Northern Ireland flags issue

TheNorthern Ireland flags issueis one that divides the population alongsectarianlines. Depending on political allegiance, people identify with differingflagsand symbols, some of which have, or have had, official status inNorthern Ireland.

Common flags

Union Jack

Ulster Banner

Flag of Ireland

Flag of Ulster(Cultural nine-county Flag)

Saint Patrick's Saltire

• Theflag of the United Kingdom,theUnion Jackor Union Flag, is the only flag routinely used officially by the sovereignUK government,as well as being flown on most council buildings in Northern Ireland.The Union Flag is often flown byunionistsbut is disliked bynationalists.British law states that the Union Flag must be flown on designated days from central government buildings in Northern Ireland.
• TheUlster Banner,the flag of the pre-1973government of Northern Ireland,was used from 1953 to 1972 by theStormontgovernment to represent the government of Northern Ireland.That government was granted a royal warrant to fly the Ulster Banner in 1924, but this expired when the government was dissolved under theNorthern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.It continues to be used by some sports teams representing Northern Ireland internationally, for example by theNorthern Ireland football team,and by theNorthern IrelandCommonwealth Gamesteam.
• Theflag of Irelandor Irish tricolour is thestateflag of theRepublic of Ireland,disliked byUnionistsand is regarded byrepublicansand nationalists as the flag of all ofIreland.
• TheSaint Patrick's Saltirerepresents Northern Ireland indirectly asIrelandin the Union Jack. It is sometimes flown duringSaint Patrick's Dayparades in Northern Ireland,and is used to represent Northern Ireland during some royal events.
• Other flags flown by republicans include theStarry Plough,theSunburst flagand even theflag of the Ulster province.Loyalistssometimes display theflag of Scotlandas a sign of their Scottish ancestry.Ulster nationalistsuse the unofficial'Ulster Nation flag',although it has now been adopted as anUlster-Scotsflag.

Controversies

TheFlags and Emblems (Display) Act (Northern Ireland) 1954prohibited the display of any flag which was "likely to cause a breach of public order", and gave the police powers to deal with it. However, it specifically excluded theUnion Jackfrom its provisions.In 1956, theStormont Minister of Affairs,George Hanna,banned an Irish Nationalist cultural demonstration planned for the annualFeisatNewtownbutler,County Fermanagh. The march proceeded anyway, and in response theRoyal Ulster Constabulary(RUC) launched abaton chargeto seize a banner depictingPatrick Pearsebut were unsuccessful. Police attempted a second baton charge which also failed and then resorted to using fire hoses against the crowds. Several people were injured during the disturbances, at least one seriously. The RUC had removed threeIrish tricoloursfrom the home of a parish priest during the previous year's Feis.In 1964, the RUC moved in to remove an Irish tricolour from the window of an office inBelfast,afterIan Paisleyhad publicly said that if they did not, he would do so personally. This resulted in serious rioting.The Act was repealed in 1987.

In some loyalist areas, the flying of flags supporting loyalist paramilitaries has proved controversial. Groups like theUlster Defence Association,Ulster Volunteer Force,Young Citizen Volunteers,Red Hand Commando,andLoyalist Volunteer Forceall have their own unique flags and although these flags usually appear alongside murals, they can occasionally be seen flying from lampposts in villages and towns or flying from houses in the run-up tothe Twelfth.

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

All participants acknowledge the sensitivity of the use of symbols and emblems for public purposes, and the need in particular in creating the new institutions to ensure that such symbols and emblems are used in a manner which promotes mutual respect rather than division.

Some local councils have debated the usage of the Tricolour. In 2002Belfast City Councildisplayed the Tricolour along with the Union Flag in the Lord Mayor's parlour during the term ofSinn FéinLord MayorAlex Maskey.A different approach was taken in 1997; when theSocial Democratic and Labour Party's (SDLP)Alban MaginnesswasLord Mayor,neither flag was displayed. In September 2003, Belfast City Council discussed flying the Tricolour alongside the Union Flag on designated occasions.

In June 2007 thedesignated nationalistSocial Democratic and Labour Partycomplained about an artist's rendering ofIKEABelfastthat included both theUnion Flagand theUlster Bannerflag as two of the three flags in front of the store. After being labelled "an upmarketOrangehall "by the party, IKEA assured customers and co-workers that only the Swedish flag would be seen outside the actual store.

The Ulster Banner continued to be used by some local governments, such as the predominantly unionistCastlereagh,which flew it outside its offices.

A decision in December 2012 to fly the Union flag overBelfast City Hallonly on certain designated days, instead of all the year round as previously, led to theBelfast City Hall flag protests,which included riots in which police officers were injured.

The Northern Ireland flags controversy has led toUnicodebeing unable to release an equivalent countryemojifor Northern Ireland, as it has for Scotland, England, and Wales.

Flag proposals

In 1995, theNorthern Ireland Officediscussed the possibility of a new distinct flag for Northern Ireland. Two designs by Dr.Martin J. BallofUlster Universitywere considered, but no flag was ultimately adopted.

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In 2009,Eddie Izzardran a series of marathons across the United Kingdom to raise money forSport Relief.When running in England, Scotland and Wales, Izzard carried the respective flag of the nation he was in. For Northern Ireland, however, he carried a flag of his own creation. It consisted of a green field (invoking the colour of the Northern Ireland football jersey) and a white dove (symbolising peace) in the upper fly, flying eastwards and carrying an olive branch in its beak.

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Haass talks

In 2013, US diplomatRichard Haasschaired talks between the political parties in Northern Ireland dealing with, among other things, the issue of flags. The resulting draft proposals, which were not agreed to by the parties, included the idea of a new flag for Northern Ireland,and the possibility of a "circumscribed role for the sovereign flag of Ireland in conjunction with the Union flag."

Proposed "Civic Flag"

In December 2021, the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition (FICT) published its final report which included a recommendation that a new "Civic Flag for Northern Ireland" should be adopted and be flown at buildings of the Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Ireland Assembly and local district councils in Northern Ireland. The commissions suggested that the design for the new flag should incorporate expressions of Britishness and Irishness and should also represent the diversity of the community in Northern Ireland.

See also

• Flag of Northern Ireland
• List of flags of the Republic of Ireland
• List of flags of the United Kingdom
• List of flags used in Northern Ireland
• Cross-border flag for Ireland
• Party Processions Act1850 Act which banned "any Banner, Emblem, Flag or Symbol, the Display whereof may be calculated or tend to provoke Animosity between different Classes of Her Majesty's Subjects"
• Kerb painting
• Coat of arms of Northern Ireland

External links

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