The Royal Irish Yacht Club was founded in 1831 in Kingstown (later renamed Dún Laoghaire), Ireland. In that same year, the club was granted an ensign by the
Admiralty of a
white ensign with the
Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Ireland beneath the Union Jack in canton. In the club's constitution, it was unique amongst yacht clubs in that it required yacht owners to provide the club's commodore with information about the coast and any deep sea fisheries they encountered on all of their voyages. In 1846, the club was granted permission to use the Royal prefix by
Queen Victoria. The club built a new clubhouse in 1851. Despite the Republic of Ireland breaking away from the United Kingdom, the Royal Irish Yacht Club elected to retain its Royal title. In 1848, a yachting trophy called "Her Majesty's Plate" was established by Queen Victoria to be contested at Kingstown where the Royal Irish Yacht Club is based. The
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at the time,
George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon suggested it should be contested by the Royal Irish Yacht Club and the
Royal St. George Yacht Club in an annual regatta, a suggestion that was approved by both clubs with the Royal St. George hosting the first competitive regatta. ==Ensign==