What Happened to the Old Flag of Northern Ireland?

Northern Ireland, the 6 counties of Ireland that remained part of the United Kingdom in 1921, is famous for its flags and how divisive they can be. In this video, I take a look at the flag of Northern Ireland and its origin.
Music Used:
Celtic Impulse - Kevin MacLeod
Teller of Tales - Kevin MacLeod
Eine Kleine Nachtsmusik - Mozart
Galway - Kevin MacLeod
Sunday Dub - Kevin MacLeod
Send me an email if you'd be interested in doing a collaboration! [e-mail]
#northernireland #ireland #flags

[@stephenlavin7512]

The Ulster Flag with the Red hand of the O' Neills (Irish Gaelic Family that Ruled Ulster before the Plantations) is still used as a province flag with all 9 Ulster Counties with the Gaelic Athletic Association in Gaelic Football and Hurling.

[@MCKevin289]

I actually played a few clubs here in the states that had the red hand of Ulster in its logo. Love to see Gaelic games get some love lol.

[@matpk]

@@MCKevin289 🥳🥳 Split NI into 6 parts Return to RoI one by one Over the span of 18 years

[@itsmesoitis4059]

The red hand of ulster is pre O'Neil

[@Dreyno]

And rugby. It’s used on the IRFU flag.

[@martini3524]

Ulster is one of Ireland's 4 Provinces. Originally we had 5 Provinces (+Meath) hence the Gaelic word for "province" is "Cuaige" = 'a Fifth of.' After the Treaty of 1922 it was agreed that 6 of Ulster's counties would remain in an area called "Northern Ireland" and the remaining 3 counties would become part of the Republic of Ireland until a majority in Northern Ireland voted to become part of an all Ireland state. The 2 parts of Ireland are frequently called "North" and "South". Ironically the most Northerly point in Ireland is called Malin Head and it's in Co. Donegal - thus the most Northerly point of Ireland is in the "South".

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

The red hand came from a boat race between two kings in Ulster and the rules were whoever touched the bank with their hand would win. The rightful king was losing the race and actually cut his own hand off to throw it on the bank to win the race.

[@swaythegod5812]

That’s just one story another is the king was in battle and he cut down his enemy and with his blood made a red hand on his shield witch is my favorite version

[@raritania7581]

That is physically impossible

[@biggymcbiggest]

​@@raritania7581"That is physically impossible ☝️🤓"

[@Tipi_Dan]

Was not the use of the six-pointed star a result of the imagined connections popular at that time between the Milesians and the Hebrews? There is another story of a breach birth The chid's hand appeared first, bloodied. A cord was tied around the hand to enable delivery. The child was the founder of a great royal line. I received this story the old fashioned way, through oral transmission. I do not have any details regarding time frame, and I have not been able to find independent confirmation.

[@dave8323]

​@@raritania7581 how? are you suggesting people are unable to throw things one handed?

[@papadoc711]

you did really well with explaning the history behind the flag of Ulster

[@matpk]

🥳🥳 Split NI into 6 parts Return to RoI one by one Over the span of 18 years

[@cluckyx1431]

@@matpkNo

[@ivandinsmore6217]

He also explained the flag of Northern Ireland well too.

[@papadoc711]

@@ivandinsmore6217 He did indeed but after the Northern Ireland constitution act of 1973, that flag is no longer relevant.

[@uingaeoc3905]

@@matpk More fantasies of the Faiche Repoblichaine Sectarian Terrorist and Hitler Huggers of the 26 County Failed State..

[@ofaoilleachain]

Well done for not stepping on any toes. In my opinion...the red hand will always be a symbol of the Gaels of Uí Neill. I've heard some unionists try to claim the red hand means "stop, no Catholics/Irish allowed up here", which completely eliminates where it actually came from, the story and history

[@jamesholdsworth733]

You’re so full of sh*t, I’ve lived here for over 50 years and never heard anything remotely like that

[@ofaoilleachain]

@@RandomnessTube. not "stop" but sort of a sign prohibiting Irish. Ofcoarse someone with a ni profile pic would defend unionists

[@sdrawkcabUK]

@@ofaoilleachaindidn’t one of the loyalist paras (lvf, rhc?) use a Gaelic slogan?

[@ofaoilleachain]

@@sdrawkcabUK As far as I remember yes. Stole that like they stole our land

[@sdrawkcabUK]

@@ofaoilleachain the problem is 'they' didn't - their ancestors did, in the same timeframe as Europeans stole America from the natives

[@ecurewitz]

Thank you for bringing this up in a way that doesn’t stoke up tensions

[@ecurewitz]

@@TheIrishLad06 that was not my intent

[@lordcommandernox9197]

@@ecurewitz Free Ireland!

[@Luke-vb3yl]

@@lordcommandernox9197 no lol

[@gamermapper]

The Irish tricolour is supposed to be an inclusive symbol 🇮🇪. The green represents the Catholics, the orange the Protestants and the white the peace between them.

[@TheLocalLt]

Can tell you that in golf, both on telecasts and at tournaments, Rory McIlroy and other players from Northern Ireland are always denoted by the Banner of Ulster. Interestingly at the Olympics, where players in all sports are forced to choose between the Great Britain team and the Ireland team, Rory has chosen Team Ireland (though he’s said he hates that he has to make a choice at all), meaning although he is normally shown with a Unionist symbol, at the Olympics he plays for the Republic (and again he is personally completely apolitical and has made great efforts to take no sides, having grown up amidst the dying days of the troubles and seen the violence politics can cause)

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

He did point out it continues in use in sports in lieu of anything else.

[@Dreyno]

If he used an Irish flag he would be persona non grata amongst unionists and would be less popular in the U.K. and if he used a Union Jack he would lose support in Ireland and be seen as a turncoat amongst the community he was born into. It’s a lose/lose so he went with the Ulster Banner which is, as you say, used in sports, despite it’s connotations.

[@lostShadowLord]

​@@Dreynohe doesn't really care about the Unionists, who only started be interesting in him when he won his first masters. There a instance were he was told as a child that he couldn't play on at the local club house (because he was the right 'Class' he is Irish, not British) so he played with the 'poorer' local club. The club house organised a. Big party for the 'local golfing hero' and were shocked when Rory replied back that he had 'appointment' with his own golf club at the same time.

