Muine Bheag

MUINE BHEAG

County : Carlow

Official blazon

Party per fess or fretty of blackthorn branches leaved proper and ermine, a fess wavy azure. With the mottoes: Uimhir gan choisc, and above The irrepressible number.

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on November 23, 1999.

The gold and ermine are from the arms of the local family Bagnal (Muinebheag is called Bagnalstown in English). Its Irish language name 'Muinebheag' means 'a little thicket of thorns' hence the upper half of the shield is 'fretty of thorn boughs'.

The main topographical feature of the town is the River Barrow represented by 'a fess wavy azure'. Motto: The town council has always consisted of nine persons ; the curious arithmetical properties of the number nine caused the ancient Greeks to call it 'The irrepressible number'. The motto is displayed in both irish and English.