Taking back the tri-colour

Bobeagleburger

The tricolour will be no more after a UI.

It's one of the things we'll need to sacrifice.

Tbf, there's not overwhelming attachment to it across the republic.

Daragh1980

Damien360 wrote: »

I honestly believe that used to be the prevailing attitude of fear of flying our own flag just in case someone thought you were a RA head. I’d lump Celtic shirts in with that.

Agree re the Celtic shirts.
You see them with SANDS 81 or EIRE 32.
But the worst was a guy in Kerry - early 2000s - walking around with a Celtic jersey that had OMAGH 98 on the back. Couldn’t understand how a t-shirt printer or sports shop could do that.

Wanderer78

Mr Magnolia wrote:

I'd love to fly it from my window at Easter for example but refrain from doing so because of the baggage that's attached and I am of a republican leaning - even to say that has me uneasy about how such a statement could be interpreted...

You could just fly it all year round, as there's no need to provoke people, to show your 'pride'

donegal_man

As an Irishman and a Prod I see no reason to change our flag. As far as I'm concerned that would be admitting that those who hate it or have used it as a symbol of division have won.
What does annoy me is when someone hoists one outside their home or business and then leaves there day and night until it turns into a faded and tattered rag.

ILoveYourVibes

donegal_man wrote: »

As an Irishman and a Prod I see no reason to change our flag.

Save for the fact its an obvious fashion disaster! GREEN ...and ORANGE. I mean come on!

I mean look at how gorgeous this IS! vv

whisky_galore

Strumms wrote: »

Yep, our flag was first..Current flag would look better with the harp in the middle, more distinctive.

No, it would then look like a Guinness tourist souvenir.

Mr Magnolia

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

Growing up in the 80s and 90s in a border county very often visiting the North where my mam's family still hail from, the tri-colour had different connotations. Many kerbs were, and still are, blue white and red or green white and orange. Certainly after the ceasefire the tri-colour, to me, has been hi-jacked by subversives.

Do people from other areas of the country feel the same? Should there be some sort of effort to positively promote the flag that I am proud of?

I'd love to fly it from my window at Easter for example but refrain from doing so because of the baggage that's attached and I am of a republican leaning - even to say that has me uneasy about how such a statement could be interpreted...

I don't care for the flag, or any flag.
On purely aesthetic grounds I think green and orange clash and just don't look good together.

ILoveYourVibes

whisky_galore wrote: »

No, it would then look like a Guinness tourist souvenir.

Lets go all the way and have a black flag with a gold harp ..

Or lets confuse people and have a jolly roger pirate flag! :pac:

Markcheese

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Lets go all the way and have a black flag with a gold harp ..

Or lets confuse people and have a jolly roger pirate flag! :pac:

With a rainbow in the background for extra confusion ,

I had a tri-colour when I was overseas ,decades ago , ( more for photos on mountain peaks than anthing else )
Wouldn't dream of putting one up outside now -
Pass a house on my way to work and they have one up - and I'm thinking have they just not taken it down after paddies day , or are they RA supporters

Hamsterchops

We wrestled it back a long time ago from the men of violence, it belongs to everybody today and we can all be proud of it. Yes, back in the 70s and 80s it was seen as a symbol of terrorism and devision, used as it was to drape over the coffins of fallen terrorists, hence the hesetency and stigma surrounding the flag for about thirty years!

Most people felt very uneasy as the PIRA were using it as 'their flag' and the optics would hint at "in the name of Ireland" as an other bomb went off up North. The Republicans really had hijacked it as they marched along with black berets, black balaclavas, Doc Martins, and sunglassses, doing gun salutes to their dead "heroes" all very sinister, scary and negative, but that was then . . . . .

But this is now, today in 2021 and it's no longer associated with them, we got it back years ago, actually it must be twenty years since the stigma faded, so everybody uses it, and it is no longer associated with terrorism < short version

Mr Magnolia

It's just not the feeling I have Hamsterchops. Where abouts in the country are you as a matter of interest?

coinop

Don't know if it's an unpopular opinion but I'm not a fan of the tricolour. It's boring and idiots get it confused with the Ivory Coast flag, the Italian flag and even the Mexican flag. Replace it with a harp on a green background or the Irish Republic flag from the Easter Rising. All the provos who have the tricolour tattooed on their ballsack won't be happy though.

Hamsterchops

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

It's just not the feeling I have Hamsterchops. Where abouts in the country are you as a matter of interest?

South Dublin.

Growing up like most people I steered well clear of it for fear of being associated with Ra heads, not so now though, as I don't see it as being theirs anymore, maybe I'm mistaken?

Cluedo Monopoly

coinop wrote: »

Don't know if it's an unpopular opinion but I'm not a fan of the tricolour. It's boring and idiots get it confused with the Ivory Coast flag, the Italian flag and even the Mexican flag. Replace it with a harp on a green background or the Irish Republic flag from the Easter Rising. All the provos who have the tricolour tattooed on their ballsack won't be happy though.

You just robbed my opinion.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=117053539&postcount=10

coinop

Cluedo Monopoly wrote: »

You just robbed my opinion.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=117053539&postcount=10

Sorry I don't read threads on Boards.ie, I find them incredibly dull and predictable. I just read thread titles and reply with my own two cents. I'm sure many others share our views on the Irish flag though. Seems to be a popular opinion.

