The Northern Ireland flags issue is one that divides the population along sectarian lines. Sectarianism is Bigotry, Discrimination, Prejudice or Hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions Depending on political allegiance, people identify with differing flags and symbols, some of which have, or have had, official status in the province. A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification

There are various proposals as to what flag could represent Northern Ireland's various communities as a whole; see below for some suggestions. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The Northern Ireland flags issue is one that divides the population along sectarian lines

Main article: Flag of Northern Ireland

Prominent flags displayed

Union Flag

The flag of the United Kingdom, the Union Flag or Union Jack, is the only flag routinely used on central government buildings in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has not had its own unique government sanctioned Flag since its government was prorogued in 1972 and abolished The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at ^[1] It is made from an amalgamation of the crosses of St. Andrew (representing Scotland), St. George (representing England) and St. Patrick (representing Ireland). The Flag of Scotland is a white Saltire, a crux decussate (X-shaped cross representing the Cross of the Christian Martyr Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Saint Patrick's Flag (Cros Phádraig is a flag of Ireland that features in the Flag of the United Kingdom. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

The Union Flag is often flown by unionists and loyalists but is disliked by many nationalists and republicans. Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic

The Ulster Banner

The Ulster Banner, the former Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland flag, was used from 1953-1972 by the devolved Stormont government to represent the government of Northern Ireland. The Ulster Banner was the official name given to the Flag of the Government of Northern Ireland between 1953 and 1972 Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. ^[2]. Therefore, when the government of Northern Ireland was suspended in March 1972 and dissolved under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, its arms and flag officially disappeared; however, the flag continues to be used by some local governments, such as the predominantly unionist Castlereagh, who continue to fly it outside their offices^[3], and by some NGOs (such as sports teams) representing the territory. The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 (c 36 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received the Royal Assent on July Castlereagh Borough Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. It is currently still considered by some Unionists to be a de facto civil flag to uniquely represent Northern Ireland. It continues to be used by some sports teams representing Northern Ireland internationally, for example by the Northern Ireland football team^[4], and by the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games team^[5]. The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football. The Commonwealth Games is a multinational Multi-sport event. Held every four years it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The coat of arms for the former Government of Northern Ireland upon which the Ulster Banner is based

The Banner dates from 1953, though the design (which appears in the Northern Ireland coat of arms which dates from 1924) is based on the flag of the Irish province of Ulster which covered what is now Northern Ireland and three counties of the Republic of Ireland. The Coat of Arms of Northern Ireland was granted to the Government of Northern Ireland in 1924 after the Irish Free State had separated from the United The Flag of Ulster is a historic banner used to represent Ulster, one of the four provinces of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. There are three differences with the Flag of Ulster, namely the white background, the six-pointed star (representing the six Northern Ireland counties), and the including of the crown.

Irish Tricolour

The flag of the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Tricolour is regularly flown by Republicans and Nationalists to show their support for a United Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. A United Ireland is the term used to refer to a sovereign state encompassing the whole of the island of Ireland. The colours represent Irish Catholics (green), Protestants (orange) and the desire for peace (white) and was originally designed by Irish Nationalists in the 19th century to represent a united independent island. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and In its original 19th century form, the orange band was at the mast-side of the flag. In the early 20th century when the flag was re-adopted by Irish nationalists it was altered to have the green band closest to the mast.

The Flags and Emblems Act, 1954 which had been enacted by the Unionist Government at Stormont restricted the display of flags and emblems which would cause a breach of the peace, which in practical terms affected the Tricolour most often. The Flags and Emblems (Display Act (Northern Ireland 1954 ( 2 & 3 Eliz Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) This act was repealed in 1987 by the UK Government at Westminster. Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster.

The flying of the Irish Tricolour by Nationalists in Northern Ireland on St Patrick's Day has caused some controversy, with Unionists arguing that St Patrick is the patron saint of the whole of Ireland, not just the Republic of Ireland or its citizens. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. However Nationalists argue that the flag represents peace (white) between both nationalist Irish (green) and unionist British (orange) and it should be viewed as such as there is no official flag at present for the whole of Ireland. Nationalists believe that there should not be a problem with flying the tricolour on this day as Unionists fly the former flag of the Northern Ireland Government (The Ulster Banner) during the 12 July Celebrations. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre.