[@murpho999]

@@lostShadowLord He has never won the Masters so that makes me doubt the validity of the rest of your post.

[@Pera5637]

Rory is a plastic Irishman and a coward. Ulad (Ulster) is a 9 County Irish Province soon to be returned to the fold. Onwards and Upwards lads. 4.6 of the -6 have already turned Green. The 4 Green Fields. The West's Awake.

[@llcolj69]

I remember that my old Irish teacher said that the "Red Hand" could also be another translation of "Craobh Rua" which was the name of Conor MacNessa's personal guard in the Ulster Mythological Cycle.

[@eddyflanagan8867]

😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢one man one vote 😅😅😅😅

[@batcollins3714]

Craobh Rua was for the Red Branch Knights

[@llcolj69]

@batcollins3714 he said that "craobh" could also be translated as hand or branch, as in a branch is the hand of a tree.

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

The thing missed in this video is that the Ulster Banner is so-called as it was an "armourial banner", i.e. a flag based on a coat of arms, specifically the arms of the Northern Ireland Parliament. When the devolved parliament was abolished in 1973 the College of Arms advised it was no longer "proper" to fly it on government buildings in Northern Ireland. However when the flag was unfurled in 1953 the devolved Minister of Home Affairs said that although the Union Flag was the official flag of NI, if the people wanted something to represent Northern Ireland uniquely they could use the banner - which is when it passed into common usage (albeit predominantly in unionist communities) Ironically the greatest obstacle to a new unique Northern Ireland flag has been the unionist parties, not the nationalist ones.

[@batcollins3714]

A parliament which is not sitting because the DUP are sulking as they are now a minority party. DUP stands for Dont Understand Politics.

[@cross0128]

since youve done the north you may aswell take a look towards the other 3 Provinces or even the 32 counties as just extra content for Ireland that still connects onto the same idea of flag history

[@alansmithee8831]

Hello Hilbert. I noted that no hands were severed during this video, though others have already commented on the tale I was taught about throwing a freshly severed hand to the shore to claim the land first. I look forward to the proposed flag video, though I am prepared for a wait as things in the province take time, as seen in previous videos you did. My girlfriend's family were from the other end of Ireland, but came back from what was their empire too as part of the UK, to find their town part of Eire. They settled in England and became part of the catholic community here. Not all those seen as loyalists were protestant. However, my girlfriend was made to wear Irish green so much by her grandmother that she cannot bring herself to wear it now.

[@talideon]

One can be Irish and British, but Unionism has defined itself since partition largely in a void of being solely British with little identity of its own other than what it is not. Carson was proven wrong.

[@warbler1984]

I can't really understand your comment. The syntax is somewhat confusing

[@alansmithee8831]

@@warbler1984 See the better one by Irish Technical Thinker.

[@oleggorky906]

@@talideonThe Unionists, or certainly the more forceful Loyalists amongst them, are going to find themselves ever more isolated. The Twin-Track agreement has set the course for eventual re-unification, if not the date. Both governments know it is inevitable, it’s just that they have to be careful with the loyalist paramilitaries at present. The trouble for them though is that no one in the UK cares for continuing the bloodshed and seeing children grow up without fathers. And they don’t have any friends in Europe or elsewhere; sectarianism should be left back in the 16th and 17th centuries and nobody else cares for it either.

[@eamonquinn5188]

One thing you missed is that St Patrick's saltire representing Ireland was added to the Great Britain flag to make what we now know as the Union Jack, so if the intention in Northern Ireland was to represent everyone in the state that would have been the logical flag to use, however it wasn't the intention.

[@niallodonnell7827]

Yes-they are not interested in any kind of unity either within Ireland and relatedly within Northern Ireland

[@Doniedaff]

The mother and father of all Ironies is the only official flag that overtly recognises the Orange tradition is the Irish tricolour.

[@niallodonnell7827]

@@Doniedaff Yes true and according to the surveys Unionists are not exercised negatively against it very much which comes as a surprise to me. I have always felt that it had to go for unity but maybe not. Clearly it's full of meaning for Irish people but you can't say that it's a nice or distinctive flag which conjures up the island immediately but it does say 'republic' strongly in the international sens of the word.

[@sunnywintermorning1941]

The ‘St Patrick’s saltire’ is bogus. St Patrick is not entitled to have a cross as a symbol since he was not a martyr, unlike Saints George and Andrew. The bogus gimmick was a convenient device to mark the annexation of the former Ireland.

[@niallodonnell7827]

@@sunnywintermorning1941 Ancient history. You might as well say that the English should go back to Germany. I view the saltire as the Protestant all-Ireland flag and I view Protestants who fly it as my fellow Irish ,unlike those who fly the Ulster Banner

[@mamamheus7751]

This is really interesting, and thank you for doing it. I was looking for the flag of NI a few weeks back and ended up being a tad confused. You see I've seen a St George's flag used a lot in sporting events (by the crowd, not the officials) except in some fairly recent years (that I've noticed. I could well have missed it for ages before - I'm putting it down to having a better tv screen...) their cross has "Northern Ireland" or just "N Ireland" running over the crossbar in the middle. I wanted to use a flag icon/emoji and had no idea if NI had got itself one while I wasn't looking, so to speak. I knew it didn't have an official one when I grew up in the mid-60s-'80s. I just wanted to be able to have all four of the countries represented individually for whatever reason (it was undoubtedly part of a KZbin comment). And the world could see in comparison with everyone else's, my flag is by far the best! 😉 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

You won't see a Northern Irish crowd using a St George's Cross. I've come across that before with some English visitors who don't see the badge with the Red Hand, perhaps due to the way it's flying.

[@roisinmalone3015]

Northern Ireland isn't a country

[@criostoirodriscoll3534]

Use 🇮🇪 for Ireland or any part of it and forget that so called "Northern Ireland" bullshit

[@MouseSharman]

I really enjoyed this one mate! I also liked your Sunderland Newcastle video, maybe you could do a similar one to that about Portsmouth and Southampton?

[@Alex-gn2rb]

In 1921 it was really only a 3 county Ulster (Armagh,Down, Antrim) with the comfortable Unionist majority, the other 3 were very nationalist in numbers. However a 3 county Ulster would have too small to be viable so different ways had to be found to "Gerrymander" boundaries and requirements to vote leading to the 1960s civil rights movement which eventually collapsed and developed into The Troubles in 1969. An example of the consequences of history.