Amadan Dubh

There are a lot of disenfranchised people in this thread who don't seem to be proud of being Irish and all that represents. It is the national flag of our country, nothing to be ashamed of unless you are ashamed or disillusioned with life on the island.

Hamsterchops

... just wanted to add to my previous two contributions before I move on. The Tricolour will cease to exist as our National flag > if a United Ireland comes about, for you can be sure, that if there's one symbol that's been trashed (during the Troubles), sadly it's the Tricolour, hence Unionists will never accept it (understandably), which is also a real shame, as it's meant to signify peace (white) between the Green & Orange.

ulster

I never associated our flag with anything other than the State.

I dunno why anyone would be ashamed of the flag. It is the official flag of a European country.

coinop

Amadan Dubh wrote: »

There are a lot of disenfranchised people in this thread who don't seem to be proud of being Irish and all that represents. It is the national flag of our country, nothing to be ashamed of unless you are ashamed or disillusioned with life on the island.

Why get so attached to the flag? It was only created about 100 years ago. Ireland as a nation is a lot older than that. Flags change all the time. Look at all the British ex-colonies that changed their flag in the last century. Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe etc...

ILoveYourVibes

Amadan Dubh wrote: »

There are a lot of disenfranchised people in this thread who don't seem to be proud of being Irish and all that represents. It is the national flag of our country, nothing to be ashamed of unless you are ashamed or disillusioned with life on the island.

I have never been ashamed of it.

I am disillusioned with a lot in Ireland though.

I would never think anything bad of anyone who flies the flag.

Del.Monte

donegal_man wrote: »

As an Irishman and a Prod I see no reason to change our flag. As far as I'm concerned that would be admitting that those who hate it or have used it as a symbol of division have won.
What does annoy me is when someone hoists one outside their home or business and then leaves there day and night until it turns into a faded and tattered rag.

This +100.

Local authorities are masters of flying flags until they turn into rags.

In the unlikely event of a united Ireland the tricolour and anthem would have to go but that would be too much for all the bar-stool republicans to stomach. As somebody said on the radio recently, you only have to witness the hostility to the playing of the awful "Ireland's Call" in a pub during a rugby match. I join in the general deriding of the song a) because it's cringeworthy and b) because it's diplomatic.

Cilldara_2000

Amadan Dubh wrote: »

There are a lot of disenfranchised people in this thread who don't seem to be proud of being Irish and all that represents. It is the national flag of our country, nothing to be ashamed of unless you are ashamed or disillusioned with life on the island.

I don't really get why people are proud of being born in a particular country. You never made the decision to be born here or to an Irish parent nor did you work hard to achieve it. Why would you then be proud if it?

I'm proud and ashamed of different aspects of how we do things here that I have contributed to, even if in most cases it's a rather indirect contribution of merely being part of society.

People can wave the flag all they like (see the anti-vaxxers currently going mad with it) or hang it in their gardens - I neither like or dislike it so long as they either take it in at night or have a light on it. What I do like is our general soft patriotism in this country. Private individuals typically only use the flag for special occasions, and then only a minority. I wouldn't like it if we had the American take on this.

We also seem to have a far better grasp on our place in the world and don't tend to have any notions about how special we are compared to other countries. I also like this.

I am also not disenfranchised - I vote in every election and referendum.

biko

You fly your flag how you please OP.

Galwayguy35

Cluedo Monopoly wrote: »

Being totally honest I think the Irish flag is extremely bland/boring. So non distinctive.
Way to similar to the Ivory Coast. India has the same colours. Even Italian/Mexican flags look Irish when the red starts to fade.

I would love a really distinctive flag like USA, Albania, Vietnam, Malawi, Japan etc

Even a harp on a green background would be so much better.

Well our flag is a lot older than the Ivory coast one so maybe its their flag that is similar not the other way around.

RobbingBandit

It's more so the poor Ivory Coast flag that gets it rough up north always seems to be burnt to cinders on July 11 in the 11th night bonfires.

Kewreeuss

If you think the national flag deserves respect, I think having it hanging in your garden forever cheapens it.
Fine to hang it out your upstairs window on international sporting occasions, but to reduce it to the level of bunting, no.
That the Americans and NI have the flag flying all the time, is advertising a whole other thing. That kind of signalling is largely unnecessary here.

ILoveYourVibes

biko wrote: »

You fly your flag how you please OP.

Yeah go for it!

No one will think anything of it ...people judge you on you.

Amadan Dubh

Amadan Dubh wrote: »

There are a lot of disenfranchised people in this thread who don't seem to be proud of being Irish and all that represents. It is the national flag of our country, nothing to be ashamed of unless you are ashamed or disillusioned with life on the island.

I’m happy enough with other people’s flag nationalism, although I would not put one outside the house — we don’t really do that in Ireland — I’m happy to carry an Irish flag when supporting any Irish team.

That’s a different argument to whether the flag is nice on its own terms. Aesthetically.

RobbingBandit

RobbingBandit wrote: »

It's more so the poor Ivory Coast flag that gets it rough up north always seems to be burnt to cinders on July 11 in the 11th night bonfires.

They really hate that country.

Cilldara_2000

Cilldara_2000 wrote: »

Agreed. This apparent wish for people to be chest thumping, flag waving chauvinists who are proud of national symbols is a dark road to narrow nationalism and thinking you're better than other people because of the chance of where you were born.

Or, it isn’t any of this. Just minor pride.