109-537: The national flag of Ireland ( Irish : bratach na hÉireann ), frequently referred to in Ireland as 'the tricolour' ( an trídhathach ) and elsewhere as the Irish tricolour , is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist ), white and orange. The proportions of the flag are 1:2 (that is to say, flown horizontally, the flag is half as high as it is wide). Presented as a gift in 1848 to Thomas Francis Meagher from
218-548: A breach of the peace but specified, rather controversially, that a Union Flag could never have such an effect. In 1964, the enforcement of this law by the Royal Ulster Constabulary at the behest of Ian Paisley , involving the removal of a single tricolour from the offices of Sinn Féin in Belfast , led to two days of rioting. The tricolour was immediately replaced, highlighting the difficulty of enforcing
327-419: A caricature . Certain stylizations have become fixed conventions in art; an agreement between artist and viewer that is understood and undebatable. A striking example is how in simple cartoon drawings' monochromatic white parts on a dark colored surface are immediately recognized by most viewers to represent the reflection of light on a smooth or wet surface. In summary, artistic license is: Artistic license
436-447: A painting or an animated movie ) are different from their real life counterparts, but are still intended to be interpreted by the viewer as representing the same thing. This can mean the omission of details, or the simplification of shapes and color shades, even to the point that the image is nothing more than a pictogram . It can also mean the addition of non-existing details, or exaggeration of shapes and colours, as in fantasy art or
545-683: A British port flying the tricolour on 8 December 1921, two days after the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed. Their ensign, along with a model of Glenageary , is currently on display in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland . While some ships such as the cross-channel ferries flew the Red Ensign, others sailed under the tricolour. Some masters of Irish ships were charged by HM Customs and Excise and fined by Admiralty courts for flying an "improper ensign". The tricolour
654-492: A black-red-gold tricolour. Nazi Germany went back to black-white-red in 1933, and black-red-gold was reinstituted by the two successor states, West Germany and East Germany , with East Germany's flag being defaced with Communist symbols, following World War II . Similarly the flag of Libya introduced with the creation of the Kingdom of Libya in 1951 was abandoned in 1969 with the coup d'état led by Muammar Gaddafi . It
763-418: A decoration, should always be treated with due respect. It may be used as a discreet lapel button or rosette or as part of a centrepiece for a table. When used in the latter context with the flags of other nations, the national flag should also be displayed in the place of honour on a nearby flag staff. Where multiple national flags are flown on festive occasions these should be of uniform dimensions. Bunting of
872-670: A distinctive war flag in this usual sense, but the flag of the Philippines is legally unique in that it is flown with the red stripe on top when the country is in a state of war, rather than the conventional blue. The flag that indicates nationality on a ship is called an ensign . As with the national flags, there are three varieties: the civil ensign ( [REDACTED] ), flown by private vessels; state ensigns (also called government ensigns ; [REDACTED] ), flown by government ships; and war ensigns (also called naval ensigns ; [REDACTED] ), flown by naval vessels. The ensign
981-522: A given nation . It is flown by the government of that nation, but can also be flown by its citizens . A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours and symbols, which may also be used separately from the flag as a symbol of the nation. The design of a national flag is sometimes altered after the occurrence of important historical events. Historically, flags originated as military standards , used as field signs . Throughout history, various examples of such proto-flags exist:
1090-582: A green ring on Gaidel from which he earned his nickname 'Glas' ("the green"). The mark of the Irish people would therefore be green. A green flag featuring a harp is described as being used by Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill in 1642. The colour green became further associated with Ireland from the 1640s, when the green harp flag was used by the Irish Catholic Confederation . Likewise Green ribbons have been worn on St Patrick's Day since at least
1199-448: A list of exceptions including non-national flags. As of 2011 all national flags consist of at least two different colours. In many cases, the different colours are presented in either horizontal or vertical bands. It is particularly common for colours to be presented in bands of three . It is common for many flags to feature national symbols, such as coats of arms . National patterns are present in some flags. Variations in design within
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#17327978594151308-522: A more suitable emblem later. In 1937, the tricolour's position as the national flag was formally confirmed by the new Constitution of Ireland . The pre-independence Merchant Shipping Act 1894 ( 57 & 58 Vict. c. 60) was not repealed, and so the Free State's mercantile marine was technically required to fly the Red Ensign . The collier Glenageary may have been the first ship to arrive in
1417-497: A national flag can be common in the flag's upper left quarter, or canton. A third of the world's 196 countries currently have national flags that include religious symbols. This has led to controversy in some secular states in regard to the separation of church and state , when the national symbol is officially sanctioned by a government . The most common colours in national flags are red, white, green, dark blue, yellow, light blue, and black. The only national flag not to include
