Flag Drill

[Parts]

At any funeral I've been at, the folding culminates with the IC Bearer Party stepping in between the last two men holding the flag, who drop it over his extended forearm, thus resulting in the final fold (leaving only 1/4 of the green and nothing else showing). Also, slightly off topic, unlike our American friends, the Irish MOD doesn't see fit to justity the expense of a flag by donating it to the bereaved family.

[strummer]

However when this is being done,there is always a danger of one of the folding party falling into the grave.

Really? Three Stooges routine? Or dignified ceremony? Don't they practice beforehand?

Later.

[Goldie fish]

Thats what reggie told us would happen....

[Bravo20]

The folding of the flag is not done so near to the grave that there would be a risk of the bearer party falling in. And yes Strummer they do practice it before hand.

[Saab]

Hi,
When I was a lad we were told that the green and orange should never touch.
However in the recent document released by the Department of an Taoiseach

http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Historical_Information/The_National_Flag/The_National_Flag.pdf

Section 20 shows the correct folding of the flag to be green and orange touching.

I have seen this done at state funerals where the flag was presented to the family but was told that it was folded that way as the flag was never to be used again.

Looking at the publication one could presume that they are only considering funeral protocol.
Has there been any military protocol on folding the flag made available since this topic was discussed before?

[DeV]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=765249870174237&id=141284749237422&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F141284749237422%2Fvideos%2F765249870174237%2F&_rdr

[Saab]

That's how the ceremony goes and it's what is in the Taoiseach info.

The question though is "is that the way the flag is to be folded?"

If you were to go to the Bks in the morning is that the way you would find the flag?

Or is i just folded like a blanket?
Or is it like one of the examples above?

There was no mention of how to fold or store the flag, other than carefully, when it was presented to the school.

[Bravo20]

I'm afraid there isn't any ceremony to folding the flag when taking it down from the pole.

[Saab]

There might be no ceremony but at the same time it's not scrunched up and shoved in a drawer.
Surely there are some instructions on the matter??

[Bravo20]

I would like to say that never happens but.........

[Bravo20]

OK while I have never seen any specific instructions on the matter, most of us who been involved in flag raising and lowering know that you are supposed to treat the flag with respect and most cases the flag is folded as neatly as possible given whatever circumstances you are operating under. As regards to where it is stored, that will depend on the location, sometimes it is a shelf in the guard room.

Given that the ceremonial folding of the flag on a coffin involves 8 people it is not feasible to do the same with just 2 for normal flag raising and lowering.