Flag of Northern Ireland
The common flag to uniquely identify Northern Ireland consists of a red cross on a white field defaced with a crowned six-pointed star with a red hand in the centre. This flag is known as the Ulster Banner, or more commonly the Northern Ireland flag or Ulster flag. A royal warrant was issued to the Northern Ireland parliament for use of the flag in 1924, and was in effect until the abolition of the Parliament in 1973.[1] The current Northern Ireland Assembly only flies the Union Jack, which represents the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a whole. The Ulster Banner is still used by unionists, some local government authorities under unionist control and in connection with some sporting competitions.
During official events in Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom government uses the Union Jack, which is the flag of the whole United Kingdom.[2] The Union Jack must be flown on several central government buildings on designated days in Northern Ireland.[3]
The St. Patrick's Cross represents Northern Ireland indirectly as Ireland in the Union Jack, and is sometimes flown on St. Patrick's Day and occasionally during some royal events.[4]
Flag of the Government of Northern Ireland (1924–1973)
The Ulster Banner, also known as the "Red Hand Flag" or the "Ulster Flag" (not to be confused with the provincial Flag of Ulster), was the flag that was granted a royal warrant for use to the Government of Northern Ireland in 1924. In common with other British flags, any civic status of the flag was not defined in law.[5]
The Government of Northern Ireland was granted arms (the Coat of arms of Northern Ireland) 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. When the Parliament of Northern Ireland was dissolved by the British government under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, the flag ceased to be used by a body with a royal warrant but remains the only flag to date which represents Northern Ireland at international level in sport.[5]
Official use of flags
There are various practices for the flying of flags by public bodies in Northern Ireland. The Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) Order 2000 requires that the Union Flag 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).
The regulations also provides that, on the occasion of a visit to a government building by the British Monarch, 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. Where two flagpoles exist, the flag of Europe should be flown on Europe Day alongside the Union flag. The regulations prohibit any flags being flown from the relevant buildings except as expressly permitted by the regulations.[6]
When flags representing the "Home Countries" of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are flown at official ceremonies, Northern Ireland is sometimes represented by the St. Patrick's Cross, for instance on the barge Gloriana during the 2012 Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.[7]
Other regulations exist for other public bodies in Northern Ireland. Use of flags by the Police Service of Northern Ireland is governed by the Police Emblems and Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002, which provides that no flag shall be used by the Service other than its own flag.
Local authorities
Legislation relating to flag flying 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.[8]
In 2004, Belfast City Council commissioned a study on the flying of the Union Flag which noted that the Ulster banner was flown alongside it by three local authorities in Northern Ireland: Ards Borough Council, Carrickfergus Borough Council and Castlereagh Borough Council.[9]
International sport
In sport, the Ulster Banner is carried by the Northern Ireland team in the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. It is also regularly displayed by supporters of the Northern Ireland national football team and is displayed by FIFA as the flag of Northern Ireland.[10][11]
Displaying flags
In Northern Ireland, some members from each of the unionist and nationalist communities use flags to declare their political allegiances and to mark territory.[12] Unionists and loyalists fly the Union Flag and Ulster Banner to show their support for the union and/or their allegiance to Northern Ireland. Irish nationalists and republicans fly the Irish tricolour to show their support for a United Ireland.[13]
Peace process
After the 1998 Good 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.[14]
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. Sinn Féin ministers in the power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive instructed that the Union Flag was not to fly from buildings operated by their respective departments.[15] This power was removed from ministers by virtue of the Flag Regulations (Northern Ireland) Order 2000, mentioned above.
All signatories to the Belfast 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. The problem was discussed in detail and various proposals made including suggestions for a new flag.[16]
See also
References
- ↑ Under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973
- ↑ The Union Flag and flags of the United Kingdom
- ↑ The Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000
- ↑ "Photograph of St. Patrick's Cross above Westminster Abbey on St. Patrick's Day".
- 1 2 Encyclopaedia Britannica says: 'According to British tradition, a coat of arms or flag is granted to the government of a territory, not to the people residing there. Therefore, when the government of Northern Ireland was disbanded in March 1972, its arms and flag officially disappeared; however, the flag continues to be used by groups (such as sports teams) representing the territory in sport.'
- ↑ The Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000
- ↑ Bartram, Graham (2012). "A Visual Guide to the Flags used in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant" (PDF). The Flag Institute. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ↑ Transforming Conflict: Flags and Emblems by Dominic Bryan and Gordon Gillespie, Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University, Belfast, March 2005
- ↑ Belfast City Council (May 2004), Flying of the Union Flag: An Equality Impact Assessment. Archived June 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Northern Ireland at UEFA
- ↑ Northern Ireland at FIFA
- ↑ Dominic Bryan & Gordon Gillespie (2005) Transforming Conflict: Flags and Emblems, Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, Queens University Belfast
- ↑ The National Flag, Department of the Taoiseach
- ↑ Belfast Agreement, section: "Economic, Social and Cultural Issues", para. 5
- ↑ Tension over flag flying at BBC News
- ↑ Flagging concern: the controversy over flags and emblems
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flags of Northern Ireland. |
- FOTW: Northern Ireland
- CAIN: Flags in Northern Ireland
- The Union Flags and flags of the United Kingdom
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