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Irish Flag Referendum,2019
Below is an article on the Irish flag referendum. OOC, I have seen the New York Times, and other newspapers, sometimes tackle complex political issues from a slightly different angle, and that is what's going on here
Top Eight Final Flag Designs for Ireland to be Voted on in a Flag Referendum Next Year
(The New York Times)
As Ireland has been tearing itself apart politically over the issue of the Monarchy, another issue has come up, arguably as important, has come up, that of the Flag of Ireland. I say that this issue is as imortant because a flag is the very thing that defines a country, it is designed to depict a nation's unique history, heritage, and culture, all while being asthetically pleasing and easily recognizable. Flags have been an important part of warfare, politics, protests, and movements for centuries. So why change Ireland's current flag?View attachment 498377 This is the current flag of Ireland. The green represents the forests and fields, and the Irish Catholics, while the gold represents prosperity, independence, and the Irish Protestants. The issue is with the Canton (for those who are unfamiliar with vexillology, a canton is a section of flag which defaces the main design, and is usually on the hoist side, or the upper left corner). The canton depicts the insignia of the German Volunteer Expeditionary Force in Ireland, which assisted the Irish rebels in their war of independence. So, Irish nationalists see this as a symbol of German domination over their country, and with the current debates on trying to unseat the German king, a new flag would be appropriate. So, below are the top eight entries, which will be voted on in March of 2020. These range from the beautiful to the downright disgusting, so it will be interesting to see which will win out.
View attachment 498382 Coming in at number 9, we have this flag, nicknamed "the Pumpkin Jack" flag. Mostly this flag was voted for by Ulstermen, who look back on the days of British rule nostalgically. Pretty much everyone else hates it though, due to the centuries old rivalry between the Irish and the English.
View attachment 498384
as number 8, only slightly less popular, is the flag proposed by the Irish Teutonic Society. It seems to be the exact opposite of what O'Brian and his Fianna Fail allies are looking for, instead showing German Dominance and superiority over Ireland.
View attachment 498386 Number 7 is our first nationalist flag. Simple, and to the point, it uses a Sunburst symbol, popular with the Irish right wing parties, on a Green background. It is poorly executed, however, and perhaps too simple a design.
View attachment 498387 At number 6 is the classic Green Harp banner, used by the Irish for a long time. The Harp symbol has been used as a symbol of Ireland since the 12th century, and has its roots in Folklore. However, this exact flag is also the flag of the Irish province of Leinster, which could cause some confusion.
View attachment 498389 Number 4 is asthetically pleasing, and was designed by a graphic designer from Trinity College, Dublin. However, the symbol has no meaning whatsoever, except possibly as a cross.
View attachment 498392 Number 3 is interesting, combining an old Celtic symbol, the Triquetra knot, with the Irish tricolor.
View attachment 498393
The second most popular flag is a Celtic Cross, using the tricolor's colors. It might be somewhat too ornate for a national flag, though.
View attachment 498395 And what is the most popular Irish flag, at least so far? The Revolutionary Tricolor. Stemming from the Irish War of Independence, this flag was meant to show a peaceful union of all Irishmen, Protestant, Catholic, or otherwise. Early versions of this flag were oriented vertically, and had slightly different colors, but the modern version was adopted when Germany announced its support of the Irish Rebels, due to its similarities to the German flag, while still being Irish at its core.
Right now, Ireland's future is uncertain. Probably what happens in the Oireachtas in the next few months will greatly affect the outcome of the referendum. But whatever happens, the old flag of Ireland will be thrown out, and a new one will be raised over that nation, whether it be a Kingdom or a Republic.
Related News:
King John II of Ireland denounces flag referendum as "Unnecessary and outrageous"
Opinion: Is Ireland's political drama weakening their economy?
Abortion Bill passes in Ireland, Angering the far right
Other News:
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Defense Department officials say that the siege of Sukhumi "Will be a nightmare" in terms of casualties
Will the Social Labor party split?
