Flags to support Northern Ireland

Jane Trumpet

I support the Republic of Ireland soccer team and live in the South.
let's say I also wanted to put a flag out to show support to the Northern Irish soccer team; what would be an appropriate flag? It needs to be palatable in the south and to nationalists in the North whilst not offensive to unionists.
Is there such a flag? All suggestions welcome!
My ideal scenario would be for Republic vs Northern final and then the best team on the day to win:-)

The Golden Miller

Jane Trumpet wrote: »

I support the Republic of Ireland soccer team and live in the South.
let's say I also wanted to put a flag out to show support to the Northern Irish soccer team; what would be an appropriate flag? It needs to be palatable in the south and to nationalists in the North whilst not offensive to unionists.
Is there such a flag? All suggestions welcome!
My ideal scenario would be for Republic vs Northern final and then the best team on the day to win:-)

No such flag exists. This faux love-in from some Irish people in relation to the unionist football team is fairly tragic. Wish them well if you want, but what are you trying to prove by going overboard with it? To show us all how "matured" and "enlightened" you are?

Jane Trumpet

The Golden Miller wrote: »

No such flag exists. This faux love-in from some Irish people in relation to the unionist football team is fairly tragic. Wish them well if you want, but what are you trying to prove by going overboard with it? To show us all how "matured" and "enlightened" you are?

I know there's a history between both associations and I'm not clued into what it is. I was in a bar this evening in the South with 150 people passively/actively watching the NI v Ukraine game. When NI scored the place erupted.
I'll give you this scenario. Lets say Republic get knocked out in group but NI get through? I think 95% of southerner s would like to see NI do as well as possible.
I'm not trying to be a PC pontiff. I was just curious and wanted to draw on people's opinions.

Nekarsulm

Red hand of ulster, obviously. Its on every sports jumper motiff design of every sport in Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal, as well as the Nordie counties.

pgj2015

http://theflagman.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=142&zenid=449cp1pmpbpmka2uv2ctqotfl6

Jane Trumpet

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Red hand of ulster, obviously. Its on every sports jumper motiff design of every sport in Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal, as well as the Nordie counties.

Would that be just red hand on white background or what?

Green Fella

Jane Trumpet wrote: »

I know there's a history between both associations and I'm not clued into what it is. I was in a bar this evening in the South with 150 people passively/actively watching the NI v Ukraine game. When NI scored the place erupted.
I'll give you this scenario. Lets say Republic get knocked out in group but NI get through? I think 95% of southerner s would like to see NI do as well as possible.
I'm not trying to be a PC pontiff. I was just curious and wanted to draw on people's opinions.

I was very happy to see them win, its good to see the underdog do well and they have f all players to pick from. Their fans seem to be getting on with ours in France also. And it was an excellent attacking display, positive changes and mindset which we can learn from. Michael O'Neill is also a very good manager.

Maybe times are changing, I hope they go through but there is sizeable % on both sides who despise the other. And I'm afraid Flags and Northern Ireland are very delicate topic.

The Golden Miller

Jane Trumpet wrote: »

I know there's a history between both associations and I'm not clued into what it is. I was in a bar this evening in the South with 150 people passively/actively watching the NI v Ukraine game. When NI scored the place erupted.
I'll give you this scenario. Lets say Republic get knocked out in group but NI get through? I think 95% of southerner s would like to see NI do as well as possible.
I'm not trying to be a PC pontiff. I was just curious and wanted to draw on people's opinions.

Not so much a history between the two associations, more to do with the cultural divide. In practice, "Northern Ireland" don't represent "Northern Ireland", they represent the unionist community. Ireland represents the Irish people in all 32 counties.

