Sons of Anarchy is packed with small details that add to the story of the title club and its members, and one subtle but important detail is the appearance of the number 47 pretty much everywhere – and here’s what it means. Back in 2008, Kurt Sutter took the audience into the world of motorcycle clubs in Sons of Anarchy, a series full of action, drama, betrayals, and deaths. Leading Sons of Anarchy was Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), VP of the club at the beginning of the series and the son of one of the club’s founding members, John “JT” Teller.

The events of Sons of Anarchy begin when Jax finds JT’s manifesto, in which he shared his vision and plans for the club, which were completely different from those of the current President (and Jax’s stepfather), Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman). This sends Jax on a journey that makes him question all areas of his life, and unfortunately, his story was meant to end in tragedy. Sons of Anarchy featured a bunch of small details throughout its seven seasons that foreshadowed events or add to the history of SAMCRO, and falling into the latter category are all the number 47 Sutter added in dialogues, objects, and even songs, as this is a reference to the club’s ties with the Irish.

Related: Sons of Anarchy: The Real Life Biker Who Inspired Charlie Hunnam's Jax

Sons of Anarchy Galen O'Shay

In March 2022, Kurt Sutter shared on his official Twitter account that the number 47 appeared on different occasions and in various forms throughout Sons of Anarchy as a constant nod to the relationship between SAMCRO and the Irish. Sutter explained that one of his favorite bands is Black 47, and their name is a reference to the Great Famine that plagued Ireland in 1847, so that’s where the Sons of Anarchy Easter eggs come from (and the song “The Big Fellah” by Black 47 plays when SAMCRO first arrives in Ireland), and this number can be found in casual dialogue (such as when an Irish inmate told Clay that a book got “real good around page 47”) or in objects, such as the number on the stall door when Jax killed AJ Weston (Henry Rollins).

SAMCRO’s ties with the Irish caused a lot of problems throughout Sons of Anarchy, beginning with their complicated relationship with the True IRA, an Irish republican paramilitary organization that sold illegal weapons to motorcycle clubs and the Russian Mafia in the US. As such, they were SAMCRO’s main source and supply of weapons, and they first allied with the club’s Belfast charter, SAMBEL. After the death of Jimmy O’Phelan, Galen O’Shay became the club’s connection in the True IRA, but their relationship quickly turned dangerous, leading to the deaths of Galen and company and Clay. However, not all links between SAMCRO and the Irish were bad and dangerous, as there’s also Chibs Telford (Tommy Flanagan), one of the most loyal members of the Sons of Anarchy club and the one who took over the role of President after Jax’s death.

Does SAMCRO Still Have Ties To The Irish After Sons of Anarchy?

Sons of Anarchy Chibs Jimmy O'Phelan

Jax’s main plans for the club were to get them out of the gun dealing business and change their path to less dangerous businesses, but given their deep ties with the Irish, this was one of his most difficult tasks. SAMCRO’s involvement in the world of guns got more complicated once the Galindo Cartel was brought in, but in the end, Jax managed to give each one a deal that left the club out of both deals. By the end of Sons of Anarchy, Jax had left the club out of gun dealing and with their own porn business, but the spinoff series Mayans M.C. revealed that SAMCRO isn’t totally out of the guns world yet, meaning that they might still have some ties to the Irish, after all.

Next: Sons of Anarchy: Why Was Chibs Kicked Out of the IRA?