New Ireland
provincesislandculturalart
The flag of New Ireland Province represents this long, narrow island province stretching over 300 kilometres in the Bismarck Archipelago. The province is renowned for its Malagan funerary art — elaborate carved and painted wooden figures created for memorial ceremonies and then traditionally destroyed after use. New Ireland's distinctive cultural traditions, including shark-calling rituals where men summon sharks using coconut shell rattles, set it apart from other provinces.
New Ireland's shark callers use special rattles made from coconut shells to lure sharks close enough to be caught with a noose — a technique passed down through generations.
Adopted: 1975
