Editing Northern Ireland (section)

===Symbols===
{{See also|Northern Ireland flags issue}}
[[File:NI Assembly.svg|thumb|right|The logo for the [[Northern Ireland Assembly|Northern Ireland assembly]] is based on the flower of the [[flax]] plant.<ref name="NI logo">{{cite web |author=Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office |url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/io/logo.htm |title=Northern Ireland Assembly logo |publisher=Niassembly.gov.uk |access-date=13 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013063735/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/io/logo.htm |archive-date=13 October 2010}}</ref>]]
[[File:Flag of Northern Ireland (1924–1953).svg|thumb|The [[Ulster Banner]] is used to represent Northern Ireland in [[Northern Ireland national football team|association football]] and at the [[Commonwealth Games]].]]

Northern Ireland comprises a patchwork of communities whose national loyalties are represented in some areas by flags flown from flagpoles or lamp posts. The [[Union Jack]] and the former [[flag of Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland flag]] are flown in many loyalist areas, and the Tricolour, adopted by republicans as the [[flag of Ireland]] in 1916,<ref>{{cite book |title=Reactions To Irish Nationalism, 1865–1914 |editor=Alan O'Day |publisher=Hambledon Press |location=London |year=1987 |quote=With the Rising of 1916 a break took place in national symbolism which was most visibly manifested in the national flag and the anthem which the young Irish nation accepted. The demise of the Parliamentary Party stands in direct parallel to the just as rapidly diminishing power of its symbols. The green flag and 'God save Ireland' began to be discredited as symbols of constitutional nationalism and, instead, the symbols of revolutionary nationalism gained popularity as the majority of the Irish people identified themselves with the political aims of the Easter revolutionaries. The use of symbols made apparent that the occurrences of 1916 initiated a new epoch in Irish history much in the same as the Union of 1801 and the Famine of 1845–8 did. Both the national flag and the national anthem of present-day Ireland drive origins directly from the Rising. At first, it still appeared as if the revolutionaries would take over the old symbols because on the roof of their headquarters, the Dublin General Post Office, a green flag with the harp was hoisted next to the republican tricolour although with the inscription 'Irish Republic'. Even 'Got save Ireland' was sung by the revolutionaries during Easter week. But after the failure of the Rising and the subsequent executions of the leading revolutionaries the tricolour and 'The Soldier's Song' became more and more popular as symbols of the rebellion.}}</ref> is flown in some republican areas. Even kerbstones in some areas are painted red-white-blue or green-white-orange, depending on whether local people express unionist/loyalist or nationalist/republican sympathies.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7748005.stm Vandals curbed by plastic edging] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828162145/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7748005.stm |date=28 August 2017 }} BBC News, 25 November 2008.</ref>

The official flag is that of the state having sovereignty over the territory, i.e. the Union Flag.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2000/20000347.htm |title=Statutory Rule 2000 No. 347 |publisher=Opsi.gov.uk |access-date=7 August 2013 |archive-date=9 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209115902/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2000/20000347.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The former Northern Ireland flag, also known as the "[[Ulster Banner]]" or "Red Hand Flag", is a banner derived from the coat of arms of the [[Government of Northern Ireland]] until 1972. Since 1972, it has had no official status. The Union Flag and the Ulster Banner are used exclusively by unionists. The UK flags policy states that in Northern Ireland, "The Ulster flag and the [[Saint Patrick's Saltire|Cross of St Patrick]] have no official status and, under the Flags Regulations, are not permitted to be flown from Government Buildings."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090618161731/http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-04474.pdf The Union Flag and Flags of the United Kingdom] House of Commons Library, 3 June 2008.</ref><ref>[http://flags.net/NOIR.htm Northern Irish flags from the World Flag Database] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913181314/http://www.flags.net/NOIR.htm |date=13 September 2017 }}.</ref>

The [[Irish Rugby Football Union]] and the [[Church of Ireland]] have used the [[Saint Patrick's Saltire]] or "Cross of St&nbsp;Patrick". This red [[saltire]] on a white field was used to represent Ireland in the [[flag of the United Kingdom]]. It is still used by some [[British Army]] regiments. Foreign flags are also found, such as the [[Palestinian territories|Palestinian]] flags in some nationalist areas and [[Israel]]i flags in some unionist areas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dowd |first1=Vincent |title=Israel and the Palestinians: The Irish connection |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10294057 |access-date=25 July 2014 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=17 June 2010 |archive-date=3 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903214406/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10294057 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The United Kingdom national anthem of "[[God Save the King]]" is often played at state events in Northern Ireland. At the [[Commonwealth Games]] and some other sporting events, the Northern Ireland team uses the Ulster Banner as its flag—notwithstanding its lack of official status—and the "[[Londonderry Air]]" (usually set to [[lyrics]] as "[[Danny Boy]]"), which also has no official status, as its [[national anthem]].<ref>''Sport, Nationalism and Globalization: European and North American Perspectives'' by Alan Bairner ({{ISBN|978-0791449127}}), p. 38</ref><ref>''Sport, Sectarianism and Society in a Divided Ireland'' by John Sugden and Alan Bairner ({{ISBN|978-0718500184}}), p. 60</ref> The [[Northern Ireland national football team]] also uses the Ulster Banner as its flag but uses "God Save The King" as its anthem.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/confederations/associationdetails/0%2C1483%2CNIR%2C00.html?countrycode=NIR |title=FIFA.com: Northern Ireland, Latest News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051210203557/http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/confederations/associationdetails/0%2C1483%2CNIR%2C00.html?countrycode=NIR |archive-date=10 December 2005}}</ref> Major [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] matches are opened by the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland, "{{Lang|ga|[[Amhrán na bhFiann]]|italic=no}} (The Soldier's Song)", which is also used by most other all-Ireland sporting organisations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-3.htm |title=Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland 3.2 Flags and Anthems |author1=John Sugden |author2=Scott Harvie |name-list-style=amp |year=1995 |access-date=26 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502190044/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-3.htm |archive-date=2 May 2014}}</ref> Since 1995, the [[Ireland rugby union team]] has used a specially commissioned song, "[[Ireland's Call]]" as the team's anthem. The Irish national anthem is also played at Dublin home matches, being the anthem of the host country.<ref>{{cite news |quote=the band played ''Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika'' and ''Die Stem'' for the Springboks and "Soldier's Song", the national anthem that is otherwise known as ''Amhran na bhFiann'', and "Ireland's Call", the team's official rugby anthem. |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-103809383.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104100940/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-103809383.html |archive-date=4 November 2012 |author=Peter Berlin |work=International Herald Tribune |date=29 December 2004 |access-date=26 May 2008 |title=Long Unsung Teams Live up to Anthems: Rugby Union}}</ref>

[[Northern Irish murals]] have become well-known features of Northern Ireland, depicting past and present events and documenting peace and cultural diversity. Almost 2,000 murals have been documented in Northern Ireland since the 1970s.