Commonwealth Games: Northern Ireland team chief still seeking guidance on flag

The Ulster Banner was the flag of the former Government of Northern Ireland from 1953 until it was was abolished in 1973.

While in the Olympics, athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to compete for Team GB – which uses the Union Flag – or Team Ireland – which uses the Irish tricolour.

In the Commonwealth Games the Ulster Banner has been used as the flag of the Northern Ireland contingent.

Unlike the Olympics, the four contingent parts of the UK compete separately at the Commonwealth Games, meaning none is represented by the Union Flag.

The Union Flag has no official status in Northern Ireland nor any other part of the United Kingdom.

Heatley said the Union Flag would not work at the Commonwealth Games because it did not “uniquely represent” Northern Ireland.

“It’s recognised that the Ulster Banner holds cultural significance for a large section of one side of community in Northern Ireland and I think we need to be honest about this and say there are people on the other side of community who don’t feel the same about that,” Heatley said.

He said that “in the absence of a flag that we’re instructed to use by politicians, the only thing that we can do” is use the CGNI logo.