1526-411: A small group of French women sympathetic to Irish nationalism , it was intended to symbolise the inclusion and hoped-for union between Roman Catholics (symbolised by the green colour) and Protestants (symbolised by the orange colour). The significance of the colours outlined by Meagher was, "The white in the centre signifies a lasting truce between Orange and Green and I trust that beneath its folds
1635-478: Is a distinction between civil flags ( FIAV symbol [REDACTED] ), state flags ( [REDACTED] ), and war or military flags ( [REDACTED] ). Civil flags may be flown by anyone regardless of whether they are linked to government, whereas state flags are those used officially by government agencies. War flags (also called military flags ) are used by military organizations such as Armies, Marine Corps, or Air Forces. In practice, many countries (such as
1744-402: Is a great deal of protocol involved in the proper display of national flags. A general rule is that the national flag should be flown in the position of honour, and not in an inferior position to any other flag (although some countries make an exception for royal standards). The following rules are typical of the conventions when flags are flown on land: Most flags are hung vertically by rotating
1853-479: Is a much less frequent occurrence. Elements of both communities fly "their" flag from chimneys, tall buildings and lamp-posts on roads. Under the 1998 Good Friday or Belfast Agreement , it was recognised that flags continue to be a source of disagreement in Northern Ireland. The Agreement stated that: All participants acknowledge the sensitivity of the use of symbols and emblems for public purposes, and
1962-514: Is a rare exception, in having a red ensign for civil use, a white ensign as its naval ensign, and a blue ensign for government non-military vessels. Italian naval ensign bears the arms of the Italian Navy : a shield , surmounted by a turreted and rostrum crown , which brings together in four parts the arms of four ancient maritime republics ( Republic of Venice , Republic of Genoa , Republic of Pisa and Republic of Amalfi ). There
2071-601: Is applied to cinematic and other depictions of real historical events. While slight manipulation for dramatic effect of chronology and character traits are generally accepted, some critics feel that depictions that present a significantly altered reality are irresponsible, particularly because many viewers and readers do not know the actual events and may thus take the dramatized depiction to be true to reality. Examples of films and television series criticized for excessive use of dramatic license include Disney's Pocahontas , Mel Gibson 's Braveheart , Oliver Stone 's Alexander ,
2180-521: Is black-red-gold" (art. 22.2 Die Bundesflagge ist schwarz-rot-gold ), but its proportions were regulated in a document passed by the government in the following year. The Flag of the United States is not defined in the constitution but rather in a separate Flag Resolution passed in 1777. Minor design changes of national flags are often passed on a legislative or executive level, while substantial changes have constitutional character. The design of
2289-423: Is called an asyndetic tricolon ). Conversely, on the next line, the end of "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him" has an extra syllable because omitting the word "him" would make the sentence unclear, but adding a syllable at the end would not disrupt the meter. Both of these are examples of artistic license. Another example of artistic license is the way in which stylized images of an object (for instance in
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#17327978594152398-448: Is carried, the salute should be given only to the leading flag. When the national anthem is played in the presence of the national flag, all present should face the national flag, stand to attention and salute it, remaining at the salute until the last note of the music. When the national flag has become worn or frayed it is no longer fit for display, and should not be used in any manner implying disrespect. The national flag, when used as
2507-544: Is due to the fact that the first 13 states of the U.S. were formerly colonies of the United Kingdom. Some similarities to the United States flag with the red and white stripes are noted as well such as the flag of Malaysia and the flag of Liberia , the latter of which was an American resettlement colony. Also, several former colonies of the United Kingdom, such as Australia , Fiji and New Zealand include
2616-508: Is expressed in the Constitution as the entitlement of every person born in Ireland to be part of the independent Irish nation, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or political conviction. (Green was also used as the colour of such Irish bodies as the mainly-Protestant and nonsectarian Friendly Brothers of St. Patrick, established in 1751.) Occasionally, differing shades of yellow, instead of orange, are seen at civilian functions. However
2725-474: Is flown from an ensign -staff at the stern of the ship, or from a gaff when underway. Both these positions are superior to any other on the ship, even though the masthead is higher. In the absence of a gaff the ensign may be flown from the yardarm . (See Maritime flags .) National flags may also be flown by aircraft and the land vehicles of important officials. In the case of aircraft, those flags are usually painted on, and those are usually to be painted on in
2834-461: Is frequently flown at half-mast on the death of a national or international figure on all prominent government buildings equipped with a flag pole. The death of a prominent local figure may be marked locally by the national flag being flown at half-mast. Where the national flag is flown at half-mast no other flag should be half-masted. The flag of the Ivory Coast has a similar colour layout to
