A reduction in displays of flags, murals and other emblems of territorialism in Northern Ireland has been identified in a new survey by Queen's University Belfast.
The Flags Monitoring Project, undertaken by the Irish Institute at Queen's University, surveyed the main roads in Belfast and Derry in July and September last year. They found an overall decrease of 40 per cent, from 4,136 to 2,499, in nationalist and unionist flags, murals and arches.
The researchers suggest this is further evidence of Northern Ireland people recognising the detrimental consequences of sectarianism,
Dr Dominic Bryan at the Institute of Irish Studies accepted that there would normally be a decrease in the number of loyalist paraphernalia in September because of the end of the loyalist marching season. Nonetheless, the academic said there had been a reduction on figures collected from smaller surveys conducted in previous years. The final figures for the survey in September show 1,754 emblems were unionist and 737 were nationalist. The remaining eight flags did not fit into either category.
The divisions and boundaries between the nationalist and unionist communities in the North have long been indicated by flags and emblems. However, the economically and socially damaging effects of this demarcation of territory are recognised by many politicians and economists.
The police have been working with districts to reduce tit-for-tat displays of flag-flying and improve cross-community relationships around interfaces which are commonly the site of violence. The research published yesterday indicates that barriers are slowly beginning to come down.
"We are aware that there has been much work undertaken in communities to try and reduce the flying of flags to periods when specific celebrations or commemorations are taking place," Dr Dominic Bryan said.
"The evidence we have from these surveys demonstrate that while significant numbers of flags are being removed voluntarily, a large number are being left on lamp-posts to apparently mark territories.
"At the same time there is increasing evidence that such marking of territories is recognised by communities as being economically detrimental."
The flying of paramilitary flags decreased from 194 to 161. Flags and bunting on buildings where local people took responsibility, such as private houses and Orange lodges, were taken down the fastest.
The project noted the number of political emblems on Northern Ireland's arterial routes at the start of July, the height of the Orange Order marching season.
The second survey took place in mid-September, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the ending of the H-Block hunger strikes in 1981.
The period of two and a half months was sufficient to allow residents to remove any flags and emblems, the report said.
Although the timing of the second survey did not allow as much time for republican communities to remove their flags, an inspection in November showed "there [ were] still flags flying, tattered and dirty," according to the report's author.