Flags: We seem obsessed with flags in Northern Ireland today even moreso than 50 plus years ago, flying them on homes, businesses. Lampposts, anywhere, everywhere to express, or assert, an areas National identity and the prevalent religious denomination.
Protestants are British, Roman Catholics are Irish and displaying flags lets visitors and residents know and accept which national identity and religious denomination is dominant in an area.
But there are interesting revelations behind the identities and symbols of identity that are used to define the people of Ulster, Northern Ireland and/or the North of Ireland, even the island of Ireland.
The flags that represent identities within these islands have strong origins with the religion used by Rome to create a universal ( from the Greek word Catholic) Roman identity.
Scotland is represented by the cross of St. Andrew: introduced by Rome as the patron saint of Scotland and the cross of St. Andrew is incorporated on the British national emblem: the Union Flag.
The cross of St. George, whom Rome bestowed upon England as it’s patron saint is the English flag and at the core of Britain’s union flag.
The cross of St. Patrick, whom Rome granted the title of Patron Saint of Ireland, is found on the Union flag with it’s red lines located within the cross of St. Andrew.
Wales was treated as a province of England and so it’s identity was represented as part of England.
The emblem of a dragon which has become Wales own national flag probably reflects the original inhabitants of Wales who were primarily Druids. The Druids were a Dragon worshipping people.
Many from what is identified as ‘the Protestant (sector of our) community’ in Northern Ireland are actually Catholic. The Church of Ireland: originating after Britain’s King Henry VIII rejected the authority of Rome during his obsession with finding a woman to marry who would bear him a son and heir to the throne.
King Henry VIII dispensed with the authority of Rome and founded his own Anglican Catholic church and in tandem with his creation of the Church of England, emerged the Churches of Ireland and Scotland respectively. The Church of England held dominion over Wales.
universal journey 