2943-447: Is often referred to as dramatic license when it involves the glamorization of real-world occupations for the sake of exciting television or cinematic experience. For example, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and other police procedural programs typically omit completely the more mundane aspects of the occupation such as paperwork, reports, administrative duties and other daily "business-oriented" aspects which in reality often constitute
3052-473: Is on the observer's left as he or she faces the flags. Where one of these flags is that of the European Union, the European Union flag should be flown on the immediate left of the national flag, or as seen by an observer, on the immediate right of the national flag. Where, however, an odd number of flags are displayed from staffs grouped so that there is one staff in the centre and higher than the others,
3161-428: Is passing by in a parade, all present should face it, stand to attention and salute. Persons in uniform who normally salute with the hand should give the hand salute. Persons in civilian attire should salute by standing to attention. The salute to the flag when it is being borne past in a parade is rendered when the flag is six paces away and the salute is held until the flag has passed by. Where more than one national flag
3270-461: Is taller than it is wide, again except for the flag of Nepal. The flags of Switzerland and the Vatican City are the only national flags which are exact squares. The obverse and reverse of all national flags are either identical or mirrored, except for the flag of Paraguay and the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic . See Flags whose reverse differs from the obverse for
3379-476: Is the normal practice to fly the national flag daily at all military posts and from a limited number of important State buildings. The European flag is flown alongside the national flag on all official buildings, and in most places where the Irish flag is flown over buildings. The national flag is flown over buildings including: the residence of the President of Ireland , Áras an Uachtaráin ; Leinster House ,
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3488-404: Is used instead of the horizontal flag for Malaysia . The art and practice of designing flags is known as vexillography . The design of national flags has seen a number of customs become apparent. Most national flags are rectangular, or have a rectangular common variant, with the most notable exception being the flag of Nepal . The ratios of height to width vary among national flags, but none
3597-480: The 1922–23 Civil War regarded the tricolour as the flag of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic , and condemned its appropriation by the new state, as expressed in the song " Take It Down From The Mast ". The Executive Council's decision was a provisional one. A 1928 British document said: The government in Ireland have taken over the so called Free State Flag in order to forestall its use by republican element and avoid legislative regulation, to leave them free to adopt
3706-665: The Glorious Revolution of 1688. Following the Irish Rebellion of 1798 , which pitted the "green" tradition of the republican United Irishmen against the "orange" tradition of Anglican Protestant Ascendancy loyal to the British Crown , the ideal of a later nationalist generation in the mid-19th century was to make peace between the two traditions and, if possible, to found a self-governing Ireland on such peace and union. The oldest known reference to
3815-570: The Irish Free State . Northern Ireland continued to use the UK's Union Flag and created its Ulster Banner derivation of the flag of Ulster with a crown on top of a six-pointed star. Furthermore, for many years the tricolour was effectively banned in Northern Ireland under the Flags and Emblems (Display) Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 which empowered the police to remove any flag that could cause
3924-723: The Moldovan coat of arms (which is part of the Romanian coat of arms ) was placed in the centre of the flag. All Nordic countries , with the exception of Greenland , use the Nordic Cross design ( Iceland , Denmark , Norway , Sweden , Finland , in addition to the autonomous regions of the Faroe Islands and Åland ), a horizontal cross shifted to the left on a single-coloured background. The United States and United Kingdom both have red, white, and blue. This similarity
4033-512: The National Day of Commemoration on the Sunday closest to 11 July. On these occasions the national flag is flown from all State buildings throughout the country which are equipped with flagpoles, and many private individuals and concerns also fly it. The national flag is flown on the occasion of other significant national and local events such as festivals and commemorations. The national flag
4142-530: The Principality of Orange but his power from his leadership as Stadtholder of the Netherlands , a Protestant bastion from the 16th century. The white in the centre signifies a lasting peace and hope for union between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland. The flag, as a whole, is intended to symbolise the inclusion and hoped-for union of the people of different traditions on the island of Ireland, which
4251-796: The States-General of the Dutch Republic , making the Dutch flag perhaps the oldest tricolour flag in continuous use, although standardisation of the exact colours is of a much later date. During the Age of Sail in the early 17th century, the Union Jack finds its origins, when James VI of Scotland inherited the English and Irish thrones (as James I). On 12 April 1606, the new flag representing this regal union between England and Scotland
4360-432: The Union Jack in the top left corner. Artistic license Artistic license (alongside more contextually-specific derivative terms such as poetic license , historical license , dramatic license , and narrative license ) refers to deviation from fact or form for artistic purposes. It can include the alteration of grammar or language, or the rewording of pre-existing text. The artistic license may also refer to