[@TheGiantKillers]

County Derry/Londonderry records 55% of the population as Protestant in 1926, which would suggest that while the city of Derry was majority Nationalist [59% Catholic in 1926] the County would have been regarded at the time as comfortably Unionist. gradual migration of Catholics from principally Donegal prior to 1970 and Protestants to principally Antrim post 1970 saw the Catholic population surpass 50% in 1981. Of course back then, people weren't asked their national identity as they were in 2021. Derry & Strabane in 2021 recorded 54% Irish, 42% British and/or Northern Irish and 4% neither or both British and Irish. The figures suggesting that the Nationalist majority today is in and around the same as the Unionist majority a century ago

[@padraigpearse1551]

As someone from Derry the idea of a new flag is nice but no matter how representative it is, there will be quite a large minority that would never use it (myself included) due to it representing the state of N. Ireland

[@Alan_Mac]

Must be such a burden for you living every day in a country you wished didn't exist. This is why Northern Ireland is in torpor - so many people hate their own country's existence.

[@trollgegael]

@@Alan_Mac its not a country. you're not from here. go away.

[@swaythegod5812]

I identify more with the province flag since the red hand is a Irish symbol I'm ulster irish I'm not southern irish I'll never wave a try color only the red hand

[@padraigpearse1551]

@@Alan_Mac thats what happens when people gerrymander borders

[@Votebritish]

Londonderry.

[@Sveinn7]

I just found your channel and I am so glad I did. What a hidden gem your channel truly is, please keep up this great work as the standing pillar of history content on youtube.

[@RainXbox]

Northern Irish person here. I am very middle ground on the status of this country at the moment. I feel more Northern Irish than British or outright Irish and Im open to us having an official flag that represents everyone that calls this place home. I'd also be in favour of changing the national anthem for sporting events for that same reason. It would be a very unpopular opinion to many but we are all allowed our own opinion

[@RandomnessTube.]

Alliance voter lol.

[@RainXbox]

@@RandomnessTube. Non voter. None of them deserve a vote

[@robertdaley1194]

Maybe Van Morrison could compose an anthem?.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

​@@robertdaley1194van Morrison would be a good composer... absolute legend

[@redsamson0023]

i like the st. patrick’s saltire of a red diagonal cross on a white field. the ulster scots blue flag with red saltire and golden six point star is also pleasant. the red hand is also nice.

[@krisstarring]

The Protestant/British appropriation of the Red Hand that goes back to the native Irish inhabitants of Ulster is disgusting. Northern Ireland was a settler colony of the 1600s and it would be no different than if I, a mostly European-American, claimed the heritage of the Cherokee in north Georgia, USA where I live.

[@jovialjadegoliath7071]

Kinda rich for a Georgian to be chiding other people for using offensive flags!

[@robdevenney]

With all due respect White European settlers have until the last 20 years or so have used Native American imagery for everything from US Army units to advertising and everything in-between. "Disgusting"... seriously look at your own country before making random uneducated comments about others. The O'Neil clan which you clearly missed were not Native Irish but Norman invaders / settlers... it was in the video you just watched.

[@johnmorgan9435]

Pronounced - 'De Burge' here in Ireland

[@Speed_Cristiano]

@@robdevenney That's BS They were Irish They spoke Irish The name is very common in Connaught aswell If you want to use that Narrative, you could make the same argument all the way back to the Vikings

[@CaptainArseways-pt4ud]

@@robdevenney The O'Neill's are native Irish not Norman settlers.. they incorporated the Norman family into their flag because they took over their territory, not because they were Normans themselves.

[@georgefrazer2231]

The 'old flag' as you call it is the flag that is still recognised by Irish nationalists. The 'red hand' was associated with the O'Neil clan whose power centre was Dungannon. The De Burgh family includes the singer Chris De Burgh. The normans who came to Ireland in the Norman period are known as the 'old English'. The Norman's settled all over Ireland. The original 9 counties of ulster included co cavan, co monaghan and co donegal. In co monaghan the town of carrickmacross had the Bath/Shirley estate, and viscount Weymouth school was established to provide education. Carrickmacross lace was also 'manufactured' on the estate of Lord Bath as a famine relief scheme. Flags in Ireland are used as 'symbols ' to 'mark out territory'. The Irish tri colour is symbolic of the 'green' nationalists of Ireland and the 'orange' unionists of Ireland. The white in the middle represents 'peace' between the two communities. Has this actually happened? How exactly do these flags 'represent' the present multi cultural population now living in Ireland who 'belong' to neither of these 'two' communities. St Patrick's Cross as part of the Union flag would probably be a better option but then this also does not recognise other patron saints of others. 'You cannot eat a flag' is one quote from a former statesman. Maybe the three crosses representing three nations is the best we are going to have. Changing a flag does not change hearts and minds. Its having respect for each other that matters.

[@Levermonkey]

Well done. A really good stab at a very "difficult" issue.

[@jeroylenkins1745]

I would love to see you make a video about the adoption of the maple leaf by Canada.

[@Alan_Mac]

Excellent video and, amazingly, controversy-free. Tricky to handle this subject without treading on toes but you managed it. There will never be a new flag for NI, sadly. This is because about 30-40% of the population has no commitment to the continuation of Northern Ireland. Indeed, NI is blighted by senior politicians who can't even use the phrase, "Northern Ireland". And yes, I'm looking at you, Michelle O'Neil.

[@johnmackenreillytag]

Northern Ireland was set up as a sectarian statelet so it was doomed from the start; that 30-40% you mention is growing every year.

[@generalcaesar3477]

Irish nationalism’s desire to create a United Ireland is a legitimate political goal. Why should nationalists help design a flag for a state that they do not identify with? As for the First Minister in waiting not saying the phrase “Northern Ireland” dry your eyes. A lack of respect from senior politicians is a common theme on both sides of the divide. Sinn Fein adoption of the term “Northern Ireland” should only come when senior unionist politicians give even a little respect to the Irish language.

[@lmonk9517]

​@@generalcaesar3477 call it what it is: blood and soil ethno nationalism. Not legit by any moral standards but you do you.

[@seandowney7013]

Please tell me, did you miss the part of this video where he talked about cultural erasure and genocide? Or had you just closed your ears for that part?

