This flag was granted by King
George V on August 2, 1924. The star representing the six counties
is ensigned with the royal crown and charged with the red hand
of Ulster. The red hand of Ulster comes from a legend from one
of Ireland's many legendary invasions. The leader of a war party
promised a prize to the first man to touch land with his right
hand; so the winner, a left-handed man, cut off his right hand
and threw it onto the shore. This was a civil flag for Northern
Ireland, but the status of this was abolished when the Belfast
Stormont assembly was closed down in 1973. Thereafter, the
Union
Flag was made official for all purposes in Northern Ireland.
