| Northern Ireland (English) Tuaisceart Éireann (Irish) Norlin Airlann (Ulster Scots) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Anthem: Londonderry Air/Derry Air (unofficial) (the anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the Queen") | ||
 Location of Northern Ireland (red) in the United Kingdom (light yellow) | ||
| Capital (and largest city) | Belfast | |
| Official languages | English (de facto), Irish and Ulster Scots1 | |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy Consociationalism | |
| - | Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
| - | Prime Minister (of the United Kingdom) | Gordon Brown MP |
| - | First Minister | Peter Robinson MLA |
| - | Deputy First Minister | Martin McGuinness MLA |
| - | Secretary of State | Shaun Woodward MP |
| Establishment | ||
| - | Government of Ireland Act | 3 May, 1921 |
| Area | ||
| - | Total | 13,843 km² 5,345 sq mi |
| Population | ||
| - | 2006 estimate | 1,741,600 |
| - | 2001 census | 1,685,267 |
| - | Density | 122/km² 315/sq mi |
| GDP (PPP) | 2002 estimate | |
| - | Total | £33. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The Londonderry Air is an Anthem of Northern Ireland. It is also popular among the Irish diaspora and very well known throughout the world The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located General demographics Population 1685267 The population of Northern Ireland has increased annually since 1978 Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Consociationalism is a form of government involving guaranteed group representation and is often suggested for managing conflict in deeply divided societies TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons The First Minister and the deputy First Minister (Irish Céad-Aire agus an Leas-Chéad-Aire, Ulster Scots: Heid Männystèr an tha Heid Männystèr depute Peter David Robinson (born 29 December 1948) is a Northern Irish Politician and is the current First Minister of Northern Ireland This is a list of the 108 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in 2007. The First Minister and the deputy First Minister (Irish Céad-Aire agus an Leas-Chéad-Aire, Ulster Scots: Heid Männystèr an tha Heid Männystèr depute James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (Máirtín Mag Aonghusa born in Derry on 23 May 1950 is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. This is a list of the 108 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in 2007. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is the chief minister in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland Shaun Anthony Woodward MP (born 26 October 1958, Bristol) is a British politician Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act 1920, (and sometimes called the Fourth Home Rule Act) was an Act Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 2 billion |
| - | Per capita | £19,603 |
| Currency | Pound sterling (GBP) | |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) | |
| - | Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) |
| Internet TLD | .uk2 | |
| Calling code | +443 | |
| Patron saint | St Patrick4 | |
| 1 | Officially recognised languages: Northern Ireland has no official language; the use of English has been established through precedent. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Saint Patrick (Patricius Irish: Naomh Pádraig) was a Roman Britain -born Christian Missionary and is the Patron saint The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined Official language. Irish and Ulster Scots are officially recognised minority languages | |
| 2 | Also .eu, as part of the European Union, and .ie shared with Republic of Ireland. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. ISO 3166-1 is GB, but .gb is unused. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> ISO 3166-1, as part of the ISO 3166 standard See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands | |
| 3 | +44 is always followed by 28 when calling landlines. The code is 028 within the UK and 048 from the Republic of Ireland | |
| 4 | In common with the Republic of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. | |
Northern Ireland (Irish: Tuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km²), about a sixth of the island's total area. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world [1] It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. At the time of the UK Census in April 2001, its population was 1,685,000, constituting between a quarter and a third of the island's total population and about 3% of the population of the United Kingdom. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 Northern Ireland consists of six of the nine counties of the historic Irish province of Ulster. Northern Ireland is one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster In the UK, it is generally known as one of the four Home Nations that form the Kingdom. "Home nation" (common noun redirects here home nation is also used to refer to the host country of Multi-sport events (eg
Northern Ireland was established as a distinct administrative region of the United Kingdom on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act 1920, (and sometimes called the Fourth Home Rule Act) was an Act [2] For over 50 years it was the only part of the UK to have its own form of devolved government until it was suspended in 1972. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level [3] Northern Ireland's current devolved government bodies, the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive were established in 1998 but were suspended several times. The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved Legislature for Northern Ireland They were restored on 8 May 2007. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [4][5] Northern Ireland's legal system descends from the pre-1921 Irish legal system (as does the legal system of the Republic of Ireland). Northern Ireland law concerns the Legal system of Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland has a Common law Legal system with a written constitution which provides for a parliamentary democracy based on the British parliamentary system It is based on common law. Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive Northern Ireland is a distinct jurisdiction, separate from England and Wales and Scotland. In Law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak" is the practical Authority English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. [6]
Northern Ireland has been for many years the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict between those claiming to represent Nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, and those claiming to represent Unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. [7] In general, Nationalists want Northern Ireland to be unified with the Republic of Ireland, and Unionists want it to remain part of the United Kingdom. Unionists are in the majority in Northern Ireland, though Nationalists represent a significant minority. [8] In general, Protestants consider themselves British and Catholics see themselves as Irish but there are some who see themselves as both British and Irish. People from Northern Ireland are entitled to both British and Irish citizenship (see Citizenship and identity). The campaigns of violence have become known popularly as The Troubles. The majority of both sides of the community have had no direct involvement in the violent campaigns waged. Since the signing of the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement or the G. The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an F. A. ) in 1998, many of the major paramilitary campaigns have either been on ceasefire or have declared their war to be over. A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status A ceasefire (or truce) is a temporary stoppage of a War or any Armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees
Contents |
History
For events before 1900 see Ulster or History of Ireland. Northern Ireland was established as a distinct region of the United Kingdom on 3 May 1921 under the terms of the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster The history of Ireland begins with the first known settlement in Ireland around 8000 BC when Hunter-gatherers arrived from Great Britain and continental
The area now known as Northern Ireland has had a diverse history. From serving as the bedrock of Irish resistance in the era of the plantations of Queen Elizabeth and James I in other parts of Ireland, it became the subject of major planting of Scottish and English settlers after the Flight of the Earls in 1607 (when the Gaelic aristocracy fled to Catholic Europe). The Nine Years War (Cogadh na Naoi mBliana in Ireland took place from 1594 to 1603 and is also known as Tyrone's Rebellion. Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were established throughout the country by the confiscation of lands occupied by Gaelic clans and Hiberno-Norman dynasties James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Not to be confused with the Flight of the Wild Geese. The Flight of the Earls (Teitheadh na nIarlaí refers to the departure from Ireland Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete".
The all-island Kingdom of Ireland (1541—1800) merged into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801 under the terms of the Act of Union, under which the kingdoms of Ireland and Great Britain merged under a government and monarchy based in London. The Kingdom of Ireland (Ríocht na hÉireann was the name given to the Irish state from 1541 by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are The Kingdom of Ireland (Ríocht na hÉireann was the name given to the Irish state from 1541 by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. In the early 20th century, Unionists, led by Sir Edward Carson (generally regarded as the founder of Northern Ireland), opposed the introduction of Home Rule in Ireland. Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and Edward Henry Carson Baron Carson, PC, Kt, KC (often known as Sir Edward Carson or Lord Carson) ( Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government Unionists were in a minority on the island of Ireland as a whole, but were a majority in the northern province of Ulster, a very large majority in the counties of Antrim and Down, small majorities in the counties of Armagh and Londonderry, with substantial numbers also concentrated in the nationalist-majority counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone. Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster County Antrim ( Contae Aontroma or simply Aontroim in Irish) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties County Down, ( Ulster Scots: Coontie Doun. is one of the nine counties that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form County Armagh ( Contae Ard Mhacha in Irish - from the height of Macha) is a county in Ulster in the north east of Ireland County Fermanagh (fɚr'mænɘ Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach ('Men of Monach'in Irish) is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern These six counties, containing an overall unionist majority, would later form Northern Ireland.
The clash between the House of Commons and House of Lords over the controversial budget of Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd-George produced the Parliament Act 1911, which enabled the veto of the Lords to be overturned. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all Economic and Financial David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only The Parliament Acts are two Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed in 1911 and 1949 that form part of the Constitution of the United Given that the Lords had been the unionists' main guarantee that a home rule act would not be enacted, because of the majority of pro-unionist peers in the House, the Parliament Act made Home Rule a likely prospect in Ireland. Home rule refers to a demand that constituent parts of a state be given greater self-government within the greater administrative purview of the central government Opponents to Home Rule, from Conservative Party leaders like Andrew Bonar Law to militant unionists in Ireland, threatened the use of violence, producing the Larne Gun Running incident in 1912, when they smuggled thousands of rifles and rounds of ammunition from Imperial Germany for the Ulster Volunteer Force. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 &ndash 30 October 1923 was a Canadian -born British Conservative Party statesman and Prime Minister. Larne Gun Running occurred in 1914 when loyalists in Ulster, Ireland, who were opposed to Home Rule in Ireland imported guns and ammunition The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) is a Loyalist group in Northern Ireland. Lord Randolph Churchill famously told a unionist audience in Ulster that "Ulster will fight, and Ulster will be right". The prospect of civil war in Ireland loomed.