Some local councils have debated the usage of the flag. Belfast City Council for example, had this flag in the Lord Mayor's official office, when put in place by former Sinn Féin Lord Mayor Alex Maskey, MLA, along with the Union Flag. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Alex Maskey (born 8 January 1952 is an Irish politician who was the first member of Sinn Féin to serve as Belfast 's Lord Mayor When the Social Democratic and Labour Party's (SDLP) Alban McGuinness was previously Lord Mayor, however, he side-stepped the issue by having neither flag in his office. The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP; Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre is one of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland Alban Maginness (born 9 July 1950) is a Nationalist politician in Northern Ireland. The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city with special recognition

Use of the flag in Northern Ireland has been debated in recent years, with Belfast City Council discussing (in September 2003), amongst other things, using the flag to fly alongside the Union Flag on designated occasions. The debate, however, all but collapsed after the long term suspension of the Northern Ireland government.

Flags and emblems no longer in official use

Cross of Saint Patrick

The Cross of St Patrick is a red saltire (X-shaped cross) on a white field. Saint Patrick's Flag (Cros Phádraig is a flag of Ireland that features in the Flag of the United Kingdom. St Andrew's Cross redirects here For the item of BDSM furniture see Saint Andrew's Cross (BDSM A saltire, Saint Andrew's Cross It may have been based on the arms of the Fitzgerald family^[6] among other theories^[7] but is generally believed to be unrelated to Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, and was not widely used or recognised as a symbol of Ireland before the 19th century. Peers of Ireland The FitzGeralds are a Hiberno-Norman Dynasty, and have been Peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century Saint Patrick (Patricius Irish: Naomh Pádraig) was a Roman Britain -born Christian Missionary and is the Patron saint The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar It was used chosen to represent Ireland first on the badge of the The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick in 1783 and then on the Union Flag arising from the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland in 1801. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world A badge is a device, patch or accoutrement which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service a special accomplishment a symbol of authority granted by taking The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a British Order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The Kingdom of Ireland (Ríocht na hÉireann was the name given to the Irish state from 1541 by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland.

Although not recognised by Irish nationalists as a genuine symbol of Ireland, it is seen by some as a neutral flag representing the island of Ireland. Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and It is used in some St. Patrick's Day parades in Northern Ireland, notably in parades organised by Down District Council and Belfast City Council and flown at some council offices (notably Belfast City Hall). Saint Patrick's Day (Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) colloquially St Down District Council is a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland. Belfast City Council is the City council for Belfast, Northern Ireland. ^[8] In the case of the City Hall, this happened first in 1994, after the council's Policy and Resource committee had passed a resolution approving its use in January of that year. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) It is also used on the emblem of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the Police service that covers Northern Ireland. ^[9]

Flags used in an all-Ireland context

Provincial Ulster flag

The flag of the Ulster - the nine-county province that incorporates three counties from the Republic of Ireland and the six counties of Northern Ireland - flown in Gaelic Athletic Association matches both between provincial and county-based teams. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The Gaelic Athletic Association ( GAA) ( Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael /'kʊmˠən̪ˠ 'l̪ˠuh It is also often used by supporters of the Ulster rugby team and notably appears on the coat of arms of the Ulster Unionist Party. The Irish Rugby Football Union Ulster Branch (also known as Ulster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in the The Ulster Unionist Party ( UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or in a historic sense simply the Unionist Party

Four Provinces Flag

The "four provinces flag" incorporates the flags of the four Irish provinces of Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connacht, and is sometimes used to represent the entire island of Ireland. Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Munster ( Irish: An Mhumhain, ənˈvuːnʲ Cúige Mumhan or Mumha) is the southernmost of the four Provinces of Ireland. Leinster (ˈlɛnstər Irish: Laighin, lainʲ one of the Provinces of Ireland, lies in the east of Ireland and comprises the counties of It is used by nationalists and by some all-Ireland institutions such as the Irish Rugby Football Union and is intended to be a more neutral flag than the Irish tricolour. The Irish Rugby Football Union ( IRFU) (Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann is the body managing Rugby union in Ireland.

