Flag of Northern Ireland

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The Union Flag is flown from government buildings in Northern Ireland; Ireland is represented in the flag through the St. Patrick's Cross

Northern Ireland has not had its own unique, government sanctioned flag since its government was prorogued in 1972, and abolished in 1973 under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. During official events, the British government uses the Union Flag which is the official flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and is the only flag used by the government in Northern Ireland.^[1]

The Ulster Banner remains in use by Unionists, a number of sporting organisations in Northern Ireland and some local government authorities under Unionist control.^[2]

[edit] The Flag of the Government of Northern Ireland (1953-1972)

The Ulster Banner - used officially by the former government of Northern Ireland (1953-1972)

The Flag of 9-county Ulster province in Ireland

The "Ulster Banner"^[3] is one name that was given to the flag, which can be referred to as "the [former] flag of Northern Ireland", the "[former]Northern Ireland flag", the "Red Hand Flag" or as the "Ulster Flag" (not to be confused with the provincial Flag of Ulster). The Ulster Banner was the official flag that was used to represent the Government of Northern Ireland from 1953 to 1973. In common with other British flags, any civic status of the flag was not defined in a de jure manner.^[4]

In 1924, the Government of Northern Ireland was granted arms by Royal Warrant and had the right to display these arms on a flag or banner. This right was exercised for the Coronation in 1953. Between 1953 and 1972, this flag was the arms of the Government of Northern Ireland. It ceased to have official government sanction when the Parliament of Northern Ireland was dissolved by the British government under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, but remains the only flag to date^[update] which represents Northern Ireland at international level in sport.^[4]

The flag is based on the flag of England^[5][6][7] and the flag of the province of Ulster,^[8] with the addition of a crown to symbolise the loyalty of Ulster unionists to the British Monarchy.^{[citation needed]} As with the flag of the province of Ulster, it contains the Red Hand of Ulster at the centre. There is a dispute as to the meaning of the star, with some maintaining it is the Star of David, and others say it represents the six counties that make up Northern Ireland.

The flag is used within the unionist community, along with the Union Flag. A variation of the flag places the Union Flag in the Canton, and defaced with the red hand and the outline of a map of Northern Ireland on the Union Flag. It is regularly displayed by fans of the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also used to represent Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games.

[edit] Displaying flags

The Flag of the Republic of Ireland also flown by northern nationalists in support of a united Ireland.

In Northern Ireland, some members from each 'community' use their own flags to declare their allegiance (to political ideology) and 'mark territory', often in a manner that is deliberately provocative. Thus it is the "Ulster Banner" and the Union Flag that are flown by unionists,^{[citation needed]} while the Irish tricolour of the Republic of Ireland is often used to represent nationalist allegiance to the Republic of Ireland.^{[citation needed]} They argue that the Irish tricolour is a symbol of peace and unity, not just of Ireland, but of the two distinct peoples within the island, those being the Roman Catholic Irish (Green) and the Protestant Unionist traditions (Orange) being united by peace (White).

After the 1998 Belfast Agreement, flags continue to be a source of disagreement in Northern Ireland. The Agreement states that:

Nationalists pointed to this to argue that the use of the Union Flag for official purposes should be restricted, or that the Irish tricolour should be flown alongside the British flag on government buildings, and banned the Union Flag from the public buildings they were in charge of during the last previous devolved administration.^[9] However all signatories to the Agreement also declare their acceptance of the "principle of consent" (i.e. that there will be no change to the constitutional position of Northern Ireland unless a majority votes for it), and Unionists argued that this provision amounts to recognising that the Union Flag is the only legitimate official flag in Northern Ireland.^{[citation needed]} The problem was discussed in detail and various proposals made including suggestions for a new flag.^[10]

The dispute was resolved by legislation requiring the Union Flag to be flown over specified government buildings including Parliament Buildings and state offices on specified 'named days' (honouring, for example Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday), and prohibiting other flags. On the occasion of a visit to a government building by the United Kingdom head of state the Royal Standard shall be flown and the Union Flag can be flown, and on state visits from other heads of state the Union Flag and the national flag of the country of the visitor can be flown.^[11] The legislation does not apply to District Council buildings, and District Councils follow a range of practices varying from flying the Union Flag on a number of council buildings every day of the year as at Lisburn, to flying no flags on any building, flying only the council flag or flying flags on the designated days in the same way as government buildings.^[12]

[edit] A new flag?

The idea of a new flag for Northern Ireland has been discussed from time to time, but is controversial.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to category:      Flags of Northern Ireland

• FOTW: Northern Ireland
• CAIN: Flags in Northern Ireland
• The Union Flags and flags of the United Kingdom