I don't doubt people were cheering for them. There tends to be a growing ignorance in the south in relation to the north. Add to this the fact Irish football supporters actively try and cultivate an image of being "friends with everyone" and "look how inclusive we are, aren't we great altogether". You'll see the same lads down the pub cheering on England because they are "our biggest trading partners" and you're a dinosaur if you don't jump in line to this fawning. It's all well and good for people in the south "moving on" and cheering for "Norn Iron" when they've never had to live next door to unionists and are completely removed from the situation. There's a video on youtube doing the rounds of Irish fans singing '10 German bombers'. Great "matured from our past" lads altogether. If nationalists in the north don't support the team, and they are the one's who deal with unionists daily, then it's probably wise to take the hint that this is for a reason

Lovely Bloke

it's not a flag you want at all

it's a fleg

Nekarsulm

If you want to be offended, you'll have no problem finding a reason.......

The Red Hand is a symbol of Ulster from way before the Reformation.

pgj2015

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Not so much a history between the two associations, more to do with the cultural divide. In practice, "Northern Ireland" don't represent "Northern Ireland", they represent the unionist community. Ireland represents the Irish people in all 32 counties.

I don't doubt people were cheering for them. There tends to be a growing ignorance in the south in relation to the north. Add to this the fact Irish football supporters actively try and cultivate an image of being "friends with everyone" and "look how inclusive we are, aren't we great altogether". You'll see the same lads down the pub cheering on England because they are "our biggest trading partners" and you're a dinosaur if you don't jump in line to this fawning. It's all well and good for people in the south "moving on" and cheering for "Norn Iron" when they've never had to live next door to unionists and are completely removed from the situation. There's a video on youtube doing the rounds of Irish fans singing '10 German bombers'. Great "matured from our past" lads altogether. If nationalists in the north don't support the team, and they are the one's who deal with unionists daily, then it's probably wise not to be going around hanging "Norn Iron" flags all over the place

were they Irish or northern Irish?

The Golden Miller

pgj2015 wrote: »

were they Irish or northern Irish?

Irish fans singing '10 German bombers' with the "Norn Iron" fans.

Green Fella

Alot of Nordies who support the republic are hurting big time, plenty of Catholics now jumping on the NI bandwagon. They backed the wrong horse, the North now sadly have a better football team than the Republic.

Oh well they had a long run lording it over the NI fans

pgj2015

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Irish fans singing '10 German bombers' with the "Norn Iron" fans.

some Irish people have always wanted to be English, west brits.

The Golden Miller

pgj2015 wrote: »

were they Irish or northern Irish?

pgj2015

I prefer this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXnzNbvzXMw

flazio

Would there not be a flag with the jersey crest on it?

Green Fella

The Golden Miller wrote: »

You'll see the same lads down the pub cheering on England because they are "our biggest trading partners" and you're a dinosaur if you don't jump in line to this fawning.

Maybe if you drink with Investment Bankers in the Shelbourne Hotel?

Pull the other one, what your claiming is not reality. You would find 95% of people here cheer against England in the pubs and the few lone Englishmen or others backing them will get a mouthful.

Lovely Bloke

pgj2015 wrote: »

some Irish people have always wanted to be English, west brits.

or some people just move on and want nothing to do with political and sectarian shíte any more.

Jane Trumpet

flazio wrote: »

Would there not be a flag with the jersey crest on it?

Its very official looking. I dont care particularly about the association.

The Golden Miller

Green Fella wrote: »

Maybe if you drink with Investment Bankers in the Shelbourne Hotel?

Pull the other one, what your claiming is not reality. You would find 95% of people here cheer against England in the pubs and the few lone Englishmen or others backing them will get a mouthful.

That was the way once upon a time. Seemed to be a major shift in this attitude in the last world cup though. Was in several pubs around town where most of the Irish were cheering the English team. The "biggest trading partners" was an exaggeration though, but indicative of the attitude. One of the barmen was cheering for England against Italy and threw down a towel he was holding when Italy scored. I asked him why he was so annoyed England conceded and I got the "biggest trading partners" response.

The Golden Miller

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

or some people just move on and want nothing to do with political and sectarian shíte any more.

Acknowledging and supporting a manufactured political statelet is, by definition, being political. Just because you accept it, doesn't make your view any less political.