4469-633: The United Kingdom , and the United States . Many African nations use the Pan-African colours of red, yellow, and green, including Cameroon , Ethiopia , Ghana , Guinea , Mali and Senegal . Flags containing red, white, and black (a subset of the Pan-Arab colours ) can be found particularly among the Arab nations such as Egypt , Iraq , Syria and Yemen . Due to the common arrangement of
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4578-619: The United States (reverse always showing); and the United Kingdom (obverse always showing). Examples of countries that have special designs for vertical hanging are: Austria , Cambodia (coat of arms must be rotated 90° and blue strips are narrowed), Dominica (coat of arms must be rotated and reverse always showing), Germany , Hungary , Liechtenstein (crown must be rotated 90°), Mexico , Montenegro (coat of arms must be rotated 90° to normal position), Nepal , Slovakia (coat of arms must be rotated 90° to normal position), and Saudi Arabia ( shahada must be rotated 90°). A vertical banner
4687-463: The United States and the United Kingdom ) have identical flags for these three purposes; national flag is sometimes used as a vexillological term to refer to such a three-purpose flag ( [REDACTED] ). In a number of countries, however, and notably those in Latin America , there is a distinct difference between civil and state flags. In most cases, the civil flag is a simplified version of
4796-518: The flag of Denmark , based on a flag that was in continuous use since the 14th-century, were codified in 1748, as a rectangular flag with certain proportions, replacing the variant with a split. The flag of Switzerland was introduced in 1889, also based on medieval war flags. In Europe, the red-white-blue tricolour design of the flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands became popular, since it
4905-585: The flag of Senegal to that of Cameroon and Indonesia to Poland and Monaco . Also the flag of Italy and the flag of Hungary use the same colours, although the order and direction differ (the Italian flag is vertical green-white-red and the Hungarian flag is horizontal red-white-green). The same goes for the flag of France and the flag of the Netherlands (the French flag is vertical blue-white-red and
5014-426: The flag of Serbia omitting the communist star of the flag of Yugoslavia was a decision made in the 1992 Serbian constitutional referendum , but the adoption of a coat of arms within the flag was based on a government "recommendation" in 2003, adopted legislatively in 2009 and again subject to a minor design change in 2010. The flag of the United States underwent numerous changes because the number of stars represents
5123-401: The national colours may also be used on festive occasions. The national flag should be displayed in the open only between sunrise and sunset, except on the occasion of public meetings, processions, or funerals, when it may be displayed for the duration of such functions. When displayed on a platform, the national flag should not be used to cover the speaker's desk, nor should it be draped over
5232-400: The 1680s. Suggesting that green was already a national colour at this time, The Friendly Brothers of St Patrick, an Irish nationalistic fraternity founded in about 1750 adopted green as its colour. Green was for centuries also associated with rebellion and was the unofficial colour of Ireland. In the late 18th century, green had again become associated as the colour of nationalism and was used by
5341-596: The BBC, have previously and mistakenly used the tricolour to represent Northern Ireland. The Department of the Taoiseach has issued guidelines to assist persons in giving due respect to the national flag. Observance of the guidelines is a matter for each individual as there are no statutory requirements. It is expected, however, that the national flag will be treated at all times with appropriate respect by those who use it. The department has general responsibility in relation to
5450-786: The Constitution of Ireland simply states in Article 7: The national flag is the tricolour of green, white and orange. As there are no further statutory requirements in relation to the flag, the Department of the Taoiseach takes general responsibility for matters relating to the flag. In its advisory role, the department has issued guidelines to assist persons in their use of the national flag. The flag should be rectangular in shape and its length should be two times its width , translating into an aspect ratio of 1:2. The three coloured pales – green, white and orange – should be of equal size, and vertically disposed. The precise colours of
5559-512: The Department of the Taoiseach stated that is a misrepresentation that "should be actively discouraged" and that worn-out flags should be replaced. In songs and poems, the colours are sometimes enumerated as "green, white and gold" by using poetic licence . Variants of different guises are utilised to include, for example, various emblems of Ireland, such as the presidential harp, the four provinces or county arms. Green has been associated with
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#17327978594155668-473: The Dutch flag is horizontal red-white-blue). While some similarities are coincidental, others are part of a flag family, flags rooted in shared histories. For example, the flags of Colombia , of Ecuador , and of Venezuela all use variants of the flag of Gran Colombia , the country they composed upon their independence from Spain , created by the Venezuelan independence hero Francisco de Miranda ; and
5777-450: The HBO series Rome , 20th Century Fox's The Greatest Showman and Showtime's The Tudors . Writers adapting a work for another medium (e.g., a film screenplay from a book) often make significant changes, additions to, or omissions from the original plot in the book, on the grounds that these changes were necessary to make a good film. These changes are sometimes to the dismay of fans of