Flag of the Irish Cricket Team

The flag of the Irish cricket team was made to represent the island of Ireland in it's entirety. Although it has no official usage outside cricket, it is a neutral flag of Ireland

Other flags

Ulster Nation Flag

This flag is used by Ulster separatists who wish to see Northern Ireland leave the United Kingdom and become an independent state, not joining together with the Republic of Ireland. Ulster nationalism is the name given to a school of thought in Northern Irish politics that seeks the independence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom

The flag is made up of St Andrew's cross (below), St Patrick's Cross (above) and the red hand and star from the Northern Ireland flag (above), with the star coloured yellow (instead of white as in the Ulster Banner) based on the colours of the flag of the Irish province of Ulster.

St Andrew's Cross

St Andrew's Cross is the traditional flag of Scotland, and is one of the flags which makes up the Union Flag. St Andrew's Cross redirects here For the item of BDSM furniture see Saint Andrew's Cross (BDSM A saltire, Saint Andrew's Cross Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It is used by some Loyalists in Northern Ireland to highlight their Scottish ancestry and even today the Protestant people within Northern Ireland have strong links with Scotland. St Andrew was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ and the flag is said to have been inspired by a white cross of cloud appearing on a blue sky to a Scottish King preparing for battle. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)

Possible replacements

As there is currently no unique official flag for Northern Ireland, there have been various suggestions about what should be done. Apart from reusing an existing flag (such as the Cross of St Patrick), various new designs have been created.

This flag was being considered by the UK Government in the late 1990s and was leaked to BBC News^[10]. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at It was never officially proposed. It is essentially the old NI Government Flag with the crown removed and some yellow taken from the Province of Ulster Flag.

When this flag was shown by journalists to various people around Belfast, the reaction was mainly unfavourable. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Although some liked its inclusive nature, many responses were along the lines of "We already have a flag, it's the Union Jack" or "We already have a flag, it's the Tricolour". The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

This was a later design from the Flag Institute in 1998 shortly after the Good Friday Agreement, and again reaction was muted. Founded on St George's Day, 23 April 1971 by William Crampton (later President of FIAV) and Captain EMC Barraclough CBE RN, the Flag Institute The design attempted to hark back to the ancient flags of Ulster and the origins of the two communities. It retains the gold and red cross arms of the de Burgh Earls of Ulster and ancient symbol of the Red Hand of Neil, which appears on both the flags of loyalists and republicans. The six pointed star was dropped for being "too loyalist" for the republican community. The white fimbration (or edge) to the cross was included for two reasons, one to reflect the Norse heritage of Ulster and secondly to echo the Union flag. This was to balance the use of a gold background on the Provincial Ulster Flag and the white background of the Ulster Banner.

This flag is a hybrid between the St. Patrick's Cross and the Ulster Banner. Saint Patrick's Flag (Cros Phádraig is a flag of Ireland that features in the Flag of the United Kingdom. The Ulster Banner was the official name given to the Flag of the Government of Northern Ireland between 1953 and 1972 It adds the Red Hand of Ulster and the six-pointed star to the St. "Red Hand" redirects here For the event see Red Hand Day. Patrick's Flag, but does not add the crown and dispenses with the St. Georges' Cross found on the Ulster Banner. The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and

In 2003, the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, one of the two Assembly Parties (the other being the Greens) which claim to represent both Nationalists and Unionists, came up with a few suggestions. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI is a Political party in Northern Ireland. The Green Party in Northern Ireland originated in the early 1980s partly as a result of the Green Movement which was sweeping across Western Europe and partly because of the massive One showed a flax flower, another a few steps from the Giant's Causeway and another (pictured, to left), a map of Northern Ireland (compare with the Korean Unification Flag). Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum The Giant's Causeway (or Clochán na bhFómharach is an area of about 40000 interlocking Basalt columns the result of an ancient volcanic eruption The Unification Flag is used to represent all of Korea when North and South Korea participate together in sporting events

References

See also

• List of British flags
• List of flags of the Republic of Ireland
• Flag of Kosovo

External links

• Symbols in Northern Ireland - Flags Used in the Region by Dara Mulhern and Martin Melaugh; illustrated article from CAIN Project (Conflict Archive on the INternet)