Lovely Bloke

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Acknowledging and supporting a manufactured political statelet is, is by definition, being political. Just because you accept it, doesn't make your view any less political.

keep on keepin on brother

it is what it is, and at the moment those people who live a hundred miles up the road are experiencing something brilliant.

I'd say you were only loving the Welsh this afternoon.

The Golden Miller

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

keep on keepin on brother

it is what it is, and at the moment those people who live a hundred miles up the road are experiencing something brilliant.

I'd say you were only loving the Welsh this afternoon.

No, half of the people a hundred miles up the road are experiencing something brilliant (unless you meant "The People"). The other half, like the rest of us, will be experiencing something brilliant when Ireland beat Belgium and draw with Italy

Lovely Bloke

The Golden Miller wrote: »

No, half of the people a hundred miles up the road are experiencing something brilliant (unless you meant "The People"). The other half, like the rest of us, will be experiencing something brilliant when Ireland beat Belgium and draw with Italy

:cool: good for you

The Golden Miller

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

:cool: good for you

Good for me? Are you under the impression West Belfast, for example, is going nuts tonight after "Norn Iron" beat the Ukrainians?

Lovely Bloke

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Good for me? Are you under the impression West Belfast, for example, is going nuts tonight?

I am not

:cool:

Nekarsulm

West Belfast is an area of about three square miles out of over five thousand square miles in Northern Ireland. Support of any sport is not compulsory, so why worry about them?

Lovely Bloke

think I'm supposed to care that fans of one type of pretendy god don't like the fans of another type of pretendy god, even though I'm a fan of neither, nor any, pretendy god

The Golden Miller

Nekarsulm wrote: »

West Belfast is an area of about three square miles out of over five thousand square miles in Northern Ireland. Support of any sport is not compulsory, so why worry about them?

Do you have a point in there somewhere?

Lovely Bloke

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Do you have a point in there somewhere?

do you?

I, personally, have as much in common with one half of the "divide" as the other.

The Golden Miller

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

do you?

I, personally, have as much in common with one half of the "divide" as the other.

So far, I'm pretty sure all my points were clear

Nekarsulm

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Do you have a point in there somewhere?

Absolutely!
Move on from the sectarian bull**** which has characterized sport and it's supporters in Northern Ireland for decades, and let people try and forge an identity of their own without having to kowtow to any miniscule inward looking segment of the population.

Lovely Bloke

The Golden Miller wrote: »

So far, I'm pretty sure all my points were clear

sure they have, clear as day, you still harbour dislike for certain people based on their religion

as I said, keep on keepin on brother god(lol) knows someone has to

did you have a mini fist bump to yourself when that Bale free went in earlier?

The Golden Miller

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Absolutely!
Move on from the sectarian bull**** which has characterized sport and it's supporters in Northern Ireland for decades, and let people try and forge an identity of their own without having to kowtow to any miniscule inward looking segment of the population.

This normalisation process of forging "their own identity" doesn't wash with me. It's doing so on unionism's terms.

Lovely Bloke

The Golden Miller wrote: »

This normalisation process of forging "their own identity" doesn't wash with me. It's doing so on unionism's terms.

:cool:

Nekarsulm

Yawn.
Another "most oppressed people ever" cheerleader. Stick to the GAA and let others support who ever they like.

Oh wait, Prods play in my local club. Feck it, I'll have to boycott it now as well.....
I'll just stick to supporting Man U or L.Pool or the myriad other English teams most Irish fans follow...

pgj2015

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

sure they have, clear as day, you still harbour dislike for certain people based on their religion

as I said, keep on keepin on brother god(lol) knows someone has to

did you have a mini fist bump to yourself when that Bale free went in earlier?

id say 90% of the country did. nothing wrong with it either.

Lovely Bloke

pgj2015 wrote: »

id say 90% of the country did. nothing wrong with it either.

good man yourself

The Golden Miller

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

sure they have, clear as day, you still harbour dislike for certain people based on their religion

as I said, keep on keepin on brother god(lol) knows someone has to

did you have a mini fist bump to yourself when that Bale free went in earlier?

I don't care one bit for religion.

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Yawn.
Another "most oppressed people ever" cheerleader. Stick to the GAA and let others support who ever they like.

I'm most certainly not.

Lovely Bloke

The Golden Miller wrote: »

I don't care one bit for religion.

:eek:

:cool:

feargale

What an awful thread. A person enquires about an appropriate flag to support NI, and gets this load of codswallop. Some should read up on the origins of the soccer split in Ireland. Twice in the inter-war period the South presented a list of demands as a pre-requisite to soccer re-unification. Each time the North acceded to all the demands and then the South put extra demands on the table. In reality the Southern administrators wanted to convey the impression of wanting to fix it but weren't prepared to sacrifice the freebies. Two weeks ago Tommie O'Gorman visited the Ardoyne and asked various people who they would support re. NI v. Poland. Everyone reported on radio opted for Poland. " It's a Protestant team", said one, no doubt a self-proclaimed devotee of Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken etc.. Tommie then went to the Shankill and asked the same question re. ROI v. Sweden. Half said Sweden - and half said ROI. A Protestant team? Ask Gerry Armstrong, Pat Jennings, Martin O'Neill etc. etc..

ShooterSF

I think the OP was asking about flags! Christ. I don't think anyone is really going to attack you OP either way. I have friends over in France from Belfast who going to both sets of games and mixing with both sets of fans without bother. Football and Politics/Religion have no place together.

feargale

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Yawn.
Another "most oppressed people ever" cheerleader. Stick to the GAA and let others support who ever they like.

That's unfair. The GAA has nothing to do with this.

bilbot79

Everyone should support NI. Even if the team and support are made up of unionists we all have a place at that table and we should take it no matter what.

Nekarsulm

feargale wrote: »

That's unfair. The GAA has nothing to do with this.

You're right, I apologise for that remark.

Jane Trumpet

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Not so much a history between the two associations, more to do with the cultural divide. In practice, "Northern Ireland" don't represent "Northern Ireland", they represent the unionist community. Ireland represents the Irish people in all 32 counties.

I don't doubt people were cheering for them. There tends to be a growing ignorance in the south in relation to the north. Add to this the fact Irish football supporters actively try and cultivate an image of being "friends with everyone" and "look how inclusive we are, aren't we great altogether". You'll see the same lads down the pub cheering on England because they are "our biggest trading partners" and you're a dinosaur if you don't jump in line to this fawning. It's all well and good for people in the south "moving on" and cheering for "Norn Iron" when they've never had to live next door to unionists and are completely removed from the situation. There's a video on youtube doing the rounds of Irish fans singing '10 German bombers'. Great "matured from our past" lads altogether. If nationalists in the north don't support the team, and they are the one's who deal with unionists daily, then it's probably wise to take the hint that this is for a reason

It's true. Im ignorant to a large extent about the north. The crowd in the pub maybe more so: they were generally young...mid twenties down. But could this be a good thing? This threads question its more a hypothetical than anything else because I don't think I'll get a flag that's going to fit the bill as was described in the opening post. But the trend is going this way.
You've got a spectrum of mellowness on this island towards the whole subject, with people like those in the pub today on one end and hardcore unionists on the other. I'm ok to shrug my shoulders and push out the boat by openly showing I want to NI to do well after my preference for the ROI. It's far easier for me than for most in West Belfast no doubt. But over 20 years the mellowness might spread. Even to the terraces of Windsor Park.

Esel

Jane Trumpet wrote: »

... mellowness...

A cannabis leaf in orange rather than green could convey the correct message.

Expect a few slow-moving veh-ic-les past the door, with two up. :eek:

Jamsiek

A flag representing NI will never be accepted by republicans no matter what design because they will never accept the existence of NI in the first place. It's just the way it is unfortunately

NIMAN

They will never agree on a flag, an anthem or indeed anything cos thats the way NI operates.

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

I propose a new, inclusive flag, to represent both sides of the divide, and to symbolise a lasting peace between them...