5886-476: The Irish for thousands of years. An anecdote in the Lebor Gabála tells how Gaidel Glas, son of Nel (or Niul), father of the Irish people, was cured of a snakebite when Moses made fervent prayer and placed his staff on Gaidel's wound. An inserted verse in an earlier passage says of Gaidel: "green were his arms and his vesture". Michael O'Clery 's redaction of the Lebor Gabála adds that the snakebite left
5995-590: The Irish one, but with the orange on the hoist side and a shorter proportion (2:3 instead of 1:2). When the Ivory Coast athlete, Murielle Ahouré , celebrated winning the 2018 world indoor 60-metre dash in Birmingham, she borrowed an Irish flag from a spectator and reversed it. Due to this similarity, in Northern Ireland , Ulster loyalists have sometimes desecrated the Ivorian flag, mistaking it for
6104-469: The Irish one. In 2014, Linfield F.C. 's shop on the predominantly-loyalist Shankill Road attracted media coverage, after a window display marking the World Cup included a sign clarifying that one of the flags on display was an Ivory Coast flag, not an Irish one. A Dublin pub also mistakenly flew the Ivorian flag in 2016. National flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes
6213-779: The Union Flag is the only legitimate official flag in Northern Ireland. Nationalists maintain that the Agreement means that the use of the Union Flag for official purposes should be restricted, or that the tricolour should be flown alongside the UK's flag on government buildings. However the tricolour is never flown from official buildings, alone or alongside the UK's flag. A Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Belfast , Alex Maskey , displayed both flags in his own offices causing some controversy. Some institutions in Great Britain, such as
6322-646: The United Irishmen. The United Irishmen , founded in the 1790s, were inspired by the French revolution, and used a green flag, to which they had a harp emblazoned. A rival organisation, the Orange Order , whose main strength was in Ulster , and which was exclusively for Protestants, especially members of the Anglican Church of Ireland , was founded in 1795 in memory of King William of Orange and
6431-429: The ability of an artist to apply smaller distortions, such as a poet ignoring some of the minor requirements of grammar for poetic effect. For example, Mark Antony 's "Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears" from Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar would technically require the word "and" before "countrymen", but the conjunction "and" is omitted to preserve the rhythm of iambic pentameter (the resulting conjunction
6540-503: The coffin. The tricolour is draped across the coffins of Presidents of Ireland (including former presidents), soldiers and Garda Síochána personnel killed in the line of duty, and other notables accorded state funerals , such as Roger Casement in 1965, or Kevin Barry in 2001. Care should be taken at all times to ensure that the national flag does not touch the ground, trail in water or become entangled in trees or other obstacles. It
6649-461: The colors red, white, or blue is Jamaica's . The occurrence of each colour in all the flags is listed in detail in the table below. The table shows that the colours light brown, dark brown and grey are only present in very small quantities. To be more precise these colours are currently only present in some of the symbols found within a few flags, such as in the case of the Spanish flag . Although
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#17327978594156758-429: The dead during memorial ceremonies. In raising or lowering, the national flag should not be allowed to touch the ground. When being hoisted to half-mast , the flag should first be brought to the peak of the staff and then lowered to the half-mast position. It should again be brought to the peak of the staff before it is finally lowered. On ceremonial occasions when the national flag is being hoisted or lowered, or when it
6867-549: The direction in which these flags fly is crucial to identify them. There are three colour combinations that are used on several flags in certain regions. Blue, white, and red is a common combination in Slavic countries such as the Czech Republic , Slovakia , Russia , Serbia , Slovenia , and Croatia as well as among Western nations including Australia , France , Iceland , the Netherlands , New Zealand , Norway ,
6976-563: The effective date of the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland, when the Cross of St. Patrick (a red diagonal cross on white) was incorporated into the flag, giving the Union Jack its current design. With the emergence of nationalist sentiment from the late 18th century national flags began to be displayed in civilian contexts as well. Notable early examples include the US flag , which
7085-402: The first flagstaff before the group. An alternative order of flags is to begin on the left with the national flag and place the European Union flag on the far right of the group, as seen by an observer. With regard to international flags; where either an even or an odd number of flags are flown in line on staffs of equal height, the national flag should be first on the right of the line – that
7194-466: The flag as set by the Department of the Taoiseach since at least 2001 are: The flag should normally be displayed on a flagstaff, with the green pale positioned next to the flagstaff, at the hoist . Provided that the correct proportions are observed, the flag may be made to any convenient size. The green pale of the flag symbolises Roman Catholics, the orange represents the minority Protestants who were supporters of William of Orange . His title came from
7303-470: The flag pole. However, some countries have specific protocols for this purpose or even have special flags for vertical hanging; usually rotating some elements of the flag — such as the coat of arms — so that they are seen in an upright position. Examples of countries that have special protocol for vertical hanging are: Canada , Czech Republic , Greece , Israel , the Philippines , South Africa , and