| Prime Ministers of Northern Ireland |
|---|
| Lord Craigavon (1922–1940) |
| John Miller Andrews (1940–1943) |
| Lord Brookeborough (1943–1963) |
| Captain Terence O'Neill (1963–1969) |
| James Chichester-Clark (1969–1971) |
| Brian Faulkner (1971–1972) |
In 1914, the Third Home Rule Act, which contained provision for a temporary partition, received the Royal Assent. James Craig 1st Viscount Craigavon, Bart, PC ( 8 January 1871 – 24 November 1940) was a prominent Irish unionist John Miller Andrews CH ( July 17, 1871 &ndash August 5, 1956) was the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Basil Stanlake Brooke 1st Viscount Brookeborough, Bt, KG, CBE, MC, PC, HML ( June 9 1888 &ndash Terence Marne O'Neill Baron O'Neill of the Maine, PC ( 10 September 1914 &ndash 12 June 1990) was the fourth Prime Minister James Dawson Chichester-Clark Baron Moyola, PC, DL ( February 12, 1923 &ndash May 17, 2002) was the penultimate Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick, PC ( February 18, 1921 - March 3, 1977) was the sixth and last The Home Rule Act of 1914, also known as the ( Irish) Third Home Rule Act (or Bill) and formally known as the Government of Ireland Act 1914 The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of Lawmaking by formally assenting to an Its implementation was suspended for the duration of the intervening First World War, which was expected to last only a few weeks, but, in fact, lasted four years. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
By the end of the war, the Act was seen as dead in the water, with public opinion in the majority nationalist community having moved from a demand for home rule to something more substantial: independence. David Lloyd George proposed in 1919 a new bill which would divide Ireland into two Home Rule areas, twenty-six counties being ruled from Dublin, six being ruled from Belfast, with a shared Lord Lieutenant of Ireland appointing both executives and a Council of Ireland, which Lloyd George believed would evolve into an all-Ireland parliament. David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (Ard-Leifteanant na hÉireann ( Plural: Lords Lieutenant) also known as the Judiciar in the early Mediaeval period The Council of Ireland (Comhairle na hÉireann may refer to one of two councils one established in the 1920s the other in the 1970s
1920-1925: Partition of Ireland, partition of Ulster
The island of Ireland was partitioned in 1921 under the terms of the Government of Ireland Act 1920. An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act 1920, (and sometimes called the Fourth Home Rule Act) was an Act [9] Six of the nine Ulster counties in the north-east formed Northern Ireland and the remaining three counties (including County Donegal, despite it having a large Protestant minority as well as it being the most northern county in all of Ireland) joined those of Leinster, Munster and Connacht to form Southern Ireland. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster County Donegal (ˌdʌnəˈgɔːl Irish: Contae Dhún na nGall. Leinster (ˈlɛnstər Irish: Laighin, lainʲ one of the Provinces of Ireland, lies in the east of Ireland and comprises the counties of Munster ( Irish: An Mhumhain, ənˈvuːnʲ Cúige Mumhan or Mumha) is the southernmost of the four Provinces of Ireland. Southern Ireland (Deisceart Éireann was the short lived autonomous region (or Constituent country) of the United Kingdom established on 3 May Whilst Southern Ireland had only a brief existence between 1921 and 1922, a period dominated by the Anglo-Irish War and its aftermath, Northern Ireland was to continue on. The Irish War of Independence (or Tan War, or Anglo-Irish War, Irish: Cogadh na Saoirse) from January 1919 to July 1921 was a guerrilla
Northern Ireland provisionally became an autonomous part of the Irish Free State on 6 December 1922. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by However, as expected, the Parliament of Northern Ireland chose, under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, to opt out of the Irish Free State the following day. The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule Legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty [10] Shortly after Northern Ireland had exercised its opt out of the Irish Free State, a Boundary Commission was established to decide on the territorial boundaries between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. The Boundary Commission was established by the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ended the Anglo-Irish War in 1921 Though leaders in Dublin expected a substantial reduction in the territory of Northern Ireland (with nationalist areas like south Armagh, Tyrone, southern County Londonderry and urban territories like Derry and Newry moving to the Free State), the Boundary Commission decided against this. Newry ( short form An tIúr, "The Yew" is the fourth largest city in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. This decision was approved by the Dáil in Dublin on 10 December 1925 by a vote of 71 to 20. ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament [11]
1926 to the present
In June 1940, to encourage the Irish state to join with the Allies, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill indicated to the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera that the United Kingdom would push for Irish unity, but believing that Churchill could not deliver, de Valera declined the offer. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 The Taoiseach (ˈtiːʃəx in English t̪ˠiːʃʲəx (plural Taoisigh ( or) in Irish) also referred to as An Taoiseach ( t̪ˠiːʃʲəx is the the Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century A United Ireland is the term used to refer to a sovereign state encompassing the whole of the island of Ireland. [12] The British did not inform the Northern Ireland government that they had made the offer to the Dublin government, and De Valera's rejection was not publicized until 1970.
The Ireland Act 1949 gave the first legal guarantee to the Parliament and Government that Northern Ireland would not cease to be part of the United Kingdom without consent of the majority of its citizens, and this was most recently reaffirmed by the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Ireland Act 1949 is a British Act of Parliament which was intended to deal with the consequences of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 as passed The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule Legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (1998 c 47 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which established a Devolved Legislature This status was echoed in the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, which was signed by the governments of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to bring an end to The Troubles in Northern Ireland Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Bunreacht na hÉireann, the constitution of the Republic, was amended in 1999 to remove a claim of the "Irish nation" to sovereignty over the whole of Ireland (in Article 2), a claim qualified by an acknowledgement that the southern state only could exercise legal control over the territory formerly known as the Irish Free State. The Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann came into force on 29 December 1937 after having been passed by a national plebiscite the previous July The new Articles 2 and 3, added to the Bunreacht to replace the earlier articles, implicitly acknowledge that the status of Northern Ireland, and its relationships within the United Kingdom and with the Republic of Ireland, would only be changed with the agreement of a majority of voters in Ireland ( North and South voting together. Article 2 and Article 3 of the Constitution of Ireland ( Bunreacht na hÉireann) were adopted with the constitution as a whole on 29 December 1937 but completely ). This acknowledgement was also central to the Belfast Agreement which was signed in 1998 and ratified by plebiscites held simultaneously in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an The Agreement states that a decision on sovereignty should be voted on first by the people of Northern Ireland then the citizens of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland together if the former vote is in favour of a united Ireland.
A plebiscite within Northern Ireland on whether it should remain in the United Kingdom, or form a united Ireland, was held in 1973. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita The vote went heavily in favour (98. 9%) of maintaining the status quo with approximately 57. 5% of the total electorate voting in support, but most nationalists boycotted the poll (see Northern Ireland referendum, 1973 for more). A boycott is a form of Consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using buying or dealing with someone or some other organization as an expression of The Northern Ireland referendum of 1973 (also known as the Border Poll) was a Referendum held in Northern Ireland only on March 8, 1973 Though legal provision remains for holding another plebiscite, and former Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble some years ago advocated the holding of such a vote, no plans for such a vote have been adopted as of 2007. The Ulster Unionist Party ( UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or in a historic sense simply the Unionist Party William David Trimble Baron Trimble (born 15 October 1944 is a Northern Irish Politician from Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Ulster
In 2005 Northern Ireland became the only European geographic region with 100% broadband coverage and one of a few outside Asia. This was achieved by a partnership between the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and BT Northern Ireland. [13]
8 May 2007 Home rule returned to Northern Ireland. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin spokesman Martin McGuinness took office as First Minister and Deputy First Minister, respectively [14]. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley (born 6 April 1926 styled The Rt Hon James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (Máirtín Mag Aonghusa born in Derry on 23 May 1950 is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.
Lives lost and injured in the "Troubles"
Bombings in Great Britain tended to have had more publicity, since attacks there were comparatively rare (in the context of the troubles); indeed 93% of killings happened in Northern Ireland. Republican paramilitaries have contributed to nearly 60% (2056) of these. Loyalists have killed nearly 28% (1020) while the security forces have killed just over 11% (362), with 9% of the total (296) attributed to the British Army. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces.
Civilians killed
Civilians account for the highest death toll at 53% or 1798 fatalities. Loyalist paramilitaries account for a higher proportion of civilian deaths (those with no military or paramilitary connection) according to figures published in Malcolm Sutton’s book, “Bear in Mind These Dead: An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland 1969 - 1993”. According to research undertaken by the CAIN organisation, based on Sutton's work, 85. 6% (873) of Loyalist killings, 52. 9% (190) by the security forces and 35. 9% (738) of all killings by Republican paramilitaries took the lives of civilians between 1969 and 2001. The disparity of a relatively high civilian death toll yet low Republican percentage is explained by the fact that they also had a high combatants' death toll.
Combatants killed
Republican paramilitaries account for a higher proportion of combatants killed (those within paramilitaries or the military) Again from Malcolm Sutton's research, Republicans killed 1318 combatants, the security forces killed 192 and the Loyalists killed 147. Both Republicans and Loyalists killed more of their own than each other, over twice as many for Loyalists and nearly four times as many for Republicans.
80 people, mainly civilians, have died without any organisation claiming responsibility. The British Army has also lost 14 soldiers to Loyalists while the security forces overall in the Republic have lost 10 to Republicans.
According to a submission by Marie Smith to the Northern Ireland Commission on Victims, 40,000 people have also been injured, though she believes that to be a conservative figure.
