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The only official flag of Northern Ireland is the Union Flag of the United Kingdom. Due to the division of the population along religious and political lines, a wide variety of flags can be seen flying from lamposts and private houses.

The Red Hand Flag

The St. George's cross defaced with the red hand, a six pointed star, and the crown, is the flag most foreigners associate with Northern Ireland. Presently, it does not have any official sanction.

In 1924 the Government of Northern Ireland was granted arms by Royal Warrant and had the right to display these arms on a flag or banner. This right was exercised for the Coronation in 1953. Between 1953 and 1973, the so-called "Red Hand Flag" was the arms of the Government of Northern Ireland and commonly used during this period as a de facto civil flag. It ceased to have official sanction when the Stormont Assembly was dissolved.

Despite this, the flag is used extensively within the Unionist community, along with the Union Flag. The Unionist community also fly a number of modified "Red Hand" banners; versions which place the Union Flag in the Canton, and one superimposes both the red hand and the outline of a map of Northern Ireland on the Union Flag.

The red hand flag is still, somewhat controversialy, used to represent the province at the Commonwealth Games.

The Historical Flag of Ulster

A red cross on a golden field, charged with a white shield and the red hand is a banner of arms of the historic province of Ulster. Although Ulster and Northern Ireland are used interchangably in some press reports, Ulster formed one of the historic provinces of the island of Ireland and consisted of nine counties. Three of these now form part of the Republic of Ireland. The remaining six counties became Northern Ireland. It is in the three counties of the Republic where the flag is most prevalent.

The Nationalist community uses this flag on occassion, but it is overshadowed by the Tricolour. It is usually only displayed alongside the flags of Leinster, Munster, Connacht, or as part of the combined flag of the provinces. As the flag has not been 'hijacked' for political gain as so many have in Ireland, it has been chosen as the emblem for several national sports teams.

• Flags of the United Kingdom
• Northern Ireland