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King George V granted the Northern Ireland flag on 2nd August
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.
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