Demography and politics
| Northern Ireland |
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| In Northern Ireland |
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MLA First Minister and deputy First Minister |
| In the United Kingdom |
Committees: Affairs - Grand |
| In the European Union |
| Related political parties |
Designated Unionist Designated Nationalist |
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North/South Ministerial Council |
| See also |
St Andrews Agreement (2006) Segregation in Northern Ireland |
Other countries · Atlas Politics Portal |
The population of Northern Ireland was estimated as being 1,710,300 on 30 June 2004. General demographics Population 1685267 The population of Northern Ireland has increased annually since 1978 The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved Member of the Legislative Assembly ( MLA) is a representative elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland. List of committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a list of departmental standing and ad hoc committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly. This is a list of Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly passed by that body from its establishment in 2000 until its suspension in 2002 and from its re-establishment in This is a list of the 108 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in 2007. The Northern Ireland Assembly elected in November 2003, never met as such since Northern Ireland 's devolved government and representative institutions were suspended This is a list of Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in 1998. The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were selected The second elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which at the time of the elections had been suspended for just over a year were held on Thursday November 26 The first elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on June 25, 1998. The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved Legislature for Northern Ireland The First Minister and the deputy First Minister (Irish Céad-Aire agus an Leas-Chéad-Aire, Ulster Scots: Heid Männystèr an tha Heid Männystèr depute This article is a list of Northern Ireland government Departments their Agencies and their Ministers and other related organisations (listed underneath each Department First Executive The First Executive ( 1 July, 1998 – 14 October, 2002) was under the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 a Executive Following the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2002 a new election was called in November 2003 in hope of restoring devolution the election Second Executive The Second Executive ( 8 May, 2007 &ndash is as under the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 a power sharing coalition The Northern Ireland Policing Board is the Police Authority for Northern Ireland, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland The Parades Commission is a quasi-judicial Non-Departmental Public Body responsible for placing restrictions on or banning outright any Parades in Northern Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure administration and policy of the Northern Ireland Office. The Northern Ireland Grand Committee is one of three such Grand committees in the United Kingdom Parliament. This is a list of Members of Parliament (MPs elected to the House of Commons by constituencies in Northern Ireland for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United This is a list of sitting Members of the United Kingdom House of Lords who were born live or lived in Northern Ireland. This is a list of Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom who were born live or lived in Northern Ireland. Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at The Northern Ireland Office ( NIO) is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is the chief minister in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland Direct rule was the term given during the late 20th and early 21st centuries to the administration of Northern Ireland directly from Westminster, seat of The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU A Member of the European Parliament ( English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union 's legislative body the European Parliament. Northern Ireland is a Constituency of the European Parliament. Northern Ireland is a Constituency of the European Parliament. England Scotland and Wales Turnout for all the regions was 37 England Scotland and Wales Source: UK Office of the European Parliament Note Percentages are approximate Northern Ireland A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral Designated Unionist means a MLA designated as a Unionist in accordance with standing orders of the Northern Ireland Assembly as set out in the The Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP) is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. The Ulster Unionist Party ( UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or in a historic sense simply the Unionist Party See Ulster Progressive Unionist Association, for the political group founded in 1938 The Progressive Unionist Party ( PUP) is a small The Conservatives in Northern Ireland is a name given to the wing of the Conservative and Unionist Party of the United Kingdom that operates in Northern Ireland Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV is a Northern Irish political party founded on 7 December, 2007, as an anti- St Andrews Agreement splinter group Designated Nationalist means a MLA designated as a Nationalist in accordance with standing orders of the Northern Ireland Assembly as set out in the Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP; Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre is one of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the Designated Other means a MLA designated as an Other in accordance with standing orders of the Northern Ireland Assembly as set out in the Northern Ireland The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI is a Political party in Northern Ireland. The Green Party in Northern Ireland originated in the early 1980s partly as a result of the Green Movement which was sweeping across Western Europe and partly because of the massive The North/South Ministerial Council ( NSMC)' ( Irish: An Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh/Theas, Ulster Scots: The Noarth-Sooth Cooncil o The British-Irish Council ( BIC) (Comhairle na Breataine-na hÉireann is a body created by the Belfast Agreement in 1998 and formally established on 2 December 1999 The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference ( BIIC) is provided for under Strand Three of the Belfast Agreement. The Civic Forum for Northern Ireland is a consultative body in Northern Ireland consisting of members of various civil bodies The St Andrews Agreement (or Comhaontú Chill Rímhinn in Irish) was an agreement between the British and Irish Governments and the political The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an Segregation in Northern Ireland is a long-running issue in the political and social history of the province Northern Ireland elects on a provincial level a Legislature. The Northern Ireland Assembly has 108 members elected in 18 six-member constituencies with the Northern Ireland is divided into 18 Parliamentary constituencies - 4 Borough constituencies in Belfast and 14 County constituencies elsewhere Political parties in Northern Ireland lists political parties in Northern Ireland. Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent General demographics Population 1685267 The population of Northern Ireland has increased annually since 1978 Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " In the 2001 census, 45. 6% of the population identified as belonging to Protestant denominations (of which 20. 7% Presbyterian, 15. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (or PCI (Eaglais Phreispitéireach in Éirinn, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern 3% Church of Ireland), 40. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. 3% identified as Catholic, 0. 3% identified with non-Christian religions and 13. 9% identified with no religion. [15] In terms of community background, 53. 1% of the Northern Irish population came from a Protestant background, 43. 8% came from a Catholic background, 0. 4% from non-Christian backgrounds and 2. 7% non-religious backgrounds. [16][17] The population is forecast to pass the 1. 8 million mark by 2011. [18]
A plurality of the present-day population define themselves as Unionist, 22% as Nationalist and 35% define themselves as neither. Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and [19] According to a 2005 opinion poll, 58% express long term preference of the maintenance of Northern Ireland's membership of the United Kingdom, while 23% express a preference for membership of a united Ireland. [20] This discrepancy can be explained by the overwhelming preference among Protestants to remain a part of the UK (85%), while Catholic preferences are spread across a number of solutions to the constitutional question including remaining a part of the UK (25%), a united Ireland (50%), Northern Ireland becoming an independent state (9%), and those who "don't know" (14%). [21] Official voting figures, which reflect views on the "national question" along with issues of candidate, geography, personal loyalty and historic voting patterns, show 54% of Northern Ireland voters vote for Pro-Unionist parties, 42% vote for Pro-Nationalist parties and 4% vote "other". Opinion polls consistently show that the election results are not necessarily an indication of the electorate's stance regarding the constitutional status of Northern Ireland.
Most of the population of Northern Ireland are at least nominally Christian. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The ethno-political loyalties are allied, though not absolutely, to the Roman Catholic and Protestant denominations and these are the labels used to categorise the opposing views. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. This is, however, becoming increasingly irrelevant as the Irish Question is very complicated. The Irish Question was a phrase used mainly by members of the British ruling classes from the early 1800s until the 1920s Many voters (regardless of religious affiliation) are attracted to Unionism's conservative policies, while other voters are instead attracted to the traditionally leftist, nationalist Sinn Féin and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and their respective party platforms for Democratic Socialism and Social Democracy. National conservatism is a political term used to describe a variant of Conservatism which concentrates more on "national interests and traditional social/ethical Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP; Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre is one of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements tendencies and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left For the most part, Protestants feel a strong connection with Great Britain and wish for Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Catholics generally desire a greater connection with the Republic of Ireland, or are less certain about how to solve the constitutional question. In a survey by Northern Ireland Life and Times, quarter of Northern Irish Catholics were said to support Northern Ireland remaining a part of the United Kingdom (see Catholic Unionist). A Catholic Unionist is either a Roman Catholic in Northern Ireland who supports continuing ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain or a Roman Catholic Despite this no Catholics in the survey stated they would vote for the Unionist Parties and only 5% would vote for the Alliance Party.
Protestants have a slight majority in Northern Ireland, according to the latest Northern Ireland Census. [22] The make-up of the Northern Ireland Assembly reflects the appeals of the various parties within the population. The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved Of the 108 MLA's, 55 are Unionists and 44 are Nationalists (the remaining nine are classified as "other"). Member of the Legislative Assembly ( MLA) is a representative elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland. The largest single religious denomination is the Roman Catholic Church, which comprises a plurality, followed by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Church of Ireland (Anglican) and the Methodist Church. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (or PCI (Eaglais Phreispitéireach in Éirinn, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations
The two opposing views of British unionism and Irish nationalism are linked to deeper cultural divisions. Unionists are overwhelmingly Protestant, descendants of mainly Scottish, English, Welsh and Huguenot settlers and indigenous Irishmen who had converted to one of the Protestant denominations. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth In Ecology, an indigenous Species is an Organism which is native to a given region or Ecosystem.
Nationalists are predominantly Catholic and descend from the population predating the settlement, with a minority from Scottish Highlanders as well as some converts from Protestantism. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Discrimination against nationalists under the Stormont government (1921–1972) gave rise to the nationalist civil rights movement in the 1960s. Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast, served as the seat of the Parliament of Northern Ireland The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association ( Cumann Chearta Sibhialta Thuaisceart Éireann) was an organisation which campaigned for Civil rights in Northern [23] Some Unionists argue that any discrimination was not just because of religious or political bigotry, but also the result of more complex socio-economic, socio-political and geographical factors. [24] Whatever the cause, the existence of discrimination, and the manner in which Nationalist anger at it was handled, was a major contributing factor which led to the long-running conflict known as the Troubles. The political unrest went through its most violent phase in recent times between 1968 and 1994. [25]
The main actors have been the Provisional Irish Republican Army and other republican groups who wish to bring about an end of the union with Great Britain, and various loyalist paramilitary groups who wish to maintain the union. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann ( IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the In general a loyalist is one who maintains loyalty to an established government political party or sovereign especially during war or revolutionary change The police force (the Royal Ulster Constabulary) and the British army were charged with maintaining law and order, though were frequently attacked by the nationalist community and republican paramilitaries who claimed that they were protagonists in the conflict. The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC was the name of the Police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001 The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces.
As a consequence of the worsening security situation, self-government for Northern Ireland was suspended in 1972. Since mid-1997, the main paramilitary group, the Provisional IRA, has observed a ceasefire. A ceasefire (or truce) is a temporary stoppage of a War or any Armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees Following negotiations, the Belfast Agreement of 1998 provides for an elected Northern Ireland Assembly, and a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive comprising representatives of all the main parties. The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved Legislature for Northern Ireland These institutions were suspended by the British Government in 2002 after Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) allegations of spying by people working for Sinn Féin at the Assembly (Stormontgate). Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the Police service that covers Northern Ireland. Stormontgate is the name given to the controversy surrounding an alleged Provisional Irish Republican Army spy-ring based in Stormont, the parliament building of The resulting case against the accused Sinn Féin member collapsed and the defendant later admitted to being a British agent. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 Politicians elected to the Assembly at the 2003 Assembly Election were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 [26] for the purpose of electing a First Minister of Northern Ireland and a deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and choosing the members of an Executive (before 25 November 2006) as a preliminary step to the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland. The second elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which at the time of the elections had been suspended for just over a year were held on Thursday November 26 Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The First Minister and the deputy First Minister (Irish Céad-Aire agus an Leas-Chéad-Aire, Ulster Scots: Heid Männystèr an tha Heid Männystèr depute The First Minister and the deputy First Minister (Irish Céad-Aire agus an Leas-Chéad-Aire, Ulster Scots: Heid Männystèr an tha Heid Männystèr depute Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Another election was held on 7 March 2007 and this Assembly sat following the return of devolved government in May 2007
On 28 July 2005, the Provisional IRA declared an end to its campaign and has since decommissioned what is thought to be all of its arsenal. The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were selected Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An arsenal is an establishment for the construction repair storage and issue of Weapons and Ammunition. This final act of decommissioning was performed in accordance with the Belfast Agreement of 1998, and under the watch of the International Decommissioning Body and two external church witnesses. Many unionists, however, remain sceptical. This IRA decommissioning is in contrast to Loyalist paramilitaries who have so far failed to decommission many weapons. It is not thought that this will have a major effect on further political progress as political parties linked to Loyalist paramilitaries do not attract significant support and will not be in a position to form part of a government in the near future. See Independent International Commission on Decommissioning
Citizenship and identity
- Further information: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
People from Northern Ireland are British citizens on the same basis as people from any other part of the United Kingdom (e. The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD was established to oversee the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons in Ireland, as part of the peace The Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland provided that children born on the island of Ireland to parents who were both non-nationals would no longer British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning Citizenship and other categories of British Nationality. g. by birth in the UK to at least one parent who is a UK permanent resident or citizen, or by naturalisation).
As an alternative to British citizenship [8], or in addition to British citizenship, people who were born in Northern Ireland on or before 31 December 2004 (and most persons born after this date) are entitled to claim Irish citizenship. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. [27] This was originally as a result of the Republic of Ireland extending Irish nationality law on an extra-territorial basis. Irish nationality law is the law of Republic of Ireland governing citizenship First passed in 1956, the legislation was further developed in 2001 as a result of the Belfast Agreement of 1998, which stated that:
The two governments recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland. Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an
This was subsequently qualified by the Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, which stated that, "notwithstanding any other provision of [the] Constitution," no-one would be automatically entitled to Irish citizenship unless they had at least one parent who was (or was entitled to be) an Irish citizen. The Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland provided that children born on the island of Ireland to parents who were both non-nationals would no longer The Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann came into force on 29 December 1937 after having been passed by a national plebiscite the previous July The subsequent legislation (Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act of 2004) came into effect on 1 January 2005 and made Irish nationality law similar to British nationality law. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Irish nationality law is the law of Republic of Ireland governing citizenship British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning Citizenship and other categories of British Nationality. This was in response to a large increase in the number of immigrants coming to Ireland whose children automatically acquired citizenship on birth. It was not specifically related to persons born in Northern Ireland.
