NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Northern Irish

Northern Ireland (Irish: Tuaisceart Éireann) is a part 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). As of the UK Census in April 2001, its population was 1,685,000, between a quarter and a third of the island's total population. This article is about a city that serves as a center of government and politics. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Northern Ireland County: District: Belfast UK Parliament: Belfast North Belfast South Belfast East Belfast West European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 posttown = Belfast Postal District(s): BT1-BT17, BT29 (part of), BT58 Area: 115 kmÂ² Population (2001) Website: www. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scotch-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as Lowland Scots) spoken in parts of the province of Ulster, which spans the six counties of Northern Ireland and three of the Republic of Ireland. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... The British monarchy is a shared monarchy; this article describes the monarchy from the perspective of the United Kingdom. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ... This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 2005 general election, arranged by constituency. ... The First Minister of Northern Ireland (Ulster Scots: Heid MÃ¤nnystÃ¨r o Norlin Airlann) and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (Ulster Scots: Heid MÃ¤nnystÃ¨r Depute o Norlin Airlann) are the leaders of the Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Irelands home rule government set up in... Ian Richard Kyle Paisley MP MLA (born 6 April 1926) is the current First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007 will be held on 7 March 2007. ... The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland are the leaders of the Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Irelands home rule government set up in the 1990s as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. ... James Martin Pacelli McGuinness MP MLA (Irish: MÃ¡irtÃn Mag Aonghusa,[1] born in Derry 23 May 1950) is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007 will be held on 7 March 2007. ... The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is the British cabinet minister who has responsibility for the government of Northern Ireland. ... Shaun Anthony Woodward (born October 26, 1958, Bristol) is a British politician, and Labour Member of Parliament for St Helens South. ... This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom at the 2005 general election, arranged by constituency. ... An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act 1920 (this is its official short title; the formal citation is 10 & 11 Geo. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 kmÂ² and 100,000 kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Gross domestic product (by purchasing power parity) in 2006 The Purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... â€œGBPâ€ redirects here. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is a high-precision atomic time standard. ... Though DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is a high-precision atomic time standard. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... A telephone number is a sequence of decimal digits (0-9) that is used for identifying a destination telephone line in a telephone network. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... Statue of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (died March 17, 462, 492, or 493), is the patron saint of Ireland. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ... The United Kingdom does not have a constitutionally defined official language. ... .ie is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for the Republic of Ireland. ... ISO 3166-1, as part of the ISO 3166 standard, provides codes for the names of countries and dependent areas. ... Great Britain lies between Ireland and mainland Europe Satellite Image of Great Britain Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles. ... .gb is a defunct Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the United Kingdom. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... UK Census 2001 logo 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 province of Ulster. In the UK, it is generally known as one of the four Home Nations that form the Kingdom.^[1] Some of these terms have controversial implications in relation to political ideologies concerning the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. The remainder of the island of Ireland is a sovereign state, the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ... During late Gaelic and early historic times Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 kmÂ² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: CÃºige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Home Nations (often written as the common noun home nations) is a term used to refer to the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom â€” England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland â€” collectively but as separate entities, distinct from the United Kingdom as a state. ...

As an administrative division of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland was defined by the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, and has had its own form of devolved government in a similar manner to Scotland and Wales. The Northern Ireland Assembly, established in 1998, has been suspended multiple times but was restored on 8 May 2007.^[2]^[3] Northern Ireland's legal system descends from the pre-1920 Irish legal system (as does the legal system of the Republic of Ireland), and is therefore based on common law. It is separate from the jurisdictions of England and Wales or Scotland.^[4] An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act 1920 (this is its official short title; the formal citation is 10 & 11 Geo. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Devolution. ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the country. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Republic of Ireland has a common law legal system with a number of main sources of law as follows: Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÃ‰ireann) Primary legislation - Acts of the Oireachtas and pre-1937 legislation Secondary legislation - Statutory Instruments Case law European Union law International law // The state... This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ... In law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius, iuris meaning law and dicere meaning to speak) is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area... Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. ...

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 Catholic, and those claiming to represent Unionists, who are predominantly Protestant.^[5] 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. In general, Protestants consider themselves British and Catholics see themselves as Irish but there are some who claim dual nationality. (see Nationality 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 in 1998, many of the major paramilitary campaigns have either been on ceasefire or have declared their war to be over. Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion. ... A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war or any armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. ...

History

Main article: History of Northern Ireland; for events before 1900 see Ulster or History of Ireland. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 kmÂ² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: CÃºige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... The History of Ireland began with the first known human settlement in Ireland around 8000 BC, when hunter-gatherers arrived from Britain and continental Europe, probably via a land bridge. ...

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 (Irish: Cogadh na Naoi mBliana) in Ireland took place from 1594 to 1603 and is also known as Tyrones Rebellion. ... Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland involved the seizure of land owned by the native Irish and granting of it to colonists (planters) from Britain. ... Elizabeth I redirects here. ... James Stuart (19 June 1566 â€“ 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old. ... This article is about the country. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified - by Athelstan 927 AD Area - Total... In September 1607, Hugh ONeill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone and Rory ODonnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell set sail from Rathmullan, a village on the shore of Lough Swilly in County Donegal, with ninety of their followers. ... Gaelic as an adjective means pertaining to the Gaels, whether to their language or their culture. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: The term aristocracy refers to a form of government where power is held by a small number of individuals from an elite or from noble families. ...