7412-633: The flag was adopted by the Executive Council . The Free State constitution did not specify national symbols; the decision to use the flag was made without recourse to statute. When the Free State joined the League of Nations in September 1923, the new flag "created a good deal of interest amongst the general public" in Geneva . The defeated republicans who had fought the Free State's forces in
7521-522: The flags of Kuwait , of Jordan , and of Palestine are all highly similar variants of the flag of the Arab revolt of 1916–1918. The flags of Romania and Moldova are virtually the same, because of the common history and heritage. Moldova adopted the Romanian flag during the declaration of independence from the USSR in 1991 (and was used in various demonstrations and revolts by the population) and later
7630-433: The flags of several polities depicted – although these are not uniformly "national flags", as some were likely the personal standards of the respective nation's rulers. The practice of flying flags indicating the country of origin outside of the context of warfare became common with the maritime flag . During the 13th century, the republics of Genoa and Venice both used maritime flags; William Gordon Perrin wrote that
7739-501: The fundamental symbolism is destroyed. Associated with separatism in the past, flown during the Easter Rising of 1916 and capturing the national imagination as the banner of the new revolutionary Ireland, the tricolour came to be acclaimed throughout the country as somewhat of a national flag. To many Irish people, though, it was considered to be a " Sinn Féin flag". In the Irish Free State which existed between 1922 and 1937,
7848-586: The hands of Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics may be clasped in generous and heroic brotherhood" . It was not until the Easter Rising of 1916, when it was raised above Dublin's General Post Office by Gearóid O'Sullivan , that the tricolour came to be regarded as the national flag. The flag was adopted by the Irish Republic during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921). The flag's use
7957-524: The law. Despite its original symbolism, in Northern Ireland the tricolour, along with most other markers of either British or Irish identity, has come to be a symbol of division. The Ulster Unionist Party Government of Northern Ireland adopted the Ulster Banner (based on the flag of Ulster) in 1953. Thus it is this flag and the Union Flag that are flown by unionists and loyalists , while
8066-483: The majority of police work. They will also present other duties with much more action, suspense or drama than would be experienced in reality. The same is also true for many military-oriented adventure stories which often show high-ranking characters being allowed to continuously enter dangerous situations when in reality, they would usually be restricted to command-oriented and administrative duties. Artistic license often provokes controversy by offending those who resent
8175-556: The national flag and its connection to political ideology ( form of government , monarchy vs. republic vs. theocracy, etc.) remains visible. In such cases national flags acquire the status of a political symbol . The flag of Germany , for instance, was a tricolour of black-white-red under the German Empire , inherited from the North German Confederation (1866). The Weimar Republic that followed adopted
8284-458: The national flag and this is primarily concerned with the protocol for the flying of the flag. The Department's role, therefore, is an advisory one. With respect to the display, placing and precedence of the national flag by both itself and in relation to other flags, the department has made a number of suggestions. No flag or pennant should be flown above the national flag. When the flag is carried with another flag, or flags, it should be carried in
8393-407: The national flag is displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall or other background, the green should be on the right (an observer's left) in the horizontal position or uppermost in the vertical position. When displayed on a platform, the national flag should be above and behind the speaker's desk. While being carried, the flag should not be dipped by way of salute or compliment except to
8502-400: The national flag is meant to be a unique symbol representing a nation, many countries have highly similar flags. Examples include the flags of Monaco and Indonesia , which differ only slightly in proportion and the tint of red; the flags of the Netherlands and Luxembourg , which differ in proportion as well as in the tint of blue used; the flags of Romania and Chad , which differ only in
8611-419: The national flag should be displayed from the staff so placed. Where one of these flags is that of the European Union, the European Union flag should be flown from the first flagstaff on the right, or as seen by an observer, on the first flagstaff on the left. Only one national flag should be displayed in each group of flags or at each location. In all cases, the national flag should be in the place of honour. When
8720-403: The national flag should be to the right and to the fore – that is to the left of the observer who is facing the flag. Its staff should be in front of the other flag or flags. When the group of flags of the European Union are flown, the sequence is alphabetical, based on the first letter of the country's name. The flags should be flown from left to right with the European Union flag flown from
8829-468: 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. Unionists argue that the recognition of the principle of consent in the Agreement ;– that Northern Ireland's constitutional status cannot change without a majority favouring it – by the signatories amounts to recognising that
8938-458: The number of states, proactively defined in a Flag Act of 1818 to the effect that "on the admission of every new state into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag"; it was changed most recently in 1960 with the accession of Hawaii . A change in national flag is often due to a change of regime, especially following a civil war or revolution . In such cases, the military origins of