Today, a constitutional right to Irish citizenship still exists for anyone who is both:
- Born on the island of Ireland (including its "isles and seas").
- Born to at least one parent who is, or is entitled to be, an Irish citizen.
In general, Protestants in Northern Ireland see themselves primarily as being British, while Catholics regard themselves primarily as being Irish. Several studies and surveys performed between 1971 and 2006 show this. [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]
This does not however, account for the complex identities within Northern Ireland, given that many of the population regard themselves as "Ulster" or "Northern Irish", either primarily, or as a secondary identity. In addition, many regard themselves as both British and Irish. A 1999 survey showed that 51% of Protestants felt "Not at all Irish" and 41% only "weakly Irish"[36]
Symbols
- See also: Northern Ireland flags issue
Today, Northern Ireland comprises a diverse patchwork of communities, whose national loyalties are represented in some areas by flags flown from lamp posts. The Coat of Arms of Northern Ireland was granted to the Government of Northern Ireland in 1924 after the Irish Free State had separated from the United The Union Flag and former Government of Northern Ireland therefore appear in some loyalist areas, with the Irish national flag of the Republic of Ireland, the tricolour, appearing in some republican areas. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Even kerbstones in some areas are painted red-white-blue or green-white-orange (or gold), depending on whether local people express unionist/loyalist or nationalist/republican sympathies. A curb or kerb (see spelling differences) is the edge where a raised pavement/sidewalk/footpath, Road median, or Road shoulder
The only official flag is the Union Flag. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. [37] The former Governmental Northern Ireland banner (also known as the "Ulster Banner" or "Red Hand Flag") was based on the arms of the former Parliament of Northern Ireland, and was used by the Government of Northern Ireland and its agencies between 1953 and 1972. The Ulster Banner was the official name given to the Flag of the Government of Northern Ireland between 1953 and 1972 The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule Legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, The Ulster Banner has not been used by the government since the abolition of the Parliament of Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 (c 36 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received the Royal Assent on July It remains, however used uniquely to represent Northern Ireland in certain sporting events. The arms from which the Ulster Banner derives were themselves based on the flag of Ulster. The Flag of Ulster is a historic banner used to represent Ulster, one of the four provinces of Ireland.
The Union Flag and the Ulster Banner are typically only used by Unionists. [38] Nationalists generally eschew symbols which uniquely represent Northern Ireland; some instead use the Irish Tricolour, particularly at sporting events. Many people, however, prefer to avoid flags altogether because of their divisive nature. Paramilitary groups on both sides have also developed their own flags. Some unionists also occasionally use the flags of secular and religious organisations to which they belong.
Some groups, including the Irish Rugby Football Union and the Church of Ireland have used the Flag of St. Patrick as a symbol of Ireland which lacks nationalist or unionist connotations. The Irish Rugby Football Union ( IRFU) (Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann is the body managing Rugby union in Ireland. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Flag (Cros Phádraig is a flag of Ireland that features in the Flag of the United Kingdom. However, it is felt by some to be a loyalist flag, as it was used to represent Ireland when the whole island was part of the UK and is used by some British army regiments. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Foreign flags are also found, such as the Palestinian flags in some Nationalist areas and Israeli flags in some Unionist areas, which represent general comparisons made by both sides with conflicts in the wider world. Name There are differences of opinion as to what the Palestinian territories should be called For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.
The United Kingdom national anthem God Save the Queen is often played at state events in Northern Ireland. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National At some cross-community events, however, the Londonderry Air (also known as Danny Boy) may be played as a neutral substitute. The Londonderry Air is an Anthem of Northern Ireland. It is also popular among the Irish diaspora and very well known throughout the world " Danny Boy " is a song whose lyrics are set to the Irish tune Londonderry Air.
At the Commonwealth Games, the Northern Ireland team uses the Ulster Banner as its flag and Danny Boy / A Londonderry Air is used as its national anthem. The Commonwealth Games is a multinational Multi-sport event. Held every four years it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The Northern Ireland football team also uses the Ulster Banner as its flag but uses God Save The Queen as its national anthem. The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football. [39] Major Gaelic Athletic Association matches are opened by the Ireland national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann (The Soldiers Song), which is also used by some other all-Ireland sporting organisations. The Gaelic Athletic Association ( GAA) ( Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael /'kʊmˠən̪ˠ 'l̪ˠuh ga '''''Amhrán na bhFiann''''' ( is the National anthem of Ireland. [40][41] Since 1995, the Ireland national rugby union team has used a specially commissioned song, Ireland's Call, in place of, or alongside, the Ireland national anthem at international matches. The Ireland rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in Rugby union, which is a popular sport throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Ireland's Call is a song commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union for use at international Rugby union fixtures (featuring the Ireland national [42][43]
Northern Irish murals have become well-known features of Northern Ireland, depicting past and present divisions, both also documenting peace and cultural diversity. Northern Irish murals have become symbols of Northern Ireland, depicting the region's past and present divisions Almost 2,000 murals have been documented in Northern Ireland since the 1970s (see Conflict Archive on the Internet/Murals).
Geography and climate
Northern Ireland was covered by an ice sheet for most of the last ice age and on numerous previous occasions, the legacy of which can be seen in the extensive coverage of drumlins in Counties Fermanagh, Armagh, Antrim and particularly Down. The geography of Ireland describes an Island in Northwest Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK, is in Western Europe. An ice sheet is a mass of Glacier Ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50000 km² (20000 mile²) An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets A drumlin (Irish droimnín, a little hill ridge is an elongated whale-shaped Hill formed by glacial action The centrepiece of Northern Ireland's geography is Lough Neagh, at 151 square miles (392 km²) the largest freshwater lake both on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. Lough Neagh (ˌlɒx ˈneɪ, ɫ̪ɔx ˈn̠ʲahax is a freshwater Lake in Northern Ireland. The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan A second extensive lake system is centred on Lower and Upper Lough Erne in Fermanagh. Lough Erne ( one of the ancient Fir Bolg tribes refers to two lakes in Northern Ireland, situated along the River Erne. The largest island of Northern Ireland is Rathlin, off the Antrim coast. Rathlin Island ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: Reachlainn, also Reachra in Scottish Gaelic is an Island off the Coast of Strangford Lough is the largest inlet in the British Isles, covering 150 km² (58 sq mi). Strangford Lough ( describing the fast-flowing Narrows; and Loch Cuan in Irish meaning the calm Lough describing the gentle Waters
There are substantial uplands in the Sperrin Mountains (an extension of the Caledonian fold mountains) with extensive gold deposits, granite Mourne Mountains and basalt Antrim Plateau, as well as smaller ranges in South Armagh and along the Fermanagh–Tyrone border. The Sperrins, or Sperrin Mountains ( are a range of hills in Northern Ireland and one of the largest upland areas in Ireland. The Caledonian orogeny is a mountain building event recorded in the Mountains and Hills of northern Scotland, Ireland, England, Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. The Mourne Mountains or Mournes (Na Beanna Boirche a granite mountain range located in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland, are among the Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. None of the hills are especially high, with Slieve Donard in the dramatic Mournes reaching 848 m (2782 ft), Northern Ireland's highest point. Slieve Donard ( Sliabh Domangard or Sliabh Dónairt in Irish) is the highest Mountain in Northern Ireland, and in the province Belfast's most prominent peak is Cave Hill. The volcanic activity which created the Antrim Plateau also formed the eerily geometric pillars of the Giant's Causeway on the north Antrim coast. The Giant's Causeway (or Clochán na bhFómharach is an area of about 40000 interlocking Basalt columns the result of an ancient volcanic eruption Also in north Antrim are the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Mussenden Temple and the Glens of Antrim. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a rope Suspension bridge near Ballintoy, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Mussenden Temple is a small circular building located on cliffs near Castlerock in County Londonderry, high The Glens of Antrim ( Gleannta Aontroma) or simply the Glens, or Antrim Mountains is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland,
The Lower and Upper River Bann, River Foyle and River Blackwater form extensive fertile lowlands, with excellent arable land also found in North and East Down, although much of the hill country is marginal and suitable largely for animal husbandry. The River Bann (An Bhanna is the longest River in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 Miles (129 km) The River Foyle ( is a River in west Ulster in the northwest of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne The River Blackwater ( Irish: An Abhainn Mhór) is a River in County Armagh and County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, as well In Geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to Plough) is an agricultural term meaning land that can be used for
The valley of the River Lagan is dominated by Belfast, whose metropolitan area includes over a third of the population of Northern Ireland, with heavy urbanisation and industrialisation along the Lagan Valley and both shores of Belfast Lough. The River Lagan ( is a major river in Northern Ireland which runs 40 miles (60 km from the Slieve Croob mountain in County Down to Belfast Belfast Lough ( Loch Lao or Loch Laoigh in Irish) is a large natural intertidal sea lough situated at the mouth of the River Lagan on the
The whole of Northern Ireland has a temperate maritime climate, rather wetter in the west than the east, although cloud cover is persistent across the region. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes The weather is unpredictable at all times of the year, and although the seasons are distinct, they are considerably less pronounced than in interior Europe or the eastern seaboard of North America. Average daytime maximums in Belfast are 6. 5 °C (43. 7 °F) in January and 17. 5 °C (63. 5 °F) in July. The damp climate and extensive deforestation in the 16th and 17th centuries resulted in much of the region being covered in rich green grassland.
Highest maximum temperature: 30. 8 °C (87. 4 °F) at Knockarevan, near Garrison, County Fermanagh on 30 June 1976 and at Belfast on 12 July 1983. Garrison ( An Garastún in Irish) is a small Village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 5 miles south of Belleek, at Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)
Lowest minimum temperature: -17. 5 °C (0. 5 °F) at Magherally, near Banbridge, County Down on 1 January 1979. Banbridge ( is a rapidly growing Town in County Down, Northern Ireland. County Down, ( Ulster Scots: Coontie Doun. is one of the nine counties that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) [44]
Counties
Northern Ireland consists of six counties:
These counties are no longer used for local government purposes; instead there are twenty-six districts of Northern Ireland which have different geographical extents, even in the case of those named after the counties from which they derive their name. Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae County Antrim ( Contae Aontroma or simply Aontroim in Irish) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties County Armagh ( Contae Ard Mhacha in Irish - from the height of Macha) is a county in Ulster in the north east of Ireland County Down, ( Ulster Scots: Coontie Doun. is one of the nine counties that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form County Fermanagh (fɚr'mænɘ Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach ('Men of Monach'in Irish) is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes Fermanagh District Council most closely follows the borders of the county from which it takes its name. Fermanagh District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. Coleraine Borough Council, on the other hand, derives its name from the town of Coleraine in County Londonderry.
