Ireland - a country where the struggle for the right to national independence is a long time.Intense debate does not stop today.Therefore, the flag of Ireland and its other characters can be quite controversial.And for the Irish this issue is of great importance, it is not important to the northern or the southern parts of the island in question.
official symbols
Since Northern Ireland is part of the British part of the Kingdom, it is the British flag.The blue flag with a red cross and straight white-red symbolizes right oblique Britain, Scotland and Northern Ireland, combining in one image different banners.The British are often associated with Saint George, it symbolizes a white background and a straight red cross.Scotland is St. Andrew's flag - a blue flag with a white diagonal cross.Patron saint of Ireland is Saint Patrick.His flag - white with a red diagonal cross.Such standard within a single UK is the official symbol.But there are unofficial, which belongs only to the Irish, and the UK is not related.
Historic flag of Northern Ireland
unofficial symbol of the moment is the so-called flag of Ulster.It is a historical flag of Ireland in this part of the island.Banner emerged from the union of heraldic symbols major royal dynasties.It combines a red St. George's cross on a yellow background, white billboard in the middle of the flag and the red hand on it.In 1924, Northern Ireland was allowed to officially use the banner of the Ulster.However, some changes were made.On the flag of Ireland added a six-pointed star, symbolizing the number of counties.When in 1973 it was dissolved the local parliament, the official symbol of faded.Since then, the Irish can use only standard of the United Kingdom.Historic Northern Ireland flag, photos of which can sometimes appear in the press, is used by separatists and Protestant communities.Reclamation claims rights to its official use not cease.
Symbolism informal cloth
In Ulster County Flag extensive history.His equally use both Catholic and Protestant.However, a red hand, depicted in it, they understand completely different.So, for the Unionist image is a symbol of the six counties of Northern Ireland.Nationalists argue that the image applies to all nine counties, including the south.This was originally a red hand, adorns the flag of Ireland, there was a sign of the local aristocracy.Contact her old legend.When the king staged a contest for dominance over Ulster, O'Neill began to keep up with the opponent and cut off his arm to throw it forward and win the race.Along with the old flag is used as national symbols such as the Easter lily and flax flower.The first is connected with the uprising in 1916, so is widely used in the first place, separatist groups.The second is more neutral in meaning.Blue flax flowers symbolize the light industry, which employs almost all of the population.Work rallied and united Irish.
flag of an independent state of Ireland
If the northern part of the island still achieve independence, the country will unite under the tricolor is now used in the southern part.The official state flag of Ireland consists of three vertical stripes: green, white and orange.The first refers to the Catholics, and the last - Protestants, white color symbolizes the agreement between the different denominations.There is another interpretation.So, green is associated with indigenous peoples, and orange - with the British colonists times of William of Orange.White also in this embodiment represents the union.Most Romantic residents describe the flag of Ireland as follows: Green indicates freestyle Irish soul, orange recalls the joyous, and white indicates the aspiration to God.
