In Irish, the seven bright stars of the celestial group Ursa Major are together known as “an céachta” or “an camchéachta” – the bent plough, though the reason for the modification “bent” is unclear (Vıcıpéıd). (In other cultures they are thought of as a wagon/wain, or dipper, or the hind-quarters and tail of a bear.)
The “starry plough” flag was originally proposed in 1914 for the Irish Citizen Army and flown over the Imperial Hotel during the 1916 Rising (WP); it is now the symbol of the INLA/IRSP (web) and many current anti-Agreement groups,
The starry plough shown here, in Cliftonpark Avenue, north Belfast, has the correct number of stars – seven – but has lost its typical shape.
Click image to enlarge
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