Although counties are no longer used for governmental purpose, they remain a popular means of describing where places are. They are officially used while applying for an Irish Passport, which requires the applicant to state their 'County of Birth' - which then appears in both Irish and English on the Passport's information page, as opposed to the town or city of birth on the United Kingdom Passport. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States
The county boundaries still appear on Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Maps and the Phillips Street Atlases, among others. With their decline in official use, there is often confusion surrounding towns and cities which lie near county boundaries, such as Belfast and Lisburn, which are split between counties Down and Antrim (the majorities of both cities, however, are in Antrim)
Cities
There are 5 major settlements with city status in Northern Ireland:
Towns and villages
- See also the list of places in Northern Ireland for all villages, towns and cities
- Ahoghill, Antrim, Annalong, Annaclone
- Ballycastle, Ballyclare, Ballykelly, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Ballynahinch, Banbridge, Bangor, Bushmills
- Carnmoney, Carrickfergus, Castledawson, Castlerock, Coalisland, Comber, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Crossmaglen, Crumlin,
- Donaghadee, Downpatrick, Dromore, Dundonald, Dungannon, Dungiven, Dromore, Donaghcloney
- Enniskillen
- Glengormley, Garvagh, Gilford
- Garrison
- Hillsborough, Holywood
- Kilkeel
- Larne, Limavady, Lurgan, Loughbrickland
- Magherafelt, Macosquin
- Newcastle, Newtownards, Newtownstewart
- Omagh
- Portrush, Portstewart, Portadown, Portaferry, Poyntzpass, Portballintrae
- Rasharkin, Rathfriland
- Strabane, Scarva, Seapatrick
- Warrenpoint
Variations in geographic nomenclature
Many people inside and outside Northern Ireland use other names for Northern Ireland, depending on their point of view. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Lisburn (Lios na gCearrbhach meaning fort of the gamblers) is a predominantly Unionist city in Northern Ireland, south-west of and adjoining Belfast The City of Armagh ( is an ancient religious site of worship of both celtic paganism and Christianity and the oldest of the five cities in Northern Ireland, Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Lisburn (Lios na gCearrbhach meaning fort of the gamblers) is a predominantly Unionist city in Northern Ireland, south-west of and adjoining Belfast Newry ( short form An tIúr, "The Yew" is the fourth largest city in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. This is a list page for Towns in Northern Ireland. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town is any settlement which has received a charter This is a list page for Villages in Northern Ireland. The NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA defines a town as having a population of 4500 or more List of places --> List of settlements in Northern Ireland &mdashdata from the 2001 Census Ahoghill (əˈhɒhɪl or /əˈhɒxɪl/ not "A Hog Hill") is a Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, four miles from Ballymena Antrim ( is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile northeast from Lough Annalong (in Irish: Áth na Long, ie ford of the ships is a picturesque seaside Village in County Down, Northern Ireland situated Ballycastle can refer to Ballycastle County Antrim, a small town in Northern Ireland Ballycastle County Down, a townland in Northern Ballyclare (in Irish: Bealach Cláir, ie way or pass of the plain is a small Town in the Six Mile Valley, County Antrim, Ballymena ( is a Town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymoney ( is a small Town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Ballynahinch is the name of at least two towns in Ireland Ballynahinch County Down, in Northern Ireland Banbridge ( is a rapidly growing Town in County Down, Northern Ireland. Bangor (Beannchor is a large Town in County Down, Northern Ireland, with a population of 76403 people in the 2001 Census, making it the Bushmills (in Irish: Muileann na Buaise) is a Village on the north coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Carnmoney ( Carn Monadh in Irish, ' Cairn of the Bog ' an ancient Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland Carrickfergus ( is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Castledawson ( An Séan Mullach; meaning the old summit) is a Village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland and was built on the Castlerock ( Carraig Ceasail) is a seaside Village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Coalisland ( Oileán a'Ghuail in Irish) is a small Town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with a population of 5917 people Comber ( is a small Town in County Down, Northern Ireland, 5 miles south of Newtownards, at the northern end of Strangford Lough. Coleraine ( is a large Town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland near to the mouth of the River Bann. Cookstown (An Chorr Chríochach is a town in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. Craigavon is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, consisting mainly of residential development There is also a small town named Crossmaglen in New South Wales, Australia, near the city of Coffs Harbour. Crumlin (Cromghlinn crooked glen) is a large Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, situated near Lough Neagh 20 Miles Corbet ( Irish: Cor Beith meaning 'round hill of the birch'is a small Village in County Down, Northern Ireland, near Banbridge Cushendall ( is a Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Donaghadee ( is a small Town in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated on the east coast about from Belfast and about eight miles (13 km Downpatrick ( is a town in County Down in Northern Ireland, about 33 km south of Belfast. Dromore ( is a small Market town in the Lagan Valley, in County Down, Northern Ireland. Dundonald ( is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies in the outer suburbs of east Belfast. Dungannon ( is a Town in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. It is the third largest town in the County (next to Omagh and Strabane Dungiven ( Dun Geimhín; meaning Given's fort) is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on the main Belfast to Donaghcloney or Donacloney ( Domhnach Cluana in Irish) is a small Village in County Down, Northern Ireland. Enniskillen ( is the county town (and largest town in County Fermanagh and the west of Northern Ireland. Glengormley ( is a village located in the borough of Newtownabbey, bordering the north-western edge of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Garvagh ( Garbh Achadh; meaning Rough field) is a Town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 18 kilometres (11 miles south of Gilford ( Irish: Áth Mhic Giolla) is a Village situated in County Down, Northern Ireland. Garrison ( An Garastún in Irish) is a small Village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 5 miles south of Belleek, at Hillsborough ( Cromghlinn in Irish, Cromlyn in anglicized Gaelic) is an attractive Village in County Down, Northern Holywood ( the Irish name is Ard Mhic Nasca, meaning "the height of the son of Nasca" is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland Kilkeel ( is a small Town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast and the town’s harbour houses one of the largest Larne (&mdashthe domain of a Viking chieftain is a substantial seaport and industrial Town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland Limavady (lɪmə'vadi ( is a Market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Benevenagh as a backdrop Lurgan ( is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland with a population of approximately 25000 Loughbrickland ( is a small Village in County Down, Northern Ireland. Magherafelt ( is a Town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Macosquin ( is a small Village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 4 kilometres (2 Newcastle (in Irish: An Caisleán Nua, ie The New Castle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. Newtownards (Baile Nua na hArda is a large Town in County Down, Northern Ireland. Newtownstewart ( Irish: An Baile Nua) is a Village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Omagh (pronounced /'omæ/) is the County town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen Portrush ( is a Seaside resort Town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the County Londonderry border Portstewart ( Irish: Port na Binne Uaine or Port Stíobhaird) is a Town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland and had Portadown ( is a former market town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Portaferry ( is a large Village in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance Poyntzpass (in Irish Pas an Phointe) is a small Village situated between Tandragee and Newry. Portballintrae (in Irish: Port Bhaile an Trá, ie harbour of the settlement of the shore is a small sea-side Village in County Antrim, Rasharkin (in Irish: Ros Earcáin, ie Earcán’s wooded height or Larkin's wood is a small Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland Rathfriland (in Irish: Ráth Fraoileann, ie Fraoile’s Fort is a large market Village in County Down, Northern Ireland. Strabane (strəˈbæn Irish, An Srath Bán, Fair River Valley or White Strand is a Town in the west of County Tyrone and the north-west of Scarva ( is a small Village in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the main road west of Banbridge. Warrenpoint (commonly transcribed into Irish as An Phointe ('The Point' or alternatively known by the name of the Townland where Warrenpoint is located There are a number of alternative names used for the region of the island of Ireland officially called Northern Ireland.
Unionist/Loyalist
- Ulster (Ulaidh) is strictly the historic province of Ulster, six of its nine counties are in Northern Ireland. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster The term "Ulster" is widely used by the Unionist community and the British press as shorthand for Northern Ireland. [47] There have, in the past, been calls for the official name of Northern Ireland to be changed to Ulster. [48]
- The Province (an Chúige) refers literally the historic Irish province of Ulster but today is used widely, within this community, as shorthand for Northern Ireland. [49] United Kingdom Government documents (when referring to England and Scotland as countries and to Wales as "The Principality", typically refer to Northern Ireland as "the Province".
Nationalist/Republican
- North of Ireland (Tuaisceart na hÉireann) - to link Northern Ireland to the rest of the island, by describing it as being in the 'north of Ireland' and so by implication playing down Northern Ireland's links with Great Britain. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands (The northernmost point in Ireland, in County Donegal, is in fact in the Republic. County Donegal (ˌdʌnəˈgɔːl Irish: Contae Dhún na nGall. )[50]
- North-East Ireland (Oirthuaisceart Éireann) - used in the same way as the "North of Ireland" is used.
- The Six Counties (na Sé Chontae) - language used by republicans e. g. Republican Sinn Féin, which avoids using the name given by the British-enacted Government of Ireland Act 1920. (The Republic is similarly described as the Twenty-Six Counties. )[51] Some of the users of these terms contend that using the official name of the region would imply acceptance of the legitimacy of the Government of Ireland Act.
- The Occupied Six Counties. The Republic, whose legitimacy is not recognised by republicans opposed to the Belfast Agreement, is described as being "The Free State", referring to the Irish Free State, the Republic's old name. The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by [52]
- British-Occupied Ireland. Similar in tone to the Occupied Six Counties this term is used by more dogmatic anti-Good Friday Agreement republicans who still hold that the First Dáil was the last legitimate government of Ireland and that all governments since have been foreign imposed usurpations of Irish national self-determination. The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an The First Dáil (An Chéad Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 1919&ndash1921 [53]
- Fourth Green Field (An Cheathrú Gort Glas). From the song Four Green Fields by Tommy Makem which describes Ireland as divided with one of the four green fields (the traditional provinces of Ireland) being In strangers hands, referring to the partition of Ireland. Four Green Fields is a 1967 Folk song by Irish musician Tommy Makem, described in the New York Times as a "hallowed Thomas 'Tommy' Makem ( November 4, 1932 &ndash August 1, 2007) was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland
Other
- The North (An Tuaisceart) - used to describe Northern Ireland in the same way that "The South" is used to describe the Republic of Ireland.
