Those who have followed my career would know that I have long advocated for better relations between north and south.

The ignorance of Dublin about their northern neighbours would make you despair, and we’re all poorer for it.

However, the introduction of flags into housing estates to mark territory and intimidate newcomers was not what I had in mind.

In the last month or so, tricolours have appeared around inner-city Dublin. The lampposts around Coolock, Ballymun and parts of Tallaght are filled with flags too.

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Around football tournaments or Katie Taylor fights, this isn’t abnormal. Yet these flags are nothing to do with sport, unless some of these areas have become really enthusiastic about the Lacrosse World Cup in the last few weeks.

Dublin City Council have announced they will meet with gardaí in response to concerns expressed by residents about the erection of tricolours by anti-immigration campaigners.

Resident groups wrote to the authority to ask to remove the flags, which they said is an attempt to........

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