Flags have been taken down from the Lisburn Road. Nice day, isn't it?

I just noticed today that the Union Flags and Ulster Banners (or 'Red Hand Flags' if you must) that decorated the Lisburn Road over the summer have been taken down. When they went up I said I supported the flying of these flags as long as they came down by the end of the summer, and explained why I thought they should.

Follow up:

I also said that I didn't think they would come down and am happy to admit that I was wrong. While it's a shame not everyone was as supportive of the expression of patriotism as even my careful welcome, I want to praise whoever removed the flags now that the marching season (as far as I know) is over. It's a good thing they're down before they blended into the scenery too much and people forget they're even there. It's also fair to say there are people around who aren't overly comfortable with the idea of what they see as territory marking.

Here's to responsible patriotism.