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Ulster Banner — Northern Ireland Flag Reference

Historical regional flag reference

Ulster Banner — Northern Ireland Flag Reference uses ulster Banner: white field with a red cross, crowned six-pointed star and Red Hand of Ulster. Ratio 1:2.

Ulster Banner — Northern Ireland Flag Reference
Hoist Ratio 1:2 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag Ulster Banner — Northern Ireland Flag Reference
Entity Type Historical regional flag reference
Identifier GB-NIR

Flag Specifications

First Documented Use 1953
Proportion 1:2
Shape Rectangle
Colours White, Red, Gold
Construction Ulster Banner: white field with a red cross, crowned six-pointed star and Red Hand of Ulster

Documented Colour Values

Colour Appearance HEX RGB CMYK
White #FFFFFF 255, 255, 255 0, 0, 0, 0
Red #CF142B 207, 20, 43 0, 90, 79, 19
Gold #FFD700 255, 215, 0 0, 16, 100, 0

Design and Symbolism

White the field.
Red the Cross of Saint George and the Red Hand.
Gold the crown.
Red Hand of Ulster The ancient emblem of Ulster.
Six-pointed star The six counties of Northern Ireland.
Current status The Ulster Banner has had no official status since 1973; the Union Flag is the only official flag of Northern Ireland.

Proportions

Ratio 1:2
Hoist 1 units
Fly 2 units

About the Ulster Banner — Northern Ireland Flag Reference

Ulster Banner: white field with a red cross, crowned six-pointed star and Red Hand of Ulster The recorded proportion is 1:2. Within this library it is grouped with cross with a central emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Northern Ireland is White (#FFFFFF), Red (#CF142B) and Gold (#FFD700). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Red Hand of Ulster: The ancient emblem of Ulster; Six-pointed star: The six counties of Northern Ireland; Current status: The Ulster Banner has had no official status since 1973; the Union Flag is the only official flag of Northern Ireland.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1953.

Current status and context

Northern Ireland does not currently have a separate official local flag. The Union Flag is the only official flag of Northern Ireland; the Ulster Banner shown here is retained as a historical and sporting reference because it remains widely encountered.

Additional flag context

The Ulster Banner has had no official status since the Parliament of Northern Ireland was abolished in 1972, though it remains in use in some sporting contexts.

The red hand in the centre is the Red Hand of Ulster, an emblem used by communities on both sides of the region's divide.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Ulster Banner: white field with a red cross, crowned six-pointed star and Red Hand of Ulster, a 1:2 proportion and the visible red Hand of Ulster. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Other cross with a central emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Northern Ireland

  1. Northern Ireland is recorded as ulster Banner: white field with a red cross, crowned six-pointed star and Red Hand of Ulster.
  2. The reference proportion for the flag of Northern Ireland is 1:2.
  3. The stored palette for Northern Ireland contains White, Red and Gold.
  4. The design record traces first use to 1953.
  5. Its construction is grouped with the cross with a central emblem design family in this library.
  6. Red Hand of Ulster: The ancient emblem of Ulster.
  7. Six-pointed star: The six counties of Northern Ireland.
  8. Northern Ireland does not currently have a separate official local flag. The Union Flag is the only official flag of Northern Ireland; the Ulster Banner shown here is retained as a historical and sporting reference because it remains widely encountered.
  9. The Ulster Banner has had no official status since the Parliament of Northern Ireland was abolished in 1972, though it remains in use in some sporting contexts.
  10. The red hand in the centre is the Red Hand of Ulster, an emblem used by communities on both sides of the region's divide.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Northern Ireland

What does the flag of Northern Ireland look like?

Ulster Banner: white field with a red cross, crowned six-pointed star and Red Hand of Ulster, with a recorded proportion of 1:2.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Northern Ireland?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 1:2.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Northern Ireland?

The reference palette lists White #FFFFFF, Red #CF142B and Gold #FFD700.

What do the symbols on the flag of Northern Ireland represent?

Red Hand of Ulster — The ancient emblem of Ulster. Six-pointed star — The six counties of Northern Ireland. Current status — The Ulster Banner has had no official status since 1973; the Union Flag is the only official flag of Northern Ireland.

Which design family does the flag of Northern Ireland belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with cross with a central emblem designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Is there special status context for the flag of Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland does not currently have a separate official local flag. The Union Flag is the only official flag of Northern Ireland; the Ulster Banner shown here is retained as a historical and sporting reference because it remains widely encountered.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Northern Ireland?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.