 | |
| Use | Other  |
|---|---|
| Adopted | Unknown |
| Design | A red cross on a gold background, defaced by a white escutcheon bearing a red hand. |
The flag of Ulster is a banner based on the coat of arms of Ulster, used to represent Ulster, one of the four provinces of Ireland. It consists of a red cross on a gold background with a red hand on a white shield in the centre.
The flag of Ulster came about when Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster became Earl of Ulster in 1264. He merged the family arms (heraldry) of the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh (which was a red cross on a yellow background) with that of the Red Hand of Ulster of the Irish over-kingdom of Ulaid, which the earldom encompassed. [1]
The de Burgh family heraldry is said to have come about after Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent had fought in the Third Crusade but had no coat of arms himself. He carried a gold coloured shield into battle. Following a battle, King Richard the Lionheart of England gave de Burgh a coat of arms by dipping his finger into the blood of a Saracen slain at the feet of de Burgh and marked a red cross onto de Burgh's shield; stating "for your bravery, this shall be your crest". [2]
The origin of the Red Hand of Ulster however is shrouded in mystery, with a popular legend saying that in the race to claim the kingship of Ulster, the first man to lay his hand on the province would have claim to it. This led one man to chop off his hand and throw it over his comrades. [3]
There was dispute throughout the early modern period over which Irish clan had the right to it. Either the Magennises who were the ruling dynasty of the Uí Echach Cobo, part of the original Ulaid, or the O'Neill's, the ruling dynasty of the Cenél nEógain, who after 1317 claimed the kingship of Ulaid for the first time. Eventually in 1908 the then head of the O'Neill clan admitted that it originally belonged to the Magennises. [4]
There is often debate as to if a dexter (right) or sinister (left) hand is to be used on the flag. Whilst usually a right hand is used on the flag, several organisations such as the former 36th (Ulster) Division that also used a left hand. [5] The symbols also appear in heraldry for some of the counties of Ulster. The counties of Antrim, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone all use a right red hand in their coats of arms. [6] County Louth also use a right hand but theirs is skin coloured as it symbolises the hand of God rather than the red hand of Ulster. [6]
One interpretation of the colours gold, [7] red, [8] and white is certified by the British Flag Institute, in agreement with Vexillology Ireland. [9]
| Scheme | Gold | Red | White |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pantone | Gold 123 | Red 485 | White |
| HEX | #FFC72C | #DA291C | #FFFFFF |
| RGB | 255, 199, 44 | 218, 41, 28 | 255, 255, 255 |
| CMYK | 0.19.89.0 | 0.95.100.0 | 0.0.0.0 |
In the 20th century, during the partition of Ireland, the flag of Ulster was used as the basis for creating the Ulster Banner to be used as the flag of Northern Ireland. The background was changed to white with the shield behind the hand being replaced to a six pointed star to symbolise the six counties of Ulster that made up Northern Ireland with a crown on top to symbolise loyalty to the United Kingdom. [10] This Ulster Banner is sometimes known as the "6 counties flag", whereas the provincial flag of Ulster is occasionally referred to as the "9 counties flag". [11] The Ulster Banner is also referred to as the flag of Ulster. [11] [12] [13] [14] In 2018, it was revealed following a Freedom of Information request that Police Scotland listed that flying the flag of Ulster provocatively in Scotland could be considered an offence under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment. [15]
The flag of Ulster is used in sports. In rugby union, the Ireland national rugby union team which represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland fly the flag of Ulster alongside the Irish tricolour at their home matches. [16] However officially, the Irish Rugby Football Union use their own neutral flag which contains symbols of the four provinces of Ireland including Ulster. [17] During the Rugby World Cup, both flags lead the team out. [18] Ulster Rugby which represents the province, use the flag of Ulster, as do some fans, whilst some use the Ulster Banner. [19] [20] [21] In association football, fans of Cliftonville and Celtic can be seen with the flag of Ulster during their matches. [22] [23] The Ulster GAA also use the flag during provincial Gaelic games matches. [24] It also features in the Four Provinces Flag used by a number of other sporting organisations that operate on an all-Ireland basis. [25]
The flag of Ulster is usually displayed alongside the flags of Leinster, Munster, and Connacht, or as part of the combined flag of the Provinces of Ireland. The flag is the official flag of the Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association and the Ulster rugby team, and is part of the IRFU four provinces flag and the Ireland hockey team flag. [25]
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon, surcoat, or tabard. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its whole consists of a shield, supporters, a crest, and a motto. A coat of arms is traditionally unique to the armiger. The term "coat of arms" itself, describing in modern times just the heraldic design, originates from the description of the entire medieval chainmail "surcoat" garment used in combat or preparation for the latter.