- Norn Iron - is an informal and affectionate local nickname used by both nationalists and unionists to refer to Northern Ireland, derived from the pronunciation of the words "Northern Ireland" in an exaggerated Ulster accent (particularly one from the Greater Belfast area). Norn Iron is an informal Nickname for Northern Ireland, derived from the pronunciation of the words "Northern Ireland" in an exaggerated Ulster The phrase is seen as a light-hearted way to refer to the province, based as it is on regional pronunciation. Often refers to the Northern Ireland national football team. The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football.
Use of language for geography
Notwithstanding the ancient realm of Dál Riata which extended into Scotland, disagreement on names, and the reading of political symbolism into the use or non-use of a word, also attaches itself to some urban centres. The most famous example is whether Northern Ireland's second city should be called "Derry" or "Londonderry". The name of the city and county of Derry or Londonderry in Northern Ireland is the subject of a naming dispute between nationalists
Choice of language and nomenclature in Northern Ireland often reveals the cultural, ethnic and religious identity of the speaker. The first Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Seamus Mallon, was criticised by unionist politicians for calling the region the "North of Ireland" while Sinn Féin has been criticised in some newspapers in the Republic for still referring to the "Six Counties". Seamus Mallon MP first Deputy First Minister of Northern [54]
Those who do not belong to any group but lean towards one side often tend to use the language of that group. Supporters of unionism in the British media (notably the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Express) regularly call Northern Ireland "Ulster". For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. The Daily Express is a conservative Middle-market British Tabloid Newspaper. [55] Some nationalist and republican-leaning media outlets in Ireland almost always use "North of Ireland" or the "Six Counties". [56]
Government and cultural organizations in Northern Ireland, particularly those pre-dating the 1980s, often use the word "Ulster" in their title; for example, the University of Ulster, the Ulster Museum the Ulster Orchestra, and BBC Radio Ulster. The University of Ulster ( UU; Ollscoil Uladh is a multi-centre University located in Northern Ireland and is the largest single university on the The Ulster Museum is located in the Botanical Gardens in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and has around 8000 square metres of public display space featuring The Ulster Orchestra is Northern Ireland 's only full-time symphony Orchestra and one of the major orchestras in the United Kingdom.
Many news bulletins since the 1990s have opted to avoid all contentious terms and use the official name, Northern Ireland. The North is still used by some news bulletins in the Republic of Ireland, to the annoyance of some Unionists. Bertie Ahern, the previous Taoiseach, now almost always refers to Northern Ireland in public, having previously only used The North. Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern ( Irish: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn, born 12 September 1951 is an Irish politician who served The Taoiseach (ˈtiːʃəx in English t̪ˠiːʃʲəx (plural Taoisigh ( or) in Irish) also referred to as An Taoiseach ( t̪ˠiːʃʲəx is the the For Northern Ireland's second largest city, broadcasting outlets which are unaligned to either community and broadcast to both use both names interchangeably, often starting a report with "Londonderry" and then using "Derry" in the rest of the report. However, within Northern Ireland, print media which are aligned to either community (the News Letter is aligned to the unionist community while the Irish News is aligned to the nationalist community) generally use their community's preferred term. The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland 's main daily newspapers published Monday to Saturday The Irish News is a compact -sized daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. British newspapers with unionist leanings, such as the Daily Telegraph, usually use the language of the unionist community,[57] while others, such as The Guardian use the terms interchangeably. For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. [58] The media in the Republic of Ireland use the names preferred by nationalists. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. [59] Whether this is all an official editorial policy or a personal preference by the writers is unknown.
The division in nomenclature is seen particularly in sports and religions associated with one of the communities. Gaelic games use Derry, for example. The Gaelic Athletic Association ( GAA) ( Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael /'kʊmˠən̪ˠ 'l̪ˠuh Nor is there clear agreement on how to decide on a name. When the nationalist-controlled local council voted to re-name the city "Derry" unionists objected, stating that as it owed its city status to a Royal Charter, only a charter issued by the Queen could change the name. A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Queen has not intervened on the matter and thus the council is now called "Derry City Council" while the city is still officially "Londonderry". Nevertheless, the council has printed two sets of stationery - one for each term - and their policy is to reply to correspondence using whichever term the original sender used.
At times of high communal tension, each side regularly complains of the use of the nomenclature associated with the other community by a third party such as a media organisation, claiming such usage indicates evident "bias" against their community.
Law
Northern Ireland's legal and administrative systems were adopted from those in place in pre-partition United Kingdom, and was developed by its devolved government from 1922 until 1972. Northern Ireland law concerns the Legal system of Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 From 1972 until 1999 (except for brief periods), laws and administration relating to Northern Ireland have been handled directly from Westminster. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Between the year 1999 and 2002, and since May 2007 devolution has returned to Northern Ireland.
Economy
The Northern Ireland economy is the smallest of the four economies making up the United Kingdom. The economy of Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four Home nations ' economies of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Northern Ireland has traditionally had an industrial economy, most notably in shipbuilding, rope manufacture and textiles, but most heavy industry has since been replaced by services, primarily the public sector. Tourism also plays a big role in the local economy. More recently the economy has benefited from major investment by many large multi-national corporations into high tech industry. These large organisations are attracted by government subsidies and the highly skilled workforce in Northern Ireland.
East/West Bias For some time there have been allegations that the east of the province (mainly the Belfast area) has been given preferential treatment over the towns and cities in the western region (mainly Derry/Londonderry), the divisionary boundary being seen as the Bann River which divides Northern Ireland into two regions.
This belief was further advanced when, in 1969, plans were revealed for a second university (Queens University in Belfast being the first). The decision to place this into Coleraine, rather than the second largest city - Derry/Londonderry, was taken against the wishes of many of the unionist leaders in Stormont at the time.
According to figures obtained from Hansard, and questions raised by Foyle MP Mark Durkan in the House of Commons, the parliamentary area of South Belfast has received more funding from Invest NI than all the council areas in the west of the province combined. Furthermore, in terms of civil service jobs, the vast majority are centred in the greater Belfast area.
Culture
- See also: Culture of Ulster, Culture of Ireland, and Culture of the United Kingdom
With its improved international reputation, Northern Ireland has recently witnessed rising numbers of tourists who come to appreciate the area's unique heritage. The culture of Northern Ireland relates to the traditions of Northern Ireland and its resident communities Ulster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland. Due to large-scale plantations of people from Scotland and England during the The culture of the people living on the island of Ireland is far from monolithic The culture of the United Kingdom &mdash British culture &mdashrefers to the patterns of human activity and Symbolism associated with the British people and Attractions include cultural festivals, musical and artistic traditions, countryside and geographical sites of interest, pubs, welcoming hospitality and sports (especially golf and fishing). For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Since 1987 pubs have been allowed to open on Sundays, despite some limited vocal opposition.
Mythology
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle is a large body of prose and verse centring around the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster. Texts in translation Most of the important Ulster Cycle tales can be found in the following publications Thomas Kinsella, The Táin, Oxford University The Ulaid (pron /'ʊləɣ′/ were a people of early north-eastern Ireland, who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster: modern Irish Cúige This is one of the four major cycles of Irish Mythology. The Mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved shorn of its religious meanings The cycle centres around the reign of Conchobar mac Nessa, who is said to have been king of Ulster around the time of Christ. Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He ruled from Emain Macha (now Navan Fort near Armagh), and had a fierce rivalry with queen Medb and king Ailill of Connacht and their ally, Fergus mac Róich, former king of Ulster. Navan Fort should not be confused with Navan in County Meath. Medb ( Old Irish spelling mɛðv Meḋḃ Meaḋḃ modern Meadhbh mɛɣv reformed modern Irish Meabh, Meːv sometimes Anglicised Maeve or Maev Fergus mac Róich (son of Ró-ech or "great horse" also mac Róig, mac Rossa) is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish The foremost hero of the cycle is Conchobar's nephew Cúchulainn. Cúchulainn /kuːˈxʊlɪnʲ/ ( ( Irish for "Hound of Culann " also spelled Cú Chulainn, Cú Chulaind, Cúchulain, or
Languages
English language
The Mid Ulster dialect of English spoken in Northern Ireland shows influence from Scotland, with the use of such Scots words as wee for 'little' and aye for 'yes'. Mid Ulster English is the dialect of most people in the traditional province of Ulster in Ireland, including those in the two main cities English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Some jocularly call this dialect phonetically by the name Norn Iron. There are supposedly some minute differences in pronunciation between Protestants and Catholics, the best known of which is the name of the letter h, which Protestants tend to pronounce as "aitch", as in British English, and Catholics tend to pronounce as "haitch", as in Hiberno-English. British English or UK English ( BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the Hiberno-English also known as Anglo-Irish and Irish English is English as spoken in Ireland, partly the result of the interaction of the English However, geography is a much more important determinant of dialect than ethnic background. English is spoken as a first language by almost 100% of the Northern Irish population, though under the Good Friday Agreement, Irish and Ulster Scots (one of the dialects of the Scots language), sometimes known as Ullans, have recognition as "part of the cultural wealth of Northern Ireland". The Agreement, most often referred to as the Belfast Agreement (Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Belfast Greeance or the Good Friday Agreement (Comhaontú Aoine an Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. [60]
Irish (Irish Gaelic) language
The Irish language is the native language of the whole island of Ireland. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world [61] It was spoken predominantly throughout what is now Northern Ireland prior to the settlement of Protestants from Great Britain in the 17th Century. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Most placenames throughout Northern Ireland are anglicised versions of their Gaelic originals. These Gaelic placenames include thousands of lanes, roads, townlands, towns, villages and all of its modern cities. Examples include Belfast- derived from Béal Feirste, Shankill- derived from Sean Cill and Lough Neagh- derived from Loch nEathach.
In Northern Ireland the Irish language has long been associated with Irish nationalism, however this association only developed gradually. The language was seen as a common heritage and indeed the object of affection by many prominent 19th century Protestant republicans and Protestant unionists. Verbally there are 3 main dialects in the island of Ireland - Ulster, Munster and Connaught. Speakers of each dialect often find others difficult to understand. Speakers in Northern Ireland are naturally from the Ulster dialect.
The early years of the 20th century, the language became a political football throughout Ireland as Republican activists became increasing linked with it. In the 20th century, the language became in Unionist eyes increasingly polarised for political ends and many in that community would blame Sinn Féin in this regard. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 After Ireland was partitioned, the language was largely rejected in the education system of the new Northern Ireland. It is argued [62]that the predominant use of the English language may have served to exacerbate the Troubles.