Germany pulls last peacekeeping forces out of Zambia
Nationalism is on the rise in Poland
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Cache of stolen art from World War Two found in Russia
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(The New York Times)
As Ireland has been tearing itself apart politically over the issue of the Monarchy, another issue has come up, arguably as important, has come up, that of the Flag of Ireland. I say that this issue is as imortant because a flag is the very thing that defines a country, it is designed to depict a nation's unique history, heritage, and culture, all while being asthetically pleasing and easily recognizable. Flags have been an important part of warfare, politics, protests, and movements for centuries. So why change Ireland's current flag?View attachment 498377 This is the current flag of Ireland. The green represents the forests and fields, and the Irish Catholics, while the gold represents prosperity, independence, and the Irish Protestants. The issue is with the Canton (for those who are unfamiliar with vexillology, a canton is a section of flag which defaces the main design, and is usually on the hoist side, or the upper left corner). The canton depicts the insignia of the German Volunteer Expeditionary Force in Ireland, which assisted the Irish rebels in their war of independence. So, Irish nationalists see this as a symbol of German domination over their country, and with the current debates on trying to unseat the German king, a new flag would be appropriate. So, below are the top eight entries, which will be voted on in March of 2020. These range from the beautiful to the downright disgusting, so it will be interesting to see which will win out.
View attachment 498382 Coming in at number 9, we have this flag, nicknamed "the Pumpkin Jack" flag. Mostly this flag was voted for by Ulstermen, who look back on the days of British rule nostalgically. Pretty much everyone else hates it though, due to the centuries old rivalry between the Irish and the English.
View attachment 498384
as number 8, only slightly less popular, is the flag proposed by the Irish Teutonic Society. It seems to be the exact opposite of what O'Brian and his Fianna Fail allies are looking for, instead showing German Dominance and superiority over Ireland.
View attachment 498386 Number 7 is our first nationalist flag. Simple, and to the point, it uses a Sunburst symbol, popular with the Irish right wing parties, on a Green background. It is poorly executed, however, and perhaps too simple a design.
View attachment 498387 At number 6 is the classic Green Harp banner, used by the Irish for a long time. The Harp symbol has been used as a symbol of Ireland since the 12th century, and has its roots in Folklore. However, this exact flag is also the flag of the Irish province of Leinster, which could cause some confusion.
View attachment 498389 Number 4 is asthetically pleasing, and was designed by a graphic designer from Trinity College, Dublin. However, the symbol has no meaning whatsoever, except possibly as a cross.
View attachment 498392 Number 3 is interesting, combining an old Celtic symbol, the Triquetra knot, with the Irish tricolor.
View attachment 498393
The second most popular flag is a Celtic Cross, using the tricolor's colors. It might be somewhat too ornate for a national flag, though.
View attachment 498395 And what is the most popular Irish flag, at least so far? The Revolutionary Tricolor. Stemming from the Irish War of Independence, this flag was meant to show a peaceful union of all Irishmen, Protestant, Catholic, or otherwise. Early versions of this flag were oriented vertically, and had slightly different colors, but the modern version was adopted when Germany announced its support of the Irish Rebels, due to its similarities to the German flag, while still being Irish at its core.
Right now, Ireland's future is uncertain. Probably what happens in the Oireachtas in the next few months will greatly affect the outcome of the referendum. But whatever happens, the old flag of Ireland will be thrown out, and a new one will be raised over that nation, whether it be a Kingdom or a Republic.
Related News:
King John II of Ireland denounces flag referendum as "Unnecessary and outrageous"
Opinion: Is Ireland's political drama weakening their economy?
Abortion Bill passes in Ireland, Angering the far right
Other News:
Military Intervention in Greek protests leaves 8 dead so far, riots continue in Athens and Thessaloniki
Defense Department officials say that the siege of Sukhumi "Will be a nightmare" in terms of casualties
Will the Social Labor party split?
Germany pulls last peacekeeping forces out of Zambia
Nationalism is on the rise in Poland
Inside Punjab's plans for the Olympics
Cache of stolen art from World War Two found in Russia
New Dinosaur species found in Montana
- mikroraptor
- Word Count: 37