9047-480: The place of honour – that is on the marching right, or on the left of an observer towards whom the flags are approaching. Where one of these flags is that of the European Union , the European Union flag should be carried on the immediate left of the national flag, or, as seen by an observer when the flags are approaching, on the immediate right of the national flag. In the event of a display of crossed staffs,
9156-405: The platform. The national flag should never be defaced by placing slogans, logos, lettering or pictures of any kind on it, for example at sporting events. The flag should not be draped on cars, trains, boats or other modes of transport; it should not be carried flat, but should always be carried aloft and free, except when used to drape a coffin; on such an occasion, the green should be at the head of
9265-487: The position as if they were blowing in the wind. In some countries, such as the United States and Canada (except for the Royal Canadian Navy's Ensign ), the national ensign is identical to the national flag, while in others, such as the United Kingdom , India , Italy and Japan , there are specific ensigns for maritime use. Most countries do not have a separate state ensign, although the United Kingdom
9374-548: The principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity as embodied in the French flag. The Ottoman flag (now the flag of Turkey ) was adopted in 1844. Other non-European powers followed the trend in the late 19th century, the flag of Great Qing being introduced in 1862, that of Japan being introduced in 1870. Also in the 19th century, most countries of South America introduced a flag as they became independent ( Peru in 1820, Bolivia in 1851, Colombia in 1860, Brazil in 1822, etc.) Currently, there are 193 national flags in
9483-568: The reinterpretation of cherished beliefs or previous works. Artists often respond to these criticisms by pointing out that their work was not intended to be a verbatim portrayal of something previous and should be judged only on artistic merit . Artistic license is a generally accepted practice, particularly when the result is widely acclaimed. William Shakespeare 's historical plays, for example, are gross distortions of historical fact but are nevertheless lauded as outstanding literary works. Critical voices are sometimes raised when artistic license
9592-462: The republic of Genoa was "one of the earliest states to adopt a national flag". The current design of the flag of the Netherlands originates as a variant of the late 16th century orange-white-blue Prinsenvlag ("Prince's Flag"), that was used in the Dutch War of Independence (1568–1648), evolving in the early 17th century as the red-white-blue Statenvlag ("States Flag"), the naval flag of
9701-577: The same colours, at first sight, it seems that the only difference between the Italian and the Mexican flag is only the coat of arms of Mexico present in the latter; in reality the Italian tricolour uses lighter shades of green and red, and has different proportions than the Mexican flag—those of the Italian flag are equal to 2:3, while the proportions of the Mexican flag are 4:7. The similarity between
9810-402: The seat of the Irish parliament , when parliament is in session; Irish courts and state buildings; Irish military installations, at home and abroad; Irish embassies and consulates ; and Garda Síochána (police) stations. The national flag is also flown on Saint Patrick's Day (the national holiday ), Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (in commemoration of the Easter Rising of 1916), and
9919-489: The state flag, with the difference often being the presence of a coat of arms on the state flag that is absent from the civil flag. Very few countries use a war flag that differs from the state flag. Taiwan , Japan , and China are notable examples of this. Swallow-tailed flags are used as war flags and naval ensigns in Nordic countries and charged versions as presidential or royal standards. The Philippines does not have
10028-434: The tint of blue, and the flags of Cuba and Puerto Rico , which differ only in proportion, placement and tint of colors. The flags of Ireland and Ivory Coast and the flags of Mali and Guinea are (aside from shade or ratio differences) vertically mirrored versions from each other. This means that the reverse of one flag matches the obverse of the other. Unlike horizontally mirrored flags (like Poland and Indonesia )
10137-513: The tricolour as a flag of convenience ; so did the whalers of Christian Salvesen Shipping, to take advantage of the Irish whale quota. The tricolour's marine status was formalised by the Merchant Shipping Act 1947. In 1921, Ireland was partitioned , with the unionist -dominated north-east becoming Northern Ireland , while later, in 1922, the remainder of Ireland left the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to form
10246-434: The tricolour is flown by nationalists and republicans. In Northern Ireland, each community uses its own flags, murals and other symbols to declare its allegiance and mark its territory, often in a manner that is deliberately provocative. Kerb-stones in unionist and loyalist areas are often painted red, white and blue, while in nationalist and republican areas kerb-stones may be painted green, white and orange, although this
10355-559: The tricolour of France. Speeches made at that time by Meagher suggest that it was regarded as an innovation and not as the revival of an older flag. From March of that year Irish tricolours appeared side by side with French ones at meetings held all over the country. John Mitchel , referring to the tricolour of green, white and orange that Meagher had presented from Paris at a later meeting in Dublin on 15 April 1848, said: "I hope to see that flag one day waving, as our national banner". Although