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The coat of arms of the United Kingdom are the arms of dominion of the British monarch. They are both the personal arms of the monarch, currently King Charles III, and the arms of the state. In addition to the monarch, the arms are used by state institutions including the Government of the United Kingdom, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the British judiciary. Differenced versions of the arms are used by members of the British royal family. The monarch's official flag, the Royal Standard, is the coat of arms in flag form.
The coat of arms of England is the coat of arms historically used as arms of dominion by the monarchs of the Kingdom of England, and now used to symbolise England generally, but not officially. The arms were adopted c.1200 by the Plantagenet kings and continued to be used by successive English and British monarchs; they are currently quartered with the arms of Scotland and Ireland in the coat of arms of the United Kingdom. Historically they were also quartered with the arms of France, representing the English claim to the French throne, and Hanover.
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The Coat of arms of the Republic of Latvia was officially adopted by the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia on 15 June 1921, and entered official use starting on 19 August 1921. It was created using new national symbols, as well as elements of the coats of arms of Polish and Swedish Livonia and of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. Thus, the coat of arms combines symbols of Latvian national statehood, as well as symbols of its historical regions. The Latvian national coat of arms was designed by Latvian artists Vilhelms Krūmiņš and Rihards Zariņš.
The Ulster Banner, also unofficially known as the Ulster Flag or Flag of Northern Ireland, is a heraldic banner taken from the former coat of arms of Northern Ireland, consisting of a red cross on a white field, upon which is a crowned six-pointed star with a red hand in the centre. It was the flag of the former Government of Northern Ireland and common flag of Northern Ireland from 1953 until that government was abolished in 1973 with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.
The coat of arms of Scotland, colloquially called the Lion Rampant, is the coat of arms historically used as arms of dominion by the monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland, and later by monarchs of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. The coat of arms, or elements from it, are also used in heraldry to symbolise Scotland in general. The arms consist of a red lion surrounded by a red double border decorated with fleurs-de-lis, all on a gold background. The blazon, or heraldic description, is: Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure within a double tressure flory-counter-flory of the second.
The Royal Banner of the Royal Arms of Scotland, also known as the Royal Banner of Scotland, or more commonly the Lion Rampant of Scotland, and historically as the Royal Standard of Scotland, or Banner of the King of Scots, is the royal banner of Scotland, and historically, the royal standard of the Kingdom of Scotland. Used historically by the Scottish monarchs, the banner differs from Scotland's national flag, the Saltire, in that its official use is restricted by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland to only a few Great Officers of State who officially represent the Monarchy in Scotland. It is also used in an official capacity at royal residences in Scotland when the Head of State is not present.
The coat of arms of the Government of Northern Ireland was granted to the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland in 1924.
The Red Hand of Ulster is a symbol used in heraldry to denote the Irish province of Ulster and the Northern Uí Néill in particular. It has also been used however by other Irish clans across the island, including the ruling families of western Connacht and the chiefs of the Midlands.
Saint Patrick's Saltire or Saint Patrick's Cross is a red saltire on a white field. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned argent, a saltire gules. Saint Patrick's Flag is a flag composed of Saint Patrick's Saltire. The origin of the saltire is disputed. Its association with Saint Patrick dates from the 1780s, when the Anglo-Irish Order of Saint Patrick adopted it as an emblem. This was a British chivalric order established in 1783 by George III. It has been suggested that it derives from the arms of the powerful Geraldine or FitzGerald dynasty. Some Irish nationalists and others reject its use to represent Ireland as a "British invention" "for a people who had never used it".
The coat of arms of Munster consists of three gold crowns on a blue field. Similar crowns were included on the arms of Ireland before being superseded by the golden harp in the 16th century.
This is a list of coats of arms of Ireland. In the majority of cases these are arms assigned to county councils created by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 or later legislation, either by the Chief Herald of Ireland in what is now the Republic of Ireland or by the College of Arms in Northern Ireland. All but two county councils in the Republic have a coat of arms. In Northern Ireland, county councils were abolished in 1973, but the traditional arms are still occasionally used.
There is no cross-border flag universally accepted as representing both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. This can be a problem in contexts where a body organised on an all-island basis needs to be represented by a flag in an international context.
The national flag of Ireland, frequently referred to in Ireland as 'the tricolour' and elsewhere as the Irish tricolour is a vertical tricolour of green, white and orange. The proportions of the flag are 1:2.
The Montgomeryshire flag refers to proposals for a flag of the Welsh county of Montgomeryshire. Neither has been registered with the Flag Institute.
The coat of arms of Ulster consists of an inescutcheon Argent displaying a red hand, upon the coat of arms of the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh.
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