Ulster Banner

This article is about the flag of Northern Ireland. For the traditional provincial flag of Ulster, see Flag of Ulster.
The Ulster Banner (Edwardian Crown version following coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953)

The Ulster Banner[1] is a heraldic banner taken from the coat of arms of Northern Ireland, consisting of "Argent a cross gules, overall on a six pointed star of the field ensigned by an Imperial crown proper a dexter hand couped at the wrist of the second". It was the flag of the former Government of Northern Ireland, and common flag of Northern Ireland from 1953 following the coronation celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II. The Northern Ireland government was granted a royal warrant for the flag and arms in 1924, which was in effect until that government was abolished in 1972. The Ulster Banner still has common use (especially by unionists), flown by some local government authorities under unionist control, and in connection with some sporting competitions. It has become a symbol of Ulster loyalism[2] and is a contentious symbol.[3]

Origin

Arms of the former government of Northern Ireland, 1922–1972
Original Tudor Crown version of flag based on escutcheon of arms granted royal warrant in 1924
Traditional Flag of Ulster

The arms and flag were designed in Dublin by Ulster King of Arms Neville-Rodwell Wilkinson in 1923-1924. The flag is based on the the flag of the traditional province of Ulster,[4] including a red hand of Ulster in the centre, and the red de Burgh cross[5] (though some claim this is the Saint George's Cross[6]). It has the addition of a crown to represent the monarchy of the United Kingdom. Rather than a shield, the Red Hand is inside a six pointed star, representing the six counties that make up Northern Ireland.

The flag is also sometimes called the Ulster flag,[7] Northern Ireland flag, the (old) Stormont flag, or the Red Hand of Ulster flag.[8] Loyalists often use 'Ulster' as another name for Northern Ireland, and Stormont was the seat of Northern Ireland's Government.

History

Use by the Government of Northern Ireland

In 1924, the Government of Northern Ireland was granted its own coat of arms by Royal Warrant and had the right to display these arms on a flag or banner. This right was exercised for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. From 1953 until 1972, the flag was used officially by the Government of Northern Ireland and also as a de facto civic flag for Northern Ireland. In 1972, the Government and Parliament of Northern Ireland were abolished by the Parliament of the United Kingdom under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.

Later use

Since the Government of Northern Ireland was abolished in 1972, the flag (and variations thereof) has continued to be used by unionists. In 2004, Belfast City Council commissioned a study on the flying of flags which noted that the Ulster Banner continued to be flown, alongside the Union flag, by a number of local authorities in Northern Ireland, including Ards Borough Council, Carrickfergus Borough Council and Castlereagh Borough Council.[9]

International sport

Royal Mint issue of a £2 coin featuring the Northern Ireland flag for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

The Ulster Banner is used to represent Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games[10][11] and by FIFA to represent the Northern Ireland national football team.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Groom, Nick (2006). The Union Jack: the Story of the British Flag. Atlantic Books. p. 295. ISBN 978-1-84354-336-7.
  2. ↑ Flags used in Northern Ireland – CAIN Web Service (quote: "this particular flag of Northern Ireland is seen as staunchly Loyalist")
  3. ↑ Promoting Fair Play in Sport. Sport Northern Ireland. p. 9. Archived April 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ CRW Flags of the World - Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)
  5. ↑ CRW Flags -- Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)
  6. ↑ CAIN: Symbols – Flags Used in Northern Ireland
  7. ↑ Lords Hansard text for 13 Jul 200613 July 2006 (pt 0947)
  8. ↑ http://www.limavady.gov.uk/filestore/documents/good_relations/Web_Questionnaire.pdf
  9. ↑ http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/equality/docs/FlyingOfUnionFlagEQIA.pdf Archived March 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ Commonwealth Games Federation Archived July 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ Telegraph Archived April 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ Northern Ireland: Country information, FIFA.com
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 01, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.