The erection by some Local District Councils of legal bilingual street names (English/Irish)[63], invariably in predominantly Catholic/Nationalist/Republican districts, may be perceived as creating a 'chill factor' by Unionists and as such not conducive to fostering good cross community relationships. However other regions in the United Kingdom such as Scotland and Wales enjoy the use of Bilingual signs in Welsh and Scots Gaelic respectively, because of this, nationalists in Northern Ireland argue for equality in this regard. In responses to the 2001 census in Northern Ireland 10% of the population claimed "some knowledge of Irish"[64], 4. 7% to "speak, read, write and understand" Irish[64]. It was not asked as part of the census but in a poll, 1% of respondents said they speak it as their main language at home. [65] Following a public consultation, the decision was taken not to introduce specific legislation for the Irish language at this time, despite 75% of respondants stating that they were in favour of such legislation. [66]
Ulster Gaelic Dialect of the Irish language Ulster Gaelic/Ulster Irish or Donegal Gaelic/Irish, is the dialect which is nearest to Scots Gaelic. Some aspects of the dialect are more similar to Scots Gaelic than to the Gaelic dialects of Connacht and Munster. The dialects of East Ulster - those of Rathlin Island and the Glens of Antrim - were very similar to the Scots Gaelic dialect formerly spoken in Argyll, the part of Scotland nearest to Rathlin Island. The Ulster Gaelic is the most central dialect of Gaelic, both geographically and linguistically, of the once vast Gaelic speaking world, stretching from the south of Ireland to the north of Scotland. At the beginning of the 20th century, Munster Irish was favoured by many revivalists, with a shift to Connaught Irish in the 1960s, which is now the preferred dialect by many in the Republic. Many younger speakers of Irish experience less confusion with dialects due to the expansion of Irish-language broadcasting (TG4) and the exposure to a variety of dialects. There are fewer problems regarding written Irish as there is a standardised spelling and grammar, created by the government of the Republic, which claimed to reflect a compromise between various dialect forms. However, Ulster Irish speakers find that Ulster forms are generally not favoured by the standard.
The dialect is often stigmatised in the non Ulster counties of the Republic of Ireland, although all learners of Irish in Northern Ireland use this form of the language. Self-instruction courses in Ulster Irish include Now You’re Talking and Tús maith. The writer Séamus Ó Searcaigh RIP, once warned about the Irish Government's attempts at producing a Caighdeán or Standard for the Gaelic language in Ireland in 1953, when he wrote that what will emerge will be "Gaedhilg nach mbéidh suim againn inntí mar nár fhás sí go nádúrtha as an teangaidh a thug Gaedhil go hÉirinn" (A Gaelic which is of no interest to us, for it has not developed naturally from the language brought to Ireland by the Gaels). The Ulster Irish dialect is spoken throughout the area of the historical nine county Ulster, in particular the Gaeltacht region of County Donegal and the Gaeltacht Quarter of West Belfast.
Ulster Scots
Ulster Scots comprises varieties of the Scots language spoken in Northern Ireland. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Aodán Mac Poilín[67] states that "While most argue that Ulster-Scots is a dialect or variant of Scots, some have argued or implied that Ulster-Scots is a separate language from Scots. The case for Ulster-Scots being a distinct language, made at a time when the status of Scots itself was insecure, is so bizarre that it is unlikely to have been a linguistic argument. " Approximately 2% of the population claim to speak Ulster Scots,[68] however the number speaking it as their main language in their home is negligible. [65] Night classes at colleges can now be taken but for a native English speaker "[the language] is comparatively accessible, and even at its most intense can be understood fairly easily with the help of a glossary. "[67] The St Andrews Agreement recognises the need to "enhance and develop the Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture". [69]
Ethnic minority languages
There are an increasing number of ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland. Since its creation Northern Ireland has attracted immigrants from all over the world Chinese and Urdu are spoken by Northern Ireland's Asian communities; though the Chinese community is often referred to as the "third largest" community in Northern Ireland, it is tiny by international standards. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Since the accession of new member states to the European Union in 2004, Central and Eastern European languages, particularly Polish, are becoming increasingly common. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland.
Sign language
The most common sign language in Northern Ireland is British Sign Language (BSL), but as Catholics tended to send their deaf children to schools in Dublin (St Joseph's Institute for Deaf Boys and St. A sign language (also signed language) is a Language which instead of acoustically conveyed Sound patterns uses visually transmitted sign patterns British Sign Language ( BSL) is the Sign language used in the United Kingdom (UK and is the first or preferred language of Deaf people in the Mary's Institute for Deaf Girls), Irish Sign Language (ISL) is commonly used in the Nationalist community. Irish Sign Language ( ISL, Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann is the Sign language of Ireland, used primarily in the Republic of Ireland The two languages are not related: BSL is in the British family (which also includes Auslan), and ISL is in the French family (which also includes American Sign Language). Auslan is the Sign language of the Australian Deaf community. American Sign Language (or ASL Ameslan is the dominant Sign language of the Deaf community in the United States, in the English-speaking parts A third language, Northern Ireland Sign Language, is also attested by some. Northern Ireland Sign language (NISL is a Sign language used mainly by Deaf people in Northern Ireland.
Education
Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Unlike most areas of the United Kingdom, in the last year of Primary school, children can sit the eleven plus transfer test, and the results determine whether they attend grammar schools or secondary schools. Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. In the United Kingdom the Eleven Plus or Transfer Test is an Examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution This system is due to be changed in 2008 amidst some controversy.
Northern Ireland's state (controlled) schools are open to all children in Northern Ireland, although in practice are mainly attended by those from Protestant or non-religious backgrounds . There is a separate publicly funded school system provided for Roman Catholics, although Roman Catholics are free to attend state schools (and some non-Roman Catholics attend Roman Catholic schools). Integrated schools, which attempt to ensure a balance in enrolment between pupils of Protestant, Roman Catholic and other faiths (or none) are becoming increasingly popular, although Northern Ireland still has a primarily de facto religiously segregated education system. The Integrated Education movement in Northern Ireland is an attempt to bring together children parents and teachers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant In the Primary School Sector, forty schools (8. 9% of the total number) are Integrated Schools and thirty two (7. 2% of the total number) are Gaelscoileanna. A gaelscoil (Plural gaelscoileanna) is an Irish -speaking School, often also Co-educational, usually found in Ireland, but outside
See:
- List of Gaelic medium Primary schools in Northern Ireland
- List of Primary schools in Northern Ireland
- List of Grammar schools in Northern Ireland
- List of Secondary schools in Northern Ireland
- List of Integrated Schools in Northern Ireland
See also
- Common Travel Area
- National parks of Northern Ireland
- National Trust Properties in Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland national football team
- Republic of Ireland-United Kingdom border
- The Ireland Funds
Lists
Footnotes
- ^ The Northern Ireland Act 1998 describes Northern Ireland as "part of the United Kingdom". Bunscoil an Chaistil, Ballycastle, Country Antrim Bunscoil an Iúir, Newry, County Down Bunscoil List of Primary schools in Northern Ireland This article is a (so far partial list of Primary schools in operation in Northern Ireland (as of August 2006 List of Grammar schools in Northern Ireland This article is a list of Grammar schools in operation in Northern Ireland (at July 2006) List of Secondary schools in Northern Ireland This article is a list of Secondary schools in operation in Northern Ireland (at July 2006) Integrated Schools are part of Integrated Education, an attempt to bring together children parents and teachers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant The Common Travel Area is a passport-free zone that comprises the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey The United Kingdom has 14 national parks, 9 in England, 3 in Wales, and two in Scotland. National Trust Properties in Northern Ireland is a list of National Trust properties in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football. The Republic of Ireland – United Kingdom border also referred to as The Irish border, or (in Ireland) as The Border, is the international boundary The Ireland Funds is a global Fundraising organization for people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland dedicated to raising funds to support programs List of Northern Irish people is a list of notable people from Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (1998 c 47 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which established a Devolved Legislature The term "constituent country" is sometimes applied to Northern Ireland by Unionists and British sources. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and [1] [2]. The term is rejected by most Irish Nationalists. Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and
- ^ NSR&O 1921, No. 533. Northern Ireland did not become a state (or pejoratively, a statelet). Its constitutional roots remain the Act of Union, two complimentary Acts, one passed by the Parliament of Great Britain, the other by the Parliament of Ireland. The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Ireland (Irish Parlaimint na hEireann) was a Legislature that existed from mediæval times until 1800.
- ^ Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 (c. The Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions Act 1972 (c 22 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced Direct rule in 22)
- ^ "Historic return for NI Assembly", BBC news, 2007-05-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Retrieved on 2007-05-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen
- ^ The Assembly operates on consociational democracy principles requiring cross community support. Due to a lack of cross party support, the Assembly was prorogued by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
- ^ pdf filePDF (64. 6 KiB) "For the purposes of the English conflict of laws, every country in the world which is not part of England and Wales is a foreign country and its foreign laws. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International Conflict of laws (or private international law) is that branch of International law and intranational interstate law that regulates all Lawsuits involving History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception This means that not only totally foreign independent countries such as France or Russia. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending . . are foreign countries but also British Colonies such as the Falkland Islands. This is a list of the various territories that have been under the political control of the United Kingdom and/or its predecessor states Moreover, the other parts of the United Kingdom - Scotland and Northern Ireland - are foreign countries for present purposes, as are the other British Islands, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. The term British Islands is used in the law of the United Kingdom to refer collectively to the following four states the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical The Bailiwick of Jersey ( Jèrriais: Jèrri) is a British Crown dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. The Bailiwick of Guernsey (Bailliage de Guernesey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. " Conflict of Laws, JG Collier, Fellow of Trinity Hall and lecturer in Law, University of Cambridge
- ^ Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES survey. Trinity Hall is the fifth oldest college of the University of Cambridge, founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the Question: Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a unionist, nationalist or neither?, ARK Research, 2005
- ^ National Statistics Online - Communities in Northern Ireland Retrieved on 2007-05-11
- ^ Northern Ireland became a distinct region of the United Kingdom, by Order in Council on 3 May 1921 (SR&O 1921, No. An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in Commonwealth Realms. 533). It did not become a state (or pejoratively, a statelet). Its constitutional roots remain the Act of Union, two complimentary Acts, one passed by the Parliament of Great Britain, the other by the Parliament of Ireland. The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Ireland (Irish Parlaimint na hEireann) was a Legislature that existed from mediæval times until 1800.
- ^ On 7 December 1922 (the day after the establishment of the Irish Free State) the Parliament resolved to make the following address to the King so as to opt out of the Irish Free State: ”MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN, We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Senators and Commons of Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, having learnt of the passing of the Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922, being the Act of Parliament for the ratification of the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland, do, by this humble Address, pray your Majesty that the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland". The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule Legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, The Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed in 1922 to adopt the Constitution of the Irish Free State Source: Northern Ireland Parliamentary Report, 7 December 1922 and Anglo-Irish Treaty, sections 11, 12
- ^ Dáil Éireann - Volume 13 - 10 December, 1925.
