Last modified: 2003-12-26 by rob raeside
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Section 10.3 of the Mercantile Marine Act, which I quote below, contains the salient information about use of Irish flags at sea:
National colours for Irish ships.Vincent Morley, 25 November 2001
10.(1) The proper national colours to be worn by Irish ships shall be the national flag or that flag with a white border except that
( a ) in the case of State-owned ships for which a special flag is prescribed under subsection (2) of this section, the proper national colours shall be the flag so prescribed, and
( b ) in the case of ships in respect of which a special flag is authorised by flag warrant under subsection (3) of this section, the proper national colours shall be the flag so authorised.
(2) The Minister may prescribe a flag to be worn in lieu of the national flag by State-owned ships or by specified classes of such ships.
(3) The Minister may, by flag warrant issued to any body of persons, authorise the members of the body to use a flag in lieu of the national flag on specified Irish ships, and may by any such warrant impose conditions and restrictions on the exercise of the authority thereby conferred and may revoke any such warrant.
Is this a pilot ensign? Is it authorized as alternate national ensign?
Zeljko Heimer, 25 November 2001
That provision has puzzled me - I remember it being discussed some years ago. There is nothing in the
legislation to limit the use of the white-bordered flag to use as a pilot ensign, but that may have been
the intention. I must say that I have never seen such a flag, although I live in Ireland's largest port.
Vincent Morley, 25 November 2001
Is there any such flag authorized?
Zeljko Heimer, 25 November 2001
Not to my knowledge.
Vincent Morley, 25 November 2001
Do the regulations say if someone is required to hold account on what warrants were issued and eventually supervise the usage?
Zeljko Heimer, 25 November 2001
It's not stated explicitly, but I imagine the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources must keep a register of the warrants
issued. There is a Freedom of Information Act, so it might be interesting to make an application under its provisions.
With regard to enforcement, article 11 of the Mercantile Marine Act may be interest:
"Prohibition on hoisting colours other than national colours.
11.(1) No flag distinctive of nationality shall be hoisted on an Irish ship other than the proper national colours.
(2) The flying of a flag by way of courtesy only, in accordance with accepted international usage, shall not be a contravention of this section.
(3) Where there is a contravention of this section,