St George`s day

[macwilkin]

How is the flag of the government not the flag of the nation? Notwithstanding the fact that the Union flag IS used in practise as the flag of the UK.

This is a bit misleading; the The flag of St Patrick as a national flag of Ireland is of dubious -at very best- provenance and the tricolour is absolutely nothing to do with the UK.

What has the modern day navy or merchant maritime presence of Ireland got to do with the Union Flag?

1) UDI? Northern Ireland? Some hope.
2) Shouldn't the royal Arms be amended right now? The Harp is the symbol of Ireland, not NI.

Perhaps Ireland should sue her, to remove the harp?

Just a couple of points:

1. The harp is used as a symbol in Ulster, usually with a crown -- if you look at the regimental badge of the Royal Irish Regiment and its "ancestors", you will see a number of regiments (including the Royal Irish Rifles & Rangers, the Ulster Defence Regiment and the old RUC) use the "crown and harp" badge, so your statement that the harp is not a symbol of NI/Ulster is incorrect.

2. A number of countries have flags that may be flown by government/military personnel only; for example, only recently in the last decade did the Republic of India allow its citizens to fly the Indian flag. Many countries have two versions of the flag, one for general use and a "state" or "war" flag.

3. The Cross of St. Patrick is gaining popularity, especially among loyalists in Ulster and among those in the Republic who favour increased ties with the UK. For example, the Reform Movement uses the Cross of St. Patrick:

http://www.reform.org/

Regards,

Todd