Poor, no flag Northern Ireland. While England, Scotland and Wales all have flags as countries in the United Kingdom, not her.

But rather than a transparent skirt of technical correctness, which would be weird,

bam, these videos use this flag that's often used to represent Northern Ireland in the real world.

If it's good enough for sports, it's good enough for squirts.

But why isn't this flag official and why do some people prefer not to use it?

To discuss this, we must follow a narrow path through the forest of all knowledge, and be careful not to stray.

It's easy to get lost in these woods, for there are always distractions and dangers to pull us aside.

Focus on the flag, don't leave the path. This flag is the Ulster banner, named after Ulster, one of Ireland's traditional regions.

The flag first flew above the Northern Irish Parliament in 1953 as part of a visit by the then newly coordinated Queen.

But straightway, there was a bit of an astersterisk, as, quote, the Minister of Home Affairs announced that while the Union flag was the only officially recognized standard,

those who wish to have a distinctive Ulster symbol might use the banner.

Which is a bit, here's your new flag, but not really.

And the new flag wasn't new either, designed in 1923 along with the Ulster Coat of Arms.

Coat of Arms are symbolic objects, so let's talk about the parts.

The Irish Elk represents the local Irish, and the Red Lion represents the Ulster Scots.

Wait, why are there so many Scottish people in Northern Ireland to warrant half the coat of arms?

Have we wandered off the path?

The shield design is a red cross, which is totally not at all the St. George Cross, England uses, plus the crown of the UK and this red hand,

which is a defining Northern Irish element,

as it's unique, unlike the crown and the cross, which are on everything.

The hand comes with a Lady Godiva-style story about how the first to touch the land of Ulster would own it,

so of course, in the race, someone cut off his own hand to win on technicality, which can't possibly be true.

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