{"product_id":"breathnach-walsh-enhanced-matte-paper-poster-1","title":"Breathnach - Walsh Enhanced Matte Paper Poster","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(6, 102, 102);\"\u003eCelebrate your family heritage with a gift to cherish – the \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(4, 58, 58);\"\u003eBreathnach - Walsh Family Crest\u003c\/span\u003e framed and printed on museum-quality matte paper. Beautifully illustrated. Carefully researched. Uniquely personal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(4, 40, 119);\"\u003e☘️ \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(162, 127, 11);\"\u003eStandard sizes — easy to frame yourself to make a truly meaningful gift \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(4, 40, 119);\"\u003e☘️ \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause this is my own surname, this artwork has a personal resonance for me. My fascination with heraldry didn’t start in a library or an archive—it began on the walls of my parents’ Máire and Ambrose Walsh’s bustling family shop in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrowing up, our shop sold a little bit of everything: newspapers, books, magazines, greeting cards, sweets, and cigarettes. But for me, the real centerpiece was a map of Ireland hanging on the wall, bordered by traditional family crests. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAs a child, I was curious about them and had opinions about what elements I thought looked quite nicely done, and also which ones didn't seem to make much \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003esense.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur family coat of arms featuring a swan pierced by an arrow, always struck me as profoundly sad — white swans are very much a feature of growing up in Westmeath. It wasn’t until the historical meaning behind that striking imagery was finally explained to me that my perspective completely shifted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDecades later – after art college (NCAD) and a long career as a graphic designer — the vivid memory of that map in our shop sparked a massive creative journey. It inspired me to begin redrawing these historic emblems from scratch—a passion project that ultimately became this Family Crests Store website. Digging into this artwork gave me a deep appreciation for a largely lost language of visual symbolism widely understood by the often illiterate people of medieval times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(6, 102, 102);\"\u003eThe Symbolism of the Breathnach - Walsh coat of arms\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eBreathnach\u003c\/strong\u003e family crest features a swan (a symbol of everlasting love – swans mate for life) with an arrow piercing its breast. In heraldry this signifies pierced or transfixed by a great love (or loss of love) as well as resilience in the face of hardship and adversity. The white background of the shield symbolizes peace and sincerity. The arrowheads denote a readiness for battle while the red chevron (meaning ‘rafter’ in French) signifies safety and protection. The Walsh family motto is ‘Transfixus sed non mortuus’ – ‘Pierced but not dead’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(6, 102, 102);\"\u003eOrigin of the Breathnach - Walsh name\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surname \u003cstrong\u003eBreathnach\u003c\/strong\u003e is of Irish origin – meaning ‘Briton’ or ‘Welshman’. This name has a rich history in Ireland. The earliest recorded reference to the name dates back to 1171, when Haylen Branach, son of Phillip the Welshman, accompanied Strongbow’s invasion of Ireland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt appears in early Anglo-Norman records as Walensis, Waleys, le Waleys, then in the Irish form as Brenagh, Bretnagh, Breathnach (find in search) and by the 1500’s was commonly anglicized as Walsh, Walshe, Welch, Branagh, Brannagh, amongst other variants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the 1300’s variants of this name were firmly established in various strongholds in the south-east of Ireland, especially around Kilkenny, Laois, and Waterford. Notable examples include the ‘Walshs of the Mountains’ from Castlehale in Kilkenny, Walshs of Carrickmines in Dublin, Walshs of Ballykileavan in Laois and of Ballyrichmore in Waterford.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(6, 102, 102);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the artist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach coat of arms in the Family Crests Store is an artwork by heraldic artist Éamonn Breathnach. All are carefully researched, drawing from the earliest available records across multiple heraldic archives. Noted for their elegance and attention to detail, these artworks make meaningful and uniquely personal gifts for any occasion with family and friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Paper thickness: 0.26 mm (10.3 mil)\u003cbr\u003e• Paper weight: 189 g\/m²\u003cbr\u003e• Opacity: 94%\u003cbr\u003e• ISO brightness: 104%\u003cbr\u003e• 21 × 30 cm posters are size A4\u003cbr\u003e• Paper sourced from Japan\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(6, 102, 102);\"\u003eNo Warehouses. No Waste. Just for you, made to order.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis product is printed especially for you when ordered, one at a time, by royal decree of Mother Nature to keep the realm beautiful. Family Crests Store guarantees your custom treasure meets all EU and USA safety standards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(98, 4, 4);\"\u003eDon't see your family name?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you'd like a name added to the collection, please get in touch.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Family Crests Store","offers":[{"title":"A1 (23.3″×33.1″)","offer_id":58172497985881,"sku":"9019452_19527","price":52.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (16.5″×23.3″)","offer_id":58172498018649,"sku":"9019452_19528","price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"5″×7″","offer_id":58172498051417,"sku":"9019452_16364","price":26.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"8″×10″","offer_id":58172498084185,"sku":"9019452_4463","price":27.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"10″×10″","offer_id":58172498116953,"sku":"9019452_6239","price":29.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"11″×14″","offer_id":58172498149721,"sku":"9019452_14125","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12″×12″","offer_id":58172498182489,"sku":"9019452_4464","price":33.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12″×16″","offer_id":58172498215257,"sku":"9019452_1349","price":31.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12″×18″","offer_id":58172498248025,"sku":"9019452_3876","price":29.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"14″×14″","offer_id":58172498280793,"sku":"9019452_6240","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"16″×16″","offer_id":58172498313561,"sku":"9019452_4465","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"16″×20″","offer_id":58172498346329,"sku":"9019452_3877","price":37.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"18″×18″","offer_id":58172498379097,"sku":"9019452_6242","price":38.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"18″×24″","offer_id":58172498411865,"sku":"9019452_1","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"20″×30″","offer_id":58172498444633,"sku":"9019452_16365","price":42.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"24″×36″","offer_id":58172498477401,"sku":"9019452_2","price":48.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0820\/2669\/2953\/files\/enhanced-matte-paper-poster-_in_-18x24-front-6a1acbe924b2b.jpg?v=1780141214","url":"https:\/\/familycrests.store\/products\/breathnach-walsh-enhanced-matte-paper-poster-1","provider":"Family Crests Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}