Peter O’Donoghue, MA, FSA (York Herald) – College of Arms Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4BT
Artist: Quentin Peacock
The entire composition is depicted on a shield – the top section represents the Irish Sea which is azure blue and the bottom is purple for the Manx Hills. Separating the two sections is a “twin peak” silver (white) indented line, the TT Mountain Course.
A silver (white) cross of Amalfi is placed on the upper blue section, often referred to as a Maltese cross, in homage to the Order of St John and its foundations St John Ambulance and the Eye Hospital of Jerusalem.
The emblem on the lower purple section consists of a triskelion of three gold (yellow) legs, symbolising the Manx nation’s proud boast QUOCUNQUE JECERIS STABIT, popularly quoted as whichever way you throw it, it will stand. Each is adorned with silver (or white) spurs to show the Manx fighting spirit and the nation’s willingness to defend itself and its Sovereign, the Lord of Mann. At the centre of the three legs is a flaming beacon which comprises a black iron cage on a pole. As well as its obvious allusion to the Armiger’s surname, this is a testament to his long and active involvement in Civil Defence and Emergency Planning – indeed, the emblem on the letterhead and tie for the UK Government’s former Civil Defence College at Easingwold, York was a blazing torch on top of a pole, the historical way that watchers had of alerting and communicating over long distances.
The shield is topped by a helmet on which a brown-fleeced, four-horned Manx Loaghtan sheep ram stands on a purple mound, redolent of the purple headed mountains of the Isle of Man. The sheep is in profile, confidently looking straight out at the viewer with its head turned to face the front and it is holding a pair of gold (yellow) compasses in its uplifted right front foot, this is an obvious reference to Freemasonry and, of course, the ram would not wish to step off with them in his left foot. The helmet has a brim of a twisted roll of fabric depicted in gold (yellow) and purple which represents the gorse and heather that feature so predominantly on the Manx hills.