The green, white and orange flag will be banned from the parade in Strabane, Northern Ireland, this year.
The flag is a regular sight at St Patrick’s Day events on both sides of the Irish border and across the globe.
The white of the flag represents peace between the island’s two largest political and religious communities – broadly, the Catholic, nationalist majority and the Protestant, unionist minority.
But the Irish flag, along with flags relating to Northern Ireland and Britain, will be banned from the show in Strabane this year.
It has sparked fury among those who believe Ireland’s flag should be present at an event celebrating Ireland’s national day.
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