Merchant Shipping Act, 1947

Obligation to hoist the national flag.

2.—(1) The national flag shall be hoisted on an Irish ship on entering or leaving a port outside the State and, if the ship is of fifty tons gross tonnage or upwards, on entering or leaving a port in the State.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to a fishing boat duly entered in the fishing boat register and lettered and numbered as required by Part IV of the Principal Act.

(3) The Minister may, notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, issue to any body of persons a warrant authorising members of the body to hoist on specified Irish ships a specified flag in lieu of the national flag, and the Minister may by any such warrant impose conditions and restrictions on the exercise of the authority thereby conferred and may revoke any such warrant.

(4) Where a ship to which a warrant issued under subsection (3) of this section relates enters or leaves a port outside the State or, if the ship is of fifty tons gross tonnage or upwards, enters or leaves a port in the State, the hoisting on the ship in accordance with the warrant of the flag specified in the warrant shall have effect as a compliance with subsection (1) of this section.

(5) Where there is a contravention of this section, the master of the ship concerned shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.