Irish Tricolour
The tricolour of green, white and orange, the official flag of the state of Ireland, is considered by many, including Irish nationalists, to represent the entire island as well. Gerry Adams said in Dáil Éireann in 2011:
- Above this Chamber flies the flag of this nation — all Thirty-Two Counties — the flag of green, white and orange.
However, this symbolism is rejected by Ulster unionists, as illustrated by an exchange in the House of Commons of Northern Ireland in 1951:
- James McSparran: The tricolour is admitted by all nations within the comity of nations to be the national flag of Ireland.
- Honorable members: No.
- McSparran: We are having interruptions already. It is the national flag of the Irish Republic.
- William May: That is better.
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) flies this flag at matches regardless of whether either or both teams are from Northern Ireland. It is also used for the Ireland international rules football team, selected by the GAA on an all-island basis.
The Golfing Union of Ireland covers the whole island and competes under the tricolour in international events such as the World Cup, Alfred Dunhill Cup and the Eisenhower Trophy.
Read more about this topic: Cross-border Flag For Ireland
Famous quotes containing the word irish:
“The next forenoon we went to Oldtown.... The Indian is said to cultivate the vices rather than the virtues of the white man. Yet this village was cleaner than I expected, far cleaner than such Irish villages as I have seen.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)