David Airey

A new flag for Northern Ireland

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by

David Airey
in

The Union flag flew above Belfast City Hall every day of the year until 3rd December 2012 when politicians democratically voted to fly it on 18 designated days. The Confederation of British Industry said the ensuing riots have cost local businesses £10-£15 million in lost revenue.

Union flagThe Union flag, representing Northern Ireland

Irish flagThe Irish tricolour, representing the Republic of Ireland

Some political commentators have suggested that one way to diffuse the situation might be the creation of a new flag for Northern Ireland. The country hasn’t had its own flag since the Ulster banner was used by the old Northern Ireland Government between 1953 and 1972.

Ulster bannerThe Ulster banner

There’s the older St. Patrick’s Saltire, said to pre-date the tricolour by 150 years. It’s been flown at the Edinburgh Tattoo to designate Northern Ireland, seen as less contentious than the Ulster banner.

St Patrick's SaltireSt. Patrick’s Saltire

So here’s my idea.

Northern Ireland flagNorthern Ireland flag

Hardly innovative, but it doesn’t need to be.

Northern Ireland’s footballers play in green and white. So does Ireland’s rugby team (with players from both sides of the border). No need to use blue and red.

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Update:
Turns out there’s an NI Flag Facebook Group that’s been going for a while.

Comments

19 responses to “A new flag for Northern Ireland”

  1. Graham Wilsdon Avatar
    Graham Wilsdon

    Nice!

    Reply
  2. johnjohn Avatar
    johnjohn

    I like it very much, but wonder will the genpop of loyalists approve. Elements taken from the British flag and culture are there, but of course the colour is stronger than the forms. Considering the Republic’s flag concept was peace between the greenmen and orangemen, I think a similar concept would apply here. Kudos for sparking the idea, David.

    Reply
  3. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    Of course, the union jack would have to change!

    Reply
  4. David Airey Avatar
    David Airey

    Cheers john, I spied this Union flag in tricolour, but I can imagine the looks.

    Reply
  5. Stuart Crawford Avatar
    Stuart Crawford

    Colour is definitely stronger than form, as John states, but this is an interesting balance. Certainly get’s my vote.

    screwthefleg#

    Reply
  6. Acrobat Avatar
    Acrobat

    Maybe I’m oversimplifying the problem, but why not just fly all the flags in a row like they do at the UN? Then all parties are represented equally.

    Reply
  7. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    It’s about time. The FB page looks interesting, and if they ask me, I definitely won’t go for light blue.

    Reply
  8. Theo Avatar
    Theo

    I would say a very elegant solution!

    Reply
  9. Hamish Avatar
    Hamish

    The Scots may have something to say about that… but given that we nicked kilts and bagpipes from the Irish and made them our own, plus we’re all Celtic anyway, perhaps we can still get along! Plus I’m half Scots half Irish, so who am I to complain?!

    Reply
  10. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    There are places in Glasgow where all traces of the colour green are eradicated (traffic lights included) by the protestant residents living there (simply because of its catholic connotation). The same thing probably goes on in N Ireland. It’s a pretty sensitive design task. I reckon I’d ask the advice of the guys throwing molotovs at police, and hopefully avoid annoying them with an inferior new flag.

    Reply
  11. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    That flag is actually already flown by Celtic FC supporters, and I don’t think it works for NI. It would probably be a better design for the Republic (especially given that “orange” culture almost exclusively exists within NI and is a bit irredentist to include orange within their flag and as bit sectarian IMo to talk of “green and orange” (or indeed what may actually have been gold depending upon how it is spun)).

    Also quite wrong to say that the “country hasn’t had it’s own flag since 1972” — that is misinformation by Republican propagandists on Wikipedia. Since when was a regional flag only purely valid due a regional assembly? (and let’s face it — our current undemocratic Assembly can’t agree on more important issues, so why do you think they’ll agree on anything as trivial as this I don’t know). By that logic then England also doesn’t have a flag eith, and neigher did Scotland in the 70s, 80s etc. Take one look at any NI football match, Commonwealth games, or any other event when NI competes internationally as a team and it is rather obvious that we have a flag. I’m not against a fresh design, but the present reality shouldn’t be distorted in this manner.

    I believe any new design is a meaningless non-runner unless it is based on some sort of hybrid between the St. Patrick’s Cross with red had in centre. You can’t just eradicate hundreds of years of heritage/heraldry like that.

    Reply
    1. Peadar McKeown Avatar
      Peadar McKeown

      Lol, you just really don’t want it to bring green.

      Reply
  12. johnjohn Avatar
    johnjohn

    Paul, I would agree with keeping St Patricks cross and the red hand. David, going back to the point of form vs colour, a new flag would surely have to be predominantly red/white . The green doesn’t represent the North does it? Worth a peek — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_flags_of_Ireland

    Reply
  13. David Airey Avatar
    David Airey

    The red hand says, “no entry.” Change it to green and give it an angle for an emerald handshake.

    Reply
    1. Robert Edward Peyne Avatar
      Robert Edward Peyne

      Make it Orange, then we’ll talk.

      Reply
  14. Steve Malle Avatar
    Steve Malle

    Sorry guys too much wishy washy libralism.
    No surrender to the people who would steal our country by stealth.
    I was born under a Union Flag.

    Reply
  15. Jack Fennessy Avatar
    Jack Fennessy

    By 2030 there will be a united Ireland. The Tricolor will be the national flag for all of Ireland.

    Reply
  16. Brendan Stafford Avatar
    Brendan Stafford

    Already put forward an idea to the Belfast Telegraph of a blue and green chequered flag similar to the Croatian flag of red and white.
    To that, add the red hand and six star emblem. This is optional. May be onto a winner?!

    Reply
  17. Alan Avatar
    Alan

    How about a (low resolution) map of Lough Neagh in navy blue on a green background, maybe with an overall square aspect ratio (as the Swiss flag also has).

    I think that this would be as neutral as possible. The theme is geographical rather than political. The colours work also for this purpose — while also obviously representing the water and the land — especially if the size of the lake can be roughly half the overall area so that neither colour dominates.

    Reply

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