Martin McHugh, flag bearer of Team Northern Ireland, leads out the team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Ulster Banner was adopted as the flag of Northern Ireland in 1953, but the emblem now has no official standing. The Ulster Banner was adopted as the flag of Northern Ireland by the Stormont administration in 1953. The divisive Ulster Banner would remain. The colonial relic of the Commonwealth Games appears to be facing an existential crisis due to prohibitive costs and low profile.

Source: The Irish Times January 16, 2026 16:30 UTC