.svg) | |
| Ulster Banner | |
| Use |  |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Adopted |
|
| Relinquished | 1973(Government abolished) |
| Design | Red cross on a white field, decorated by a six-pointed star bearing ared hand and ensigned by acrown. |
| Designed by | Sir Nevile Wilkinson (Ulster King of Arms) |
.svg) | |
| Use | Version with Tudor Crown used between 1924 and 1953 |
TheUlster Banner (also unofficially known as theUlster Flag orFlag of Northern Ireland) is a heraldic banner taken from theformer coat of arms ofNorthern Ireland, consisting of a red cross on a white field, upon which is a crowned six-pointed star with ared hand in the centre. It was the flag of the formerGovernment of Northern Ireland and commonflag of Northern Ireland from 1953 until that government was abolished in 1973 with the passing of theNorthern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.
Thearms and flag were designed inDublin Castle byMajorSir Nevile Wilkinson,Ulster King of Arms, in 1923–1924. The flag is based onthe flag of the traditional province of Ulster,[1] including aRed Hand of Ulster in the centre, and the redde Burgh cross[1] (though some claim this is theSaint George's Cross[2]). It has the addition of a crown to represent themonarchy of the United Kingdom. Rather than a shield, the Red Hand is inside a six-pointed star, representing the sixcounties that make upNorthern Ireland. It isblazoned:"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".
The flag is also sometimes called theUlster flag,[3] theNorthern Ireland flag, the (old)Stormont flag, or theRed Hand of Ulster flag.[4] Loyalists often use "Ulster" as another name for Northern Ireland,[5] andStormont was the seat of the formerGovernment of Northern Ireland.
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In 1924, theGovernment of Northern Ireland was grantedits own coat of arms byRoyal Warrant and had the right to display these arms on aflag or banner. This right was exercised for theCoronation ofQueen Elizabeth II in 1953. From 1953 until 1972 (when the government last sat), the flag was used officially by the Government of Northern Ireland and also as ade facto civicflag for Northern Ireland. In 1973, the Government andParliament of Northern Ireland were abolished by theParliament of the United Kingdom under theNorthern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.
Since the Government of Northern Ireland was abolished in 1973, the flag (and variations thereof) has continued to be used byunionists. In 2004,Belfast City Council commissioned a study on the flying of flags that noted that the Ulster Banner continued to be flown, alongside theUnion flag, by three unionist-controlledlocal authorities in Northern Ireland:Ards Borough Council,Carrickfergus Borough Council, andCastlereagh Borough Council.[6]
The Ulster Banner is used to represent Northern Ireland at theCommonwealth Games,[7][8] to represent golfers on thePGA Tour,[9] and byFIFA to represent theNorthern Ireland national football team.[10]
In November 2024, theNorthern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council (NICGC) discussed the possibility of using its own flag at the Commonwealth Games if a new "Civic Flag" proposed by the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Traditions is not in place before the2026 Commonwealth Games.[11]
Rory McIlroy used the version with the Tudor crown for his2025 Masters Tournament win.
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