It seems no issue is immune to the drift at the heart of the Executive. In November of 2024 it was reported that several Commonwealth Games Officials for Northern Ireland wished to change the flag used by the team at the event as “both the current Union flag and Ulster Banner are not representative of Northern Ireland athletes”. Some of the officials at the time suggested that a new and inclusive flag for Northern Ireland should be created but it seems nothing came of that suggestion.
Now, in early January 2026 and with the Commonwealth Games due to open this Summer it turns out that requests to the Executive for guidance on this matter have been met with official silence. According to Hayley Halpin at the BBC
The official in charge of Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth Games team (Conal Heatley) has said it is still waiting on guidance on what flag the team will compete under, despite multiple requests to The Executive Office. Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show earlier on Monday, Heatley said the CGNI had written to the Executive Office “on a number of occasions”.
“We have met with civil servants and they operate within parameters set by politicians. They were very helpful conversations that we had but it didn’t progress anything,” Heatley said.He added the CGNI reached out to the five main political parties, but “quite sadly only two of them have met with us”.
Whilst the Executive has been silent on the matter, the individual parties comprising that Executive have weighed in since. Michelle O’Neill is quoted in the report as saying that the organisation had
“taken on board the feelings of their athletes – the people that actually compete for them…They didn’t feel themselves that what they had was reflective or inclusive so I commend the work they’re doing and whatever I can do to help them, I’m here to do so, but I do believe that the suggestion that’s been mooted – that they go with their own team logo – I think that’s a fine way forward”
Whereas DUP leader Gavin Robinson is quoted in the same article as saying that
“not sure why there seems to be a quest to delve into a political row…I see members of our community, be they unionist, nationalist, of Protestant faith or Roman Catholic faith, all proudly standing by the Northern Ireland flag when they participate in games…So the injection of this unnecessary political request, I don’t think is helpful. I’m not sure what the outcome is going to be either, but from our perspective there’s no need for change.”
Mark Simpson has written a follow-up article detailing that Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has written a two-page letter arguing that the Ulster Banner should be retained
“To remove or replace this flag now would not resolve division, it would create it…The Ulster Banner should be used as the flag for Northern Ireland athletes at the Commonwealth Games, including the upcoming Glasgow 2026 event and all future competitions.”
Conal Heatley himself said the following on the Nolan show
“It’s recognised that the Ulster Banner holds cultural significance for a large section of one side of community in Northern Ireland … there are people on the other side of community who don’t feel the same about that.”
It seems that without any official guidance from the Executive on the matter (which seems to be because the Executive itself is split on the topic), the Northern Ireland team at the Commonwealth Games will compete under a flag bearing the team logo later this year.
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