Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Act 2014

Prohibition on assuming Irish character

37. (1) If a person uses the national colours or assumes Irish national character on board a ship which is not an Irish ship, including the use of internationally recognised symbols or abbreviations for Ireland in the ship markings, the person commits an offence.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply in the case of the use on a ship of the letters “IRL” with a number issued for sporting purposes.