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. In the early 20th century, Unionists, led by Sir Edward Carson, opposed the introduction of Home Rule in Ireland. 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 (also known as Derry), with substantial numbers also concentrated in the nationalist-majority counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone. These six counties, containing an overall unionist majority, would later form Northern Ireland. Coat of arms1 Capital Dublin Language(s) Irish, English Government Monarchy King2 - 1542-1547 Henry VIII - 1760-1801 George III Chief Secretary - 1660 Matthew Lock - 1798-1801 Viscount Castlereagh Legislature Parliament of Ireland - Upper house Irish House of Lords - Lower house Irish House of Commons History - Act of Parliament 1541... Motto Dieu et mon droit(French) God and my right1 Anthem God Save the King (Queen) Territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Capital London Language(s) EnglishÂ² Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch - 1801â€“1820 George III - 1820â€“1830 George IV - 1830â€“1837 William IV - 1837â€“1901... The Act of Union 1800 merged the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain (itself a merger of England and Wales and Scotland under the Act of Union 1707) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... Edward Carson HMSO image The Right Honourable Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC (February 9, 1854 â€“ October 22, 1935) was a leader of the Irish Unionists, a Barrister and a Judge. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... Statistics Area: 24,481 kmÂ² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: CÃºige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Antrim Area: 2,844 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Downpatrick Area: 2,448 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Armagh Area: 1,254 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Derry Area: 2,074 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Enniskillen Area: 1,691 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Omagh Area: 3,155 kmÂ² Population (est. ...

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. 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. Opponents to Home Rule, from Conservative Party leaders like Andrew Bonar Law and Lord Randolph Churchill 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. Lord Randolph Churchill famously told a unionist audience in Ulster that "Ulster will fight, and Ulster will be right". Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister responsible for all economic and financial matters. ... David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, OM (January 17, 1863–March 26, 1945) was a British statesman and the last Liberal to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... In the United Kingdom, Parliament Act refers to each of two Acts of Parliament, passed in 1911 and 1949 respectively. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Andrew Bonar Law (16 September 1858 â€“ 30 October 1923) was a Conservative Party British statesman and Prime Minister. ... Lord Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (13 February 1849 â€“ 24 January 1895) was a British statesman. ... In March 1914 Prime Minister H. H. Asquith introduced his Home Rule Bill for Ireland into the House of Commons. ... This article or section should include material from German Monarchy The term German Empire (the translation from German of Deutsches Reich) commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ... The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) are a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. ...

The prospect of civil war in Ireland was seen by some as likely.^{[citation needed]} In 1914, the Third Home Rule Act, which contained provision for a temporary partition, received the Royal Assent. 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. Sir James Craig, later Viscount Craigavon 1st Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... John Millar Andrews (July 17, 1871 - August 5, 1956) was the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Sir Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, Bt, KG, CBE, MC, PC (June 9, 1888-August 18, 1973) was an Irish Unionist politician. ... Terence Marne ONeill, Baron ONeill of the Maine, PC (10 September 1914â€“12 June 1990) was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Right Honourable James Dawson Chichester-Clark, Baron Moyola, PC, DL (February 12, 1923â€“May 17, 2002) was the fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick (February 18, 1921 - March 3, 1977) was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1971 until 1972. ... The Third Home Rule Act, more correctly known as the Home Rule Act, 1914 was an Act of the parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which allowed for the creation of a separate home rule parliament in Ireland. ... // 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 Act of Parliament. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

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. 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.^{[citation needed]} David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, OM (January 17, 1863–March 26, 1945) was a British statesman and the last Liberal to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... Dublin city centre at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Northern Ireland County: District: Belfast UK Parliament: Belfast North Belfast South Belfast East Belfast West European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 posttown = Belfast Postal District(s): BT1-BT17, BT29 (part of), BT58 Area: 115 kmÂ² Population (2001) Website: www. ... Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (plural: Lords Lieutenant), also known as the Judiciar in the early mediaeval period and as the Lord Deputy as late as the 17th century, was the Kings representative and head of the Irish executive during the... The Council of Ireland may refer to one of two councils, one proposed and one implemented for a brief period. ...

Partition of Ireland, partition of Ulster

In United Kingdom law, Ireland was partitioned in 1921 under the terms of the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Six of the nine Ulster counties in the north-east formed Northern Ireland and the remaining three counties joined those of Leinster, Munster and Connacht to form Southern Ireland. Whilst the former came into being, the latter had only a momentary existence to ratify (in United Kingdom law) the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ended the Anglo-Irish War. Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ... An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act, 1920 (this is its official short title; the formal citation is 10 & 11 Geo. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 kmÂ² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: CÃºige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ... Statistics Area: 24,607. ... Statistics Area: 17,713. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Capital Dublin Head of State King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Head of Government Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Chairman of the Provisional Government from Jan 1922. ... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the extra-judicial Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of Independence. ... An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First DÃ¡il, the extra-legal Irish parliament...

Under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Northern Ireland was provisionally scheduled to be included in the Irish Free State, though it could opt out should the Parliament of Northern Ireland elect so to do.^[6] As expected, it did so immediately. Once that happened, as provided for, an Irish Boundary Commission came into being, to decide on the territorial boundaries between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. Though leaders in Dublin expected a substantial reduction in the territory of Northern Ireland, with nationalist areas like south Armagh, Tyrone, southern Londonderry and urban territories like Derry and Newry moving to the Free State, it appears that the Boundary Commission decided against this.^{[citation needed]} The British and Irish governments agreed to leave the boundaries as they were defined in the