- ^ "Anglo-Irish Relations, 1939—41: A Study in Multilateral Diplomacy and Military Restraint" in Twentieth Century British History (Oxford Journals, 2005). ISSN 1477-4674.
- ^ BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | NI set for 100% broadband
- ^ (BBC)
- ^ Northern Ireland Census 2001, Table KS07a: Religion
- ^ Northern Ireland Census 2001, Table KS07b: Community background: religion or religion brought up in
- ^ BBC News: Fascination of religion head count
- ^ Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency population projections
- ^ Ark survey, 2005. Answer to the question "Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a unionist, a nationalist or neither?"
- ^ Ark survey, 2005. Answers to the question "Do you think the long-term policy for Northern Ireland should be for it [one of the following"
- ^ Ark survey, 2005. Answers to the question "Do you think the long-term policy for Northern Ireland should be for it to [one of the following"
- ^ 2001 Census Cultural Profile for Northern Ireland
- ^ Professor John H. Whyte paper on discrimination in Northern Ireland
- ^ CAIN website key issues discrimination summary
- ^ Lord Scarman, "Violence and Civil Disturbances in Northern Ireland in 1969: Report of Tribunal of Inquiry" Belfast: HMSO, Cmd 566. (known as the Scarman Report)
- ^ Northern Ireland Act 2006 (c. 17)
- ^ Untitled Document
- ^ Breen, R. , Devine, P. and Dowds, L. (editors), 1996. "Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland: The Fifth Report" ISBN 0-86281-593-2. Chapter 2 retrieved from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/research/nisas/rep5c2.htm on August 24, 2006. Summary: In 1989—1994, 79% Protestants replied "British" or "Ulster", 60% of Catholics replied "Irish. "
- ^ Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1999. Module:Community Relations. Variable:NINATID. Summary:72% of Protestants replied "British". 68% of Catholics replied "Irish".
- ^ Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey. Module:Community Relations. Variable:BRITISH. Summary: 78% of Protestants replied "Strongly British. "
- ^ Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1999. Module:Community Relations. Variable:IRISH. Summary: 77% of Catholics replied "Strongly Irish. "
- ^ Institute of Governance, 2006. "National identities in the UK: do they matter?" Briefing No. 16, January 2006. Retrieved from IoG_BriefingPDF (211 KiB) on August 24, 2006. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International Extract:"Three-quarters of Northern Ireland’s Protestants regard themselves as British, but only 12 per cent of Northern Ireland’s Catholics do so. Conversely, a majority of Catholics (65%) regard themselves as Irish, whilst very few Protestants (5%) do likewise. Very few Catholics (1%) compared to Protestants (19%) claim an Ulster identity but a Northern Irish identity is shared in broadly equal measure across religious traditions. "Details from attitude surveys are in Demographics and politics of Northern Ireland. General demographics Population 1685267 The population of Northern Ireland has increased annually since 1978
- ^ [3] University of York Research Project 2002-2003 L219252024 - Public Attitudes to Devolution and National Identity in Northern Ireland
- ^ [4] Northern Ireland: Constitutional Proposals and the Problem of Identity, by J. R. Archer The Review of Politics, 1978
- ^ [5]PDF (131 KiB) A changed Irish nationalism? The significance of the Belfast Agreement of 1998, by Joseph Ruane and Jennifer Todd
- ^ Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1999. Module:Community Relations. Variable:IRISH.
- ^ Statutory Rule 2000 No. 347
- ^ Northern Irish flags from the World Flag Database
- ^ FIFA.com: Northern Ireland, Latest News
- ^ "DUP minister seeks end to Irish anthem at GAA matches", Belfast Telegraph, 2008-01-17. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News and Media. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Retrieved on 2008-05-26. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
- ^ John Sugden and Scott Harvie (1995). Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland 3.2 Flags and anthems. Retrieved on 2008-05-26. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
- ^ Peter Berlin. "Long unsung teams live up to anthems: Rugby Union", International Herald Tribune via HighBeam Research, 2004-12-29. The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international Newspaper "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Retrieved on 2008-05-26. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place "the band played Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem for the Springboks and Soldier's Song, the national anthem that is otherwise known as Amhran na bhFiann, and Ireland's Call, the team's official rugby anthem. "
- ^ "Gavin Mairs: Why it's time to take a stand on anthems".
- ^ British Meteorological Office figures
- ^ Many Nationalists use the name County Derry.
- Wikipedia policy is to use Londonderry for the county and Derry for the city. The name usage does not indicate an endorsement for either community's opinions.
- ^ Most Nationalists use the name Derry, while Unionists often use Londonderry, the name specified on the city's Royal Charter. A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company
- Wikipedia policy is to use the name as designated by the elected council. The name usage does not indicate an endorsement for either community's opinions.
- ^ Examples of usage of this term include Radio Ulster, Ulster Orchestra and RUC; political parties like the Ulster Unionist Party; paramilitary organisations like Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Volunteer Force. The Ulster Orchestra is Northern Ireland 's only full-time symphony Orchestra and one of the major orchestras in the United Kingdom. The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC was the name of the Police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001 The Ulster Unionist Party ( UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or in a historic sense simply the Unionist Party The Ulster Defence Association ( UDA) is a loyalist Paramilitary criminal organization in Northern Ireland, outlawed as a Terrorist The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) is a Loyalist group in Northern Ireland. Ulster was also used political campaigns such as "Ulster Says No" and Save Ulster from Sodomy. Ulster Says No was the name of a slogan campaign and mass protest against perceived interference by the Republic of Ireland in the internal affairs of the United Save Ulster from Sodomy was a political campaign launched in 1977 by the Rev
- ^ Parliamentary Reports of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, Vol. 20 (1937).
- ^ DUP Press Release "PAISLEY REACTS TO PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT". Date unknown. Extract "The DUP will be to the fore in representing the vast majority of unionists in the Province. "—example of Ian Paisley referring to Northern Ireland as The Province. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley (born 6 April 1926 styled The Rt Hon Retrieved from Google cache on October 11, 2006.
- ^ Example of "North of Ireland"
- ^ Sinn Féin usage of "Six Counties"
- ^ Examples of usage by the United States-based extreme republican "Irish Freedom Committee"
- ^ Usage on "Gaelmail.com", a republican website
- ^ Sunday Independent article on Mallon and the use of "Six Counties".
- ^ Example of Daily Telegraph use of "Ulster" in text of an article, having used "Northern Ireland" in the opening paragraph.
- ^ Daily Ireland usage of "The North" and the "Six Counties".
- ^ Daily Telegraph usage
- ^ The Guardian example
- ^ RTÉ News usage
- ^ http://www.nio.gov.uk/agreement.pdfPDF (204 KiB)
- ^ Ryan, James G. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International (1997). Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History. Flyleaf Press, p. 40. ISBN 978-0916489762.
- ^ Protestants and the Irish Language: Historical Heritage and Current Attitudes in Northern Ireland Rosalind M. O. Pritchard University of Ulster at Coleraine, UK[6]
- ^ The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (No. 759 (N. I. 5))[7]
- ^ a b Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency [http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/Census/Census2001Output/UnivariateTables/uv_tables1.html#irish%20language Census 2001 Output
- ^ a b Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES Survey: What is the main language spoken in your own home?
- ^ A Statement by Edwin Poots MLA, Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, to the Northern Ireland Assembly on the proposal to introduce Irish Language legislation. 16 October 2007
- ^ a b Aodan Mac Poilin, 1999, "Language, Identity and Politics in Northern Ireland" in Ulster Folk Life Vol. 45, 1999
- ^ Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES Survey: Do you yourself speak Ulster-Scots?
- ^ St Andrews AgreementPDF (131 KiB)
Further reading
- Jonathan Bardon, A History of Ulster (Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992), ISBN 0-85640-476-4
- Brian E. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International Jonathan Bardon (born in Dublin, 1941) OBE, is an Irish Historian and Author. Barton, The Government of Northern Ireland, 1920—1923 (Athol Books, 1980).
- Paul Bew, Peter Gibbon and Henry Patterson The State in Northern Ireland, 1921—72: Political Forces and Social Classes, Manchester (Manchester University Press, 1979)
- Tony Geraghty (2000). Paul Anthony Elliott Bew Baron Bew (born 1950 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish Historian. Tony Geraghty is a British - Irish writer and journalist He served in the Parachute Regiment, and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal The Irish War. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-7117-4.
- Robert Kee, The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism (Penguin, 1972–2000), ISBN 0-14-029165-2
- Osborne Morton, 1994. Robert Kee CBE (born October 5, 1919 in Calcutta, India) is a British broadcaster journalist and writer known for his historical Marine Algae of Northern Ireland Ulster Museum, Belfast.
- Henry Patterson, "Ireland Since 1939: The Persistence of Conflict" (Penguin, 2006, ISBN 978-1-844-88104-8
External links
General
- BBC Northern Ireland News The Northern Ireland news from BBC News Online
- Online NI Local Government Portal
- ni-photos.jmcwd.com Photos From Around Northern Ireland
- NICVA Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action
- Community NI Community NI: Northern Ireland voluntary and community sector.
Geography
- Geography in Action The geology of Northern Ireland
- BBC Learning Northern Ireland: Landscapes Unlocked - Aerial footage from the Sky High series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland.
History
- Northern Ireland Elections
- BBC Nations History of Ireland on bbc.co.uk
- Conflict Archive on the Internet from the University of Ulster
- Inconvenient Peripheries : Ethnic Identity and the United Kingdom EstatePDF by Prof. The University of Ulster ( UU; Ollscoil Uladh is a multi-centre University located in Northern Ireland and is the largest single university on the Philip Payton
- From Partition to Direct Rule: 50 Years of Northern Ireland Parliamentary Papers Online
Tourism
- Discover Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Tourist Board
- Outdoor Activities NI Directory of outdoor activities and activity providers in Northern Ireland. Provided by the Countryside Access & Activities Network and The Northern Ireland Tourist Board
- Walk NI The definitive guide to walking in Northern Ireland from the Countryside Access & Activities Network and The Northern Ireland Tourist Board
- Northern Ireland Tourist Guide What has Northern Ireland got to offer tourists?
- The Northern Ireland Guide - a travel guide to Northern Ireland for tourists and residents alike
- Armagh Down Tourism
- Go To Belfast
- Fermanagh Lakelands
- Mourne Mountains
- culturenorthernireland.org
Dictionary
Northern Ireland
-proper noun
- A six-county state occupying the northeastern part of the Island of Ireland, currently a constituent part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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