Protestant voters in the north have a negative view of the tricolor being retained as the future flag of a united Ireland, according to a new survey.
A survey carried out by the Irish Times/ARINS (Ireland North and South Analysis and Research) confirmed that trade unionists also have a negative view of the Irish flag.
The flag symbolizes peace between Ireland’s Greens and Oranges and is expected to be part of the debate over what reunification will look like at some point in the future.
This research project is the second collaboration between The Irish Times and ARINS, and is a collaboration between the Royal Irish Academy and the Keogh Norton Institute for Irish Research at the University of Notre Dame.
All respondents were shown the same image of the tricolor flag, and half were given the following explanation: “Since Ireland’s founding, the national flag has been the republican tricolor. It famously flew during the Easter Rising of 1916 and during the Irish War of Independence against British rule.”
The remaining 50 percent of respondents were given an alternative explanation. “This flag was designed to represent the island’s two main political traditions. The white in the center represents the lasting peace between the ‘orange’ and the ‘green’. ”
Respondents are asked to respond on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 means keep and 7 means replace.
The responses showed that northern Protestants have strong views on the flag.
The score for the initial description of the flag was 6.1, while the shared heritage description was 5.8.
Respondents’ opinions on the shamrock, a symbol well accepted by both sections of the community, were also asked, and the Protestant outlook was found to be relatively moderate.