It’s nearly July – so it’s time for lamp posts to turn into flagpoles

You know you’re from Northern Ireland when you find yourself referring to lampposts as ‘flagpoles’. It’s nearly July so in many areas we have flags ‘decorating’ these flagpoles lampposts.  It wouldn’t be so bad if the flags were at full mast on their flagpoles lampposts, but rarely are they at the top. Thus it often appears that we are in permanent mourning for someone.

This afternoon as I drove from Parliament Buildings to the city centre I spotted some particular stupidities. Some well-meaning so-called Loyalists have erected a Royal Banner (normally called Royal Standard) up a pole at the bottom of the Belmont Road. Now, I doubt that the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty is in fact resident in the pole.

Further down towards the city, there is a rather large Orange Hall with a wide range of flags flying from it. It’s a bit embarrassing therefore that the flag of the country (the Union Flag) is flying upside down. Now this is an internationally recognised sign of distress. So what distress is the Orange Order in?

Whilst these are rather minor infractions in vexillogical etiquette. It would be rather better if someone could instruct the so-called Loyalists in how to fly flags in the correct way. Perhaps they could take some instruction from the Flag Institute.

Perhaps there should be a task force of the Northern Ireland Executive to look into the display of flags in community areas. I’m sure there could be working between the Social Development minister, the Environment minister, and the Regional Development minister and even the NIO’s Minister of State for everything (wearing his Justice and Policing hat this time) to get funding for lampposts flagpoles with systems for the raising of flags together with appropriate regulations for what flags, when, how, and who is responsible for paying for them to be erected. I’m sure that there would be a large number of organisations that are happy to be involved to sort this out.

This is probably more likely from the current Executive than actually working out what is happening with Education, the Health Service, the proposed Single Equality Bill and any other legislation that the Executive is sitting on and not progressing.

Or perhaps it’s something for the new Minister of Justice if when justice and policing are devolved to the Assembly. But when is this likely to happen? Time to speak to Robbo and Martin.