10464-498: The tricolour was not forgotten as a symbol of the ideal of union and a banner associated with the Young Irelanders and revolution, it was rarely used between 1848 and 1916. Even up to the eve of the Easter Rising of 1916, the green flag featuring a harp held undisputed sway. Neither the colours nor the arrangement of the early tricolours were standardised. All of the 1848 tricolours showed green, white and orange, but orange
10573-676: The two flags posed a serious problem in maritime transport, given that originally the Mexican mercantile flag was devoid of arms and therefore was consequently identical to the Italian Republican tricolour of 1946; to obviate the inconvenience, at the request of the International Maritime Organization , both Italy and Mexico adopted naval flags with different crests. Many other similarities may be found among current national flags, particularly if inversions of colour schemes are considered, e.g., compare
10682-541: The use of the three colours of green, white and orange as a nationalist emblem dates from September 1830 when tricolour cockades were worn at a meeting held to celebrate the French Revolution of that year – a revolution which restored the use of the French tricolour . The colours were also used in the same period for rosettes and badges, and on the banners of trade guilds . However, widespread recognition
10791-682: The white cloth banners of the Zhou dynasty 's armies in the 11th century BC, the vexillum standards flown by the armies of the Roman Empire , the Black Standard famously carried by Muhammad which later became the flag of the Abbasid Caliphate , and the various " Raven banners " flown by Viking chieftains. Angelino Dulcert published a series of comprehensive Portolan charts in the 14th century AD, which famously showcased
10900-626: The world flown by sovereign states that are members of the United Nations . The national flag is often mentioned or described in a country's constitution , but its detailed description may be delegated to a flag law passed by the legislature, or even secondary legislation or in monarchies a decree . Thus, the national flag is mentioned briefly in the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany of 1949 "the federal flag
11009-630: Was associated with a republican form of government through that country's long war of independence against the Spanish Crown . That association was greatly reinforced after the French Revolution (1789), when France used the same colours, but with vertical instead of horizontal stripes. Other countries in Europe (like Ireland , Italy , Romania and Estonia ) and in South and Central America selected tricolours of their own to express their adherence to
11118-502: Was continued by the Irish Free State (1922–1937) and it was later given constitutional status under the 1937 Constitution of Ireland . The tricolour is used by nationalists on both sides of the border as the national flag of the whole island of Ireland since 1916. Thus it is flown by many nationalists in Northern Ireland as well as by the Gaelic Athletic Association . Concerning the national flag of Ireland,
11227-600: Was first adopted as a naval ensign in 1777 but began to be displayed as a generic symbol of the United States after the American Revolution , and the French Tricolor , which became a symbol of the Republic in the 1790s. Most countries of Europe standardised and codified the designs of their maritime flags as national flags, in the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The specifications of
11336-524: Was flown by the fisheries patrol vessel Muirchú , precursor to the Irish Naval Service ; Frank Carney alleged in the Dáil in 1930 that a trespassing French trawler had refused to surrender to because it did not recognise Muirchú' s flag. Irish-register ships could fly the Red Ensign until September 1939, after the outbreak of World War II , when a decree under the state of emergency
11445-565: Was made, to ensure neutral Irish ships were not mistaken for British ships. Some ships flying the tricolour were nevertheless sunk by Germans. When the tricolour was hoisted over the passenger ferries in Holyhead their British crews went on strike. Five days later their owners transferred the ferries to the British register and the Red Ensign was restored. On the other hand, the Belfast to Liverpool ferry , British owned and British crewed, used
11554-581: Was not accorded to the flag until 1848. At a meeting in his native city of Waterford on 7 March 1848, Thomas Francis Meagher , the Young Ireland leader, first publicly unveiled the flag from a second-floor window of the Wolfe Tone Club as he addressed a gathered crowd on the street below who were present to celebrate another revolution that had just taken place in France . It was inspired by
11663-706: Was sometimes put next to the staff, and in at least one flag the order was orange, green and white. In 1850 a flag of green for the Roman Catholics , orange for the Protestants of the Established Church and blue for the Presbyterians was proposed. In 1883, a Parnellite tricolour of yellow, white and green, arranged horizontally, was recorded. Down to modern times, yellow has occasionally been used instead of orange, but by this substitution
11772-473: Was specified in a royal decree, according to which the flag of England (a red cross on a white background, known as St George's Cross ), and the flag of Scotland (a white saltire on a blue background, known as the Saltire or St Andrew's Cross), would be joined, forming the flag of Great Britain and first Union Flag - but then without the red Cross of St. Patrick . It continued in use until 1 January 1801,
11881-519: Was used again by National Transitional Council and by anti-Gaddafi forces during the Libyan Civil War in 2011 and officially adopted by the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration . There are three distinct types of national flag for use on land, and three for use at sea, though many countries use identical designs for several (and sometimes all) of these types of flag. On land, there
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