that afternoon for Burke to place a wreath at the base of the Celtic Cross Monument, which stands as a symbol of the local Irish ...

like merging the sun (an existing Irish symbol) with the traditional cross to create the famed Celtic cross. But most of the traditions we now associate with St. Patrick’s Day have nothing to ...