[@lmonk9517]

@@seandowney7013 that isn't relevant to modern Northern Ireland. You have famous republicans like Gerry Adams who carries a Scottish clan name and he considers himself Irish and then you have unionists with Irish derived surnames as well. People who are trying to make it about race and genocide Don't understand that the population exchange between Scotland and Ireland is long and historic. Lewis Carroll was a northern Irish protestant who considered himself Irish and there were many Catholics who opposed home rule. Sadly the Irish state doesn't teach real Irish history.

[@kieranfitz]

Short answer, norn iron isn't Ulster.

[@darnellbiggumsthe9th658]

even shorter answer, norn iron doesn’t exist🇮🇪

[@Alan_Mac]

@@darnellbiggumsthe9th658 I just looked out my window. I think you're wrong.

[@rusticpartyeditz]

And Ireland the country isn't the island of Ireland. So what?

[@Bernaren60]

​​Northern Ireland does for more than 100 years.

[@velouris76]

About the red hand, I can remember reading, many years ago, that the red hand is even possibly older than the Gaelic clans…Ulster (or at least parts of Ulster) was believed to be the part where the indigenous people held out against the celts the longest…and some believe the red hand symbol possibly comes from these indigenous peoples, of which, very little is known…but some believe the Gaelic clans adopted this red hand symbol…

[@ULYSSES-31]

That’s a Loyalist propaganda myth created in the 1970s and promoted by the UDA in an effort to legitimise their appropriation of the Red Hand symbol. There is no evidence to support the claim. The earliest references to the Red Hand were written down by the Gaelic monks.

[@MrMalcovic]

The flag of Northern Ireland didn’t change, though. The flag of Ulster was and is a different thing.

[@Tejiknasten]

De Burghs coat of arms looks like the flag of the Scandinavian Kalmar Union (1390's to 1521) and also the flag of the Church of Sweden.

[@johncahalane7327]

Just out of interest for Swedish people, the Southern Province, Munster, is similar to a flag flown in Sweden its three gold crowns on a blue background ...

[@olarmy02]

How about Texas Flags? You’ve got the 6 flags that have flown over Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, CSA, USA. Then there are the Texas Revolution flags like deZavala, Gonzales…

[@alansmithee8831]

@olarmy02. I learned of this when staying in Texas with a family who were what some would call TexMex. Their ancestors were there before the English speakers. Good suggestion I reckon.

[@marcellocolona4980]

I don’t have a drop of Irish blood in me, but as an amateur vexillologist find the modern NI flag extremely æsthetically pleasing and very striking. Irish history has always fascinated me and I enjoy reading anything on Ireland’s history. Also a fantastic country to visit with friendly people. Everyone should holiday there at least once in their lifetimes.

[@sdrawkcabUK]

No worries on the ancestry… Irish ppl generally dislike foreign born Irish descendants esp if they claim to be Irish

[@clairee4939]

Your flag of what country?

[@marcellocolona4980]

@@clairee4939 State of Hawai’i. Spent most of my career in the Navy at Pearl Harbor hence that flag.

[@clairee4939]

@@marcellocolona4980 thanks that surprised me because of the British flag haha. Very interesting. Hawaii 🌺 (when I wrote Hawaii my keypad gives me a tropical flower emoji) must be such a beautiful place to live.

[@marcellocolona4980]

@@clairee4939 It is absolutely gorgeous but a very expensive cost of living. Everything has to be shipped in, except things grown there, like coffee, bananas, pineapples.

[@rincemor]

For many years the Cross of St Patrick (which is incorporated in the Union Flag) was used to represent NI at the Commonwealth Games. It’s probably only in the past 25 years or so that the so called Ulster Banner (as you say, Ulster has nine counties) has been used. With regards to the future, I doubt a new flag representative of everyone will ever be produced. Flags and symbols are too contentious in the divided society,

[@AnnesleyPlaceDub70]

It's not the old flag of 'northern ireland' it's the very real and original flag of the 9 county province of Ulster.

[@robdevenney]

Exceptional job explaining accurately and with sensitivity the history of the Ulster Banner. I am Northern Irish and from a Unionist background. I am also a designer and it's always interested me how anyone could create a new flag to please everyone in this country and sadly that will likely never happen as there will always be hardliners on both sides of the community that will refuse to give up the Ulster Banner and other Red Hand associated imagery and Nationalists and Republicans that will simply refuse to recognise any flag other than the Irish tricolour... not knocking anyone on any side for their beliefs just stating hard fact. But still would be interesting to see what someone could come up with for a new flag. Having a functioning government would be nice too! Delighted to have found your channel. Subscribed

[@noodlyappendage6729]

We have a functioning government in Westminster. I wouldn’t be sad to see the back of Stormont. Devolution has been shit. And the flag of Northern Ireland/Ireland is already in the Union Flag. It’s the St Patrick’s Saltire. This is what should be used.

[@matthewbrady1562]

​@@noodlyappendage6729I too would like to see Stormont closed for a different reason. We can rule the entire country quite well from the Daìl. Stormont can then be used for visitors and a new Department for British and Unionist relations in the new Irish State

[@twoface4703]

​@@matthewbrady1562NI is a dump. Ireland should be left as is.

[@noodlyappendage6729]

@@matthewbrady1562 deluded. NI will remain in the UK as that’s what the majority want. Only 30 odd percent want to join the RoI. And NI is changing. Immigrants who have sworn and oath to King and Country who have no attachment to the RoI are moving to NI.

[@matthewbarry376]

“Movement” just call it the Ulster Plantation ffs

[@Theguineachannel]

​@daemontargaryen6757when?

[@maccarr9923]

Hey the ulster plantation was very forward thinking, Ireland needed to diversify its culture lol. We're doing the exact same thing today to western nations and it's hugely popular with the same people that are always hating on the British empire.

[@matthewbarry376]

@@maccarr9923 it's not trust me people aren't very vocal but I assure you a lot of people are at breaking point many of which will vote SF not because they agree with them but because it's a protest vote.

[@wynty200]

⁠​⁠@daemontargaryen6757 There’s no evidence that the Picts were ‘kicked out’, but there is very strong evidence that Gaelic and Pictish kingdoms became integrated with each other over time.

[@Theguineachannel]

@@maccarr9923 its wrong in both cases

[@swaythegod5812]

Also the map is wrong because Louth was always historically apart of Ulster but due to the plantations It became apart of Leinster

[@talideon]

Weirdly yes and no. The plantations weren't the reason, but the fact that Louth was in an odd position because the south of Louth in the late 1500s was in the Pale. It wasn't because of the plantation of Ulster though.

[@swaythegod5812]

@@talideon I consider the pale as a plantation and i never said anything about the plantation of Ulster as far as I'm concerned it's been stolen from the province of ulster by the British and given to Leinster

[@tomjcarty]

Longford was Connacht back then!!!

[@chukty]

As far as I know, there is already a flag that represents all the communities of Northern Ireland: the flag of the Republic of Ireland. The green stands for the catholics, the orange for the protestants, and the white for the peace they should live in.

[@lostShadowLord]

6:20 Londonderry was called so because, Derry was a settlement that was destroyed during the Nine year war. The crown could not afford to rebuild it (yes the English state was almost bankrupt by the war) that they needed London based Business to fund the construction, hence Londonderry. Also it now Londonderry/Derry because of reasons. 8:19 okay this bothers me, the Country is Derry, the city at the time (1921) was Londonderry.

[@gerardhayden6568]

I though the 'London' prefix was an award made in recognition of some action by a group known as the apprentice boys during a seige.

[@TheGiantKillers]

Not quite. While there was a city called Derry, which others have already stated was destroyed in the nine years war, the new city, cited nearby was rebuilt and again originally called Derry. This was then renamed to honour the fact that the new city basically owed its existence to the guilds of London who basically paid for its construction. However, there was never a County Derry. Instead the city was situated in County Coleraine, which was succeeded, with some boundary changes to Antrim and Donegal, into County Londonderry.

[@Joxer123]

Very good and accurate overall, but there's a minor point I think should be noted. You omitted using a map of the results of the 1918 General Election and instead showed a map of 1910's election. While the 1910 Election does illustrate the difference in political support between the North and South of Ireland, it does however fail to show the rise of Republicanism in the South, as the results of the 1910 Election returned a majority of home rule advocates via the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), with zero MP's on the island elected on a platform of seeking a wholly independent Ireland. 1918's election saw this drastically change with Sinn Féin almost wiping out the IPP, elected on a more radical mandate of achieving an independent republic. The results of this election showed the heightening of North/South division and was the main impetus for the partition of the island. Other than that great job.

[@daithimcbuan5235]

The funny thing is that the tricolour technically represents both sides. As an Irish Protestant, I'm proud to bear the tricolour. Then again, I'm not a Unionist, and I can completely understand why Ulster Unionists would be against it. The Union Flag, bearing the cross of St. Patrick is also representative of Ireland and the Irish of course.

[@talideon]

Mind you, St. Patrick's banner was a later invention associated with the Order of St. Patrick, and not necessarily ever representative of Ireland. We live on a complicated little island!

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

There is evidence that the St Patrick's Cross predates the Order of St Patrick by some time, probably based on Norman emblems that are associated with major Irish families.

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

Of course the tricolour is just a 19th century recolouring of the French flag. It isn't an Irish emblem by any means, and was seen by many ordinary people across Ireland as the "Sinn Fein flag" during the War of Independence. Personally, as a Northern Irish unionist, I could never stomach the tricolour and far prefer more historic Irish emblems, such as the green harp flag, or blue harp as in the Royal Arms. That would give the Welsh a run for their money on 'cool flags'

[@daithimcbuan5235]

@@Cyberbeagle1000 Associated with Sinn Féinn as it may have been (and assumably still is in the North), it is supposed to symbolise peace (white) between Roman Catholics (green) and Protestants (orange). I'm not sure about the North, but in the Republic, the Sunburst flag has become more associated with Sinn Féinn and Nationalism/Republicanism than the tricolour. The fears 100 years ago of Protestants being oppressed in a Roman Catholic Theocracy were 100% valid, as that is what did indeed happen. These days, the Republic has become so secularised, and the old hatreds (at least away from the border) have been more or less forgotten. As a Conservative (Anglican) Christian, I think I'd almost prefer a Roman Catholic Theocracy to the liberal secular madness that is being pushed these days. But that's just my opinion. Mind you, I have emigrated to a country with a cultural Protestant (Lutheran) majority.

[@Dreyno]

“It isn’t an Irish emblem by any means”? Really? Says who? You? Every flag has either been adapted from something else or the invention of one person’s imagination. The Irish Tricolour is not in any way unusual in it’s history. It’s been the symbol of 80% of the island of Ireland for a century and celebrated its 175th birthday this year. And Sinn Fein are associated with the Sunburst flag. The Tricolour was to be the flag of the newly proclaimed republic. They’ve been busy trying to hijack it because they see themselves as the only true republicans. The fact that a unionist can’t stomach it is to be expected.

[@greywolf4330]

Quite brilliant, by far the most accurate explaiation l've ever seen. There were a couple of very minor errors but overall it was so good that I think it would be disrespectful to point them out. 😊 👏

[@brennybhoy]

Ulster has 9 counties and is a province in in Ireland 🇮🇪

[@icemanire5467]

Nothing changed. The yellow Gael flag it's still the official flag of the province of Ulster. The planter flag is a makeshift flag they threw together for the Queen's visit in the 50s and isn't official in anyway.

[@RobsonRoverRepair]

Came the the flegs, stayed for the flegs. FLEGGGSSSSS

[@robertstark8527]

Yes a very good explanation to a complicated issue. Not sure a new flag for NI would get the use, as Catholic people associate with the tricolour.

[@talideon]

9:09 - Wilkinson was a *deeply* odd man, with a deeply odd life. One of the consequences of his life is that he was simultaneously an Irish and British civil servant. For the same position, which only lapsed in the Republic of Ireland with his death.

[@VectorTracker]

Seems like a very interesting man left behind by the changes in the state.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

He was also a builder of elaborate dollhouses.

[@OscarOSullivan]

What was his full name?

[@mathieuleader8601]

Lord West former first sea-lord and Chief of Staff for the Navy is a big fan of giving Northern Ireland its own flag

[@hamzazad5258]

That's house glover

[@EannaWithAFada]

Generally in All-Island teams in Irish sports you'll see a flag containing that is simply the Arms of Connacht, Ulster, Munster and Leinster all on one flag, normally on a green background with the sport association logo Or other times the flag is simply the four provincial flags all together in a 2x2 type split

[@oliversherman2414]

I'm from England and I visited Belfast, Northern Ireland for the first time last year. Whilst I was there, I visited the Titanic museum and saw the sites of the city. I loved my visit and hope I can go back some day. Sending love to our Northern Irish friends 🇬🇧

[@noodlyappendage6729]

Londoner here. I love NI and I think Belfast is part of the glue that binds us. We need to invest more in NI and strengthen our unity.

[@barryb90]

​@@noodlyappendage6729 lol no wonder you're so deluded. I was thinking you weren't from Ireland north or south by the crap you spout.

[@TheSWCantina]

​​@@noodlyappendage6729 That is quite hilarious given that quite a substantial amount of loyalists hate the English 🤣. A bigger irony is the you find more love for English people in the Republic than the North.

[@davidlally592]

Mm one interesting aspect of the post 1920 partition of Ireland, in NI were the blatently discriminatory laws then enacted by the old Stormont NI Parliament. Look up (all of these were Stormont produced laws): Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (flogging and interment without trial); the Promissory Oaths Act (even road sweeper job needed Oath of Allegiance which most nationalists wouldnt give) and finally, re flags in NI, the notorious Flags And Emblems Act (effectively banned the Tricolour in NI).

[@cillianennis9921]

Its pretty well rounded with around a third thinking of themselves as Irish, British & Northern Irish. Also I like the flag & think it should be made more of a thing to represent the Northern Irish people instead of the British. Since I grew up as well both Irish & British I see it as my flag & would rather see it than try & come up with a new one. But if you must do a new one I'd like one like those old medieval flags with a part representing the Scottish heritage of Northern Ireland & its Irish heritage probably the Rampant lion & either an Irish elk or a Harp. the Colour orange should be on it to represent the Protestants & the colour Green for the Irish. probably some other things but I'd rather have that than some bland flag like a tri-colour that just doesn't hold much aesthetic beauty.

[@MCKevin289]

When I was in Derry, I got the Protestant loyalist deputy mayor to admit to me the first place he goes to on holiday in Spain is an Irish pub lol. I’m glad to see my ancestral homeland at relative peace. Part of my mom’s family was from Belfast, and part of dad’s was from Derry. It was far cry in a good way from the Derry my great grandpa left.

[@MCKevin289]

I love the red hand of Ulster flag too. It’s a really pretty fleg. I’m partial to the harp on blue flag/ the Irish presidential standard myself.

[@cillianennis9921]

@@MCKevin289 I like the Four provinces flag better as when I look at the Irish coat of arms I just see Leinster & think why not put the best county Connacht on it (I like the bird thing) Like I really just love old flags as they hold personality & complexity that makes them memberable unlike the flag of the Netherlands & Luxembourg which are a few shades from being the same flag. Like just use the old medieval flag & just like wales everyone will know. Like nobody remembers the green strip on the welsh flag but nobody forgets the dragon.

[@cillianennis9921]

@@MCKevin289 My family is all from Belfast & well my grandda was from a small town in the ards peninsula but even my granny who is really a devout Anglican she still learns Irish & thinks of herself as part Irish whilst loving the royal family. I'm like a 2nd generation halfajaffa (me mum's a catholic but her mum's a protestant)

[@MCKevin289]

⁠​⁠@@cillianennis9921 Believe it or not I actually wrote my undergrad thesis on the Troubles. But I’m related to Presbyterian and Anglican/Episcopalian ministers and high ranking Catholic priests. My Nan on my dad’s side was a quarter Jaffa and my mom’s great grandfather was an orangemen. My mom’s great grandpa later left his lodge of the orange order in America because of their views on slavery and then fought in the Union Irish brigade in the US Civil War, married a Catholic and converted to Catholicism. He was taken prisoner in Antietam and escaped from Andersonville POW camp.

[@andrewrobinson2565]

Professional as ever. Marvellous 👍❤️. +1

[@bobmcbob9856]

I’m apolitical Ok but Catholic apolitical or Protestant apolitical?

[@rusticpartyeditz]

The joke was athiest. Protestant or Catholic athiest?

[@bobmcbob9856]

@@rusticpartyeditz I know. I’ve also heard Catholic Orthodox or Protestant Orthodox though, so I modified the original joke to suit something in the video

[@MikeGormley1]

Hilbert, I believe you missed an opportunity to include the Irish Tricolor story in the red hand story.

[@rolandwenzel1782]

I have a idea for a flag to represent all people of northern Ireland: you take green for the Catholics and the orange for the protestants and in the between you put peace in it as white. Tada fix your flag

[@CinCee-]

I drew it up... 🇮🇪 looks good!

[@PizzaEntente]

Great vid, didnt even know northern ireland changed flags

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

Technically we didn't... as he says Ulster and Northern Ireland aren't quite the same...

[@domjediknight]

Can someone answer why St Patricks flag which is part of the United Kingdom’s flag isn’t the official northern Irish flag?

[@Joxer123]

The video pretty much sums it up. Ulster Banner was used as a symbol of the Northern Ireland Parliament and became the de facto flag of the province. Partition was mostly unwanted by the Irish people, regardless of them being unionist of nationalist, so repurposing the St Patrick's Saltire into a flag for NI would have likely felt wrong to many, further entrenching partition. Nowadays the Ulster Banner and Irish Tri-Colour have been around so long that St Patrick's Saltire doesn't really represent anyone in Ireland.

[@domjediknight]

@@Joxer123 thanks 😊

[@noodlyappendage6729]

@@Joxer123 nonsense.

[@barryb90]

​@@noodlyappendage6729explain where he is wrong exactly?

[@markrowantree]

@@barryb90😊

[@Jack.Doughnut]

Big fan of that mustardy yellow, very underrated colour as far as flags are concerned. Nice1 Hilbert, another banger. edit: yes, more flags plz.

[@pauljosephbuggle3722]

The Red Hand of Ulster is associated with Finn Mc Cool the legendary hero and is far older than anything you mentioned. No one has the right to claim it as their own. Putting a British crown over it is an insult to the Irish people.

[@johnbrereton5229]

Red hand symbols are far older than Ireland itself, let alone Ulster. In fact, a million years ago ancient humans were painting their hands with red ochre and pressing them onto cave walls leaving an image and many examples still remain. It's always a mistake to claim anything as uniquely belonging to one culture.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

@@johnbrereton5229 All those caves obviously belong to ancient branches of the O'Neills

[@CinCee-]

Baby Finn str8 puxssy son

[@davidpryle3935]

@@eljanrimsa5843Yeah, the southern O’Neills 😂

[@junecheonsasarah2651]

Being a great lover of Northern Ireland and knowing how warmhearted people the Irish are, I suggest, if ever a flag was to be designed, is to include a Heart

[@mr.afrikaans1747]

Why do people insist on pronouncing Connaught wrongly?

[@drs-xj3pb]

1. They don't know any better and are waiting for you to correct them. 2. They're doing it on purpose just to annoy you. Which do you prefer?

[@mr.afrikaans1747]

@@drs-xj3pb Secret option three. JoMama

[@davidpryle3935]

Yes, the two most (major) mispronounced Irish place names, Connaught and Drogheda.

[@amigos2841]

Brilliant video, one thing i would say though is the white on the flag is actually based on the white in the St Patrick saltire rsther than the english flag

[@24zelock]

unionist favorite topic , the flegs lol , oh and pallets

[@xdcAlzir]

Fair play to you taking on a topic like this one, but you also did a brilliant job with it! Thank you and keep it up.

[@colchis]

FLEEEEGS!

[@Conorguill]

‘Historically’ for a place sprung out of existence from nothing in 1921

[@talideon]

12:10 - field sports are the only place with a division, and that's in soccer due to a divide between the IFA (the older association) and those further south. And this was a split that happened after partition. It was all down to a disagreement as to where a cup semifinal between Shelbourne and Glenavon should be played, and rather than either following precedence (a replay in the other location) or a compromise location, the decision was a replay in the same location, which Shelbourne refused because it refused their right to a home field advantage in a replay as Glenavon had that in thr first game. The objection was that this was during the War of Independence, but the negative reaction was compounded by how heavily Belfast-centric the IFA were as an organisation. It was the last straw. Other than that, Irish teams end to be all-Ireland, but in individual sports, people represent the nation they identify most strongly with.

[@Dreyno]

Only soccer/football. Other field sports are all Ireland. Rugby, Gaelic games, hockey, cricket etc. As are the vast majority of sports. Golf, swimming, basketball, boxing, cycling. The only sports of note that are divided are soccer/football, netball, snooker and darts.

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

I'm getting popcorn for this, thank you from Belfast.

[@Tom-eq5bz]

Remember guys, its called Derry and *NOT* London-Derry

[@skarryprankhunter]

Based

[@joshkidd5463]

its called derry until im around all my catholic mates then its londonderry

[@darnellbiggumsthe9th658]

@@joshkidd5463 it’s always derry, shouldn’t matter who you’re around

[@joshkidd5463]

@@darnellbiggumsthe9th658 clearly having the craic isnt on the agenda for you

[@TheLocalLt]

Unless you are in New Hampshire

[@johnkilmartin5101]

Have you done videos on the Crown dependencies adjacent to the United Kingdom?

[@Blood9Brothers]

COME OUT YE BLACK N TANS

[@williekeane1864]

Why would anybody want to have a flag that's meaningless when if anybody who knows the history of the irish tri colour green for irish white for peace and orange has always been part of it to represent the protestants so how more equal can a flag be

[@lighthouse620]

Northern Ireland does have a flag, it has the tricolour

[@donalmurphy5253]

"Movement" 😂😂😂😂😂

[@1conor]

Invasion more like

[@tristin1916]

"movement of protestants" around 1:00 is doing alot of heavy lifting ngl. More like settler colonialism to crush the strongly Irish and Gaelic part of Ireland (Ulster)

[@annconlon4468]

I believe the correct pronunciation is 'Fleg' not Flag. 😀

[@charliebannon5489]

It didn't change. The flag with the yellow background is the flag of Ulster. That is the 9 counties of Ulster. 3 counties are in the Republic of Ireland and 6 are in Northern Ireland. The flag with the white background is the flag of Northern Ireland as in the 6 counties.

[@darnellbiggumsthe9th658]

26 + 6 = 1🇮🇪

[@ecurewitz]

Just make it peaceful. No more Troubles

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

Oh look another Republican who can't count

[@internetkurator9256]

Is there a reason why the Union Jack and british flags are slightly longer and more narrow then the "usual" flag proportions?

[@IrishInsomniac76]

A suggestion for a new NI flag could be the red hand on a white background. The red hand would satisfy unionists but also predates the union. The white background denotes peace. I am Irish by the way.

[@dstarie]

Its amazing how peoples emblems and symbols are really not what they think they are

[@CinCee-]

Irish/Catholic out number the planters these days.

[@Alan_Mac]

Planters, eh? How very inclusive of you.

[@CinCee-]

@@Alan_Mac 🌱

[@stephenmonaghan4025]

The tricourler was the flag too reunite but it did not happen green for nationalists and orange for unionist and white for peace but no one is ever happy up there

[@user-ze8yy8jg1f]

Well no it didn’t unite anyone. Prods were hunted and forced to leave Ireland when we got independence over 50 Protestant families were forced out of north cork There’s a reason our Protestant population is so low compared to before independence

[@rixille]

History shows what happens when enough migration unfolds in a country; it changes its demographic significantly which can then upset the stability of the region. I wish politicians thought about this more when considering if they are going to enact policy that their lobbyists asked for.

[@Bernaren60]

So lets wait a few years and the white crescent onbgreen will replace the Union Jack.

[@Whelknarge]

This is what happens when an occupied territory is injected with people with the express purpose of subjugating the local population. That's not the same as migration in the context of modern democracies.

[@philroberts7238]

@@Bernaren60 Normal migration is one thing. State-enforced plantation of one community at the expense of another as happened in Ireland is an entirely different matter. To imagine they are the same is paranoid delusion.

[@Bernaren60]

@philroberts7238 keep making your self-defined distinctions of good migrant, bad migrant. Doesn't negate my argument - demographics are changed through migration all the time. Where are the preCeltic peoples of Ireland. How are their symbols, language, and culture celebrated in an Ireland that primarily celebrates its Celtic identity? Was their disappearance a natural phenomenon or a politically enforced consequence of a better armed Celtic migration?

[@Whelknarge]

@coc.caled1 Well, archaeologists are pretty sure it wasn't due to a well-armed Celtic invasion, but I agree it's sad their language and culture didn't survive to the modern era (though arguably there are imprints of their culture in what would go on to become Gaelic culture). The difference is that they are no longer around to advocate for themselves, we are.

[@francesmcgloin9743]

THIS IS THE CORRECT SPELLING COUNTRY IRELAND COUNTY AS IN 32 COUNTY

[@nafanarefour4564]

Actually, the Irish tri-color represents the two major religions in Ireland (Anglicanism and Catholicism). The green represents the Catholics, the Orange the Anglicans, and the white in the middle represents the lasting peace between the two, thus a new flag is NOT necessary.

[@ToastieBRRRN]

Yes it does because it's based off the French tri-colour and also represents republicanism.

[@talideon]

​@@ToastieBRRRN I mean, if Ireland is reunited, it's almost certainly going to be a republic afterwards, so I'm kind of puzzled. Maybe I'm a bit slow, but could you explain yourself a bit better?

[@matpk]

@@talideon 🥳🥳 Split NI into 6 parts Return to RoI one by one Over the span of 18 years

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

​@@matpkwe were never a part of ROI to "return" thank you very much. If anything ROI should return to *us*!

[@Cyberbeagle1000]

​@@ToastieBRRRNand violent Republicanism at that. The type that wanted to kill us. Yeah tge tricolour is a *wonderfully* inclusive and welcoming emblem for us unionists. 🙄

[@nicolasmartin-minaret6157]

They should just adopt the Ulster flag but keeping the six pointed star

[@karlosdeevs]

G’wan Ireland🇮🇪

[@Bob-nd2mr]

I grew up in Northern Ireland 1969 - 1999 and we were Protestant but my family had many Southern Protestant friends who had been forced out of Southern Ireland by the IRA in 1921 - 23 and I was always surprised by the accent they had. The present situation is very weird with both the Tricolor and the Union Flag flying together in Belfast against the Palestinian Flag that Sinn Fein has endorsed. Many Republicans shouting TRAITOR at the Sinn Fein politicians for letting the illegal moslems and africans into Ireland. Never seen that before ...tricolor and union flag side by side.

[@nornironnomad]

Such a thorough explanation, was there a connection with the star of David on the Ulster banner? Or just a coincidence

[@Viscount_Castlereagh]

It represents the six counties of NI.

[@clairee4939]

@@Viscount_Castlereagh I hope it’s not rude but a somebody once told me that behind it there was also a belief about Protestants descending from a lost tribe of Israel? but simple explanation more likely I guess. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@jackietreehorn5561]

​@@clairee4939the lost tribe of Scottish planters more like..... positioned in power that kicked rightful land owners off their property

[@norgodmylies133]

0:50 not just the island of Ireland, the entire UK was partitioned into two states UK and RoI

[@markrowantree]

Excellent and objectively correct answer.

[@markrowantree]

Not that it is possible to cover every facet or nuance of such a contentious part of Irish history in such a brief video. Nonetheless, I’m impressed.

[@wkuhlewind8928]

Why is the hand blood red?

[@jackietreehorn5561]

Because it symbolized the dripping blood of many nations

[@matto5527]

Great video as always Hilbert, but I’d like to add that the Red Hand of Ulster is also used in nationalist communities, particularly in the Irish sport of Gaelic games; the original Ulster flag is sometimes used by Irish nationalists, as seen in some instances at Celtic FC games in Glasgow The picture in 7:02 is the proposed boundary commission, which was decided after the Anglo-Irish war ended, it was used to potentially make Northern Ireland “unviable” which tricked the Irish delegation into signing the treaty. The Unionists did aim to have as mush land as possible with a significant Protestant majority. It was Edward Carson who came up with the six-county proposal we know today. It’s also worth mentioning that the Conservative party in England were also supportive of the new state Northern Ireland’s establishment removed the ‘Ulster question’ out of Briths politics. Before this, the fate of counties Tyrone and Fermanagh caused massive debate as to whether they would join Northern Ireland or the Irish free state.

[@andykane9866]

Yesh its still on the cavan flag

[@pauloneill2474]

As an o' Neill and not an o' Neil who's hand was it? Which one of the Brothers cut off their hand to claim the land? Have I got any compensation coming my way? Mr. P. O'NEILL. 🤣🤣🤣🤔🤔🤔

[@michaelodonnell2570]

Per Irish history when the Celts came to Ireland. There was a contest as to how would get the N W per our lore a King who ensured he would win cut off his hand and threw it on the land. The clan of O'Neill does not go back in history of Ireland. The red hand goes back to Neil of the 9 hostages that the clan of O'Donnell and various other Clans can claim their family history beginnings in Ireland

[@junglelands9119]

The "our wee flag" and Northern Ireland will both be gone in the not so distance future when Ireland becomes one. Plus, if you think there will be a new flag to represent all the people of N. Ireland, you will without doubt be wrong that will never happen. There will be NO Northern Ireland at all once the people in the North vote in a so-called border pole. Ireland will be united whether you like it or not. Now you need to ask yourself, is Our wee country or their wee country worth fighting for and possibly dying for. Its up to you.

[@zsombortelek8411]

The Northern Ireland Assembly had a republican majority since 2022. For two years. Why hasn't the referendum been held yet? Surely, if the people of Northern Ireland wish to reunite with the rest of the island, they'd vote in favor of it in a heartbeat, no?

[@junglelands9119]

@@zsombortelek8411 The British government refuse to hold a referendum, because they know they would lose....

[@baileygregory9192]

My grandmother's family coat of arms has the red hand of ulster on it, probably because her grandfather was from a family that originates from scotland but liver in Ireland

[@marionhogan175]

Interesting video, thank you

[@harry9392]

The red cross on yellow background is the 9 county flag as used in Ulster Rugby and GAA White background with Red Cross is Northern Ireland flag . The people of ulster were given the honor of flying the cross of St George red cross on white background by king William the 3rd , the red cross on yellow background is from the De Burgh family

[@Sean-xb6ns]

We nationalists are the majority here in the north of Ireland now