Ireland has the nickname “Emerald Isle,” which is fitting for its landscapes of green. Frequent, but not long, rains water plants as they grow happily and heavenward in a chlorophyll-filled blaze across the island. Some say there are 50 shades of green in an acre of Irish soil. I say there must be at least 50 tones of green throughout the Irish countryside.
A tone, (pronounced like “phone,”) is the basic hue of a primary color – let us say “green” – with the addition of the neutral color grey to create a different, subtler color.1 The meaning of green tones I write about are the type you see while driving the exhilarating rural roads of Ireland. They are green tones of a combination of native boulders in a hillside, aged buildings built of stone still standing, and different crops in different fields surrounded by movable rock walls. These tones are more than color. They are stories of Ireland past and present.
Everyone knows that green represents Ireland. From its flag to leprechauns to the “wearing of the green” on St. Patrick’s Day, these things are emblematic of Ireland in a fun, traditional way. The tones of green seen in Ireland’s towns and country are real-life symbols of its rock-hard, gem-like foundation that they can build on for their future.
- Sorry to get technical here, but this is the definition used in Color Theory by artists, architects, designers, painters, photographers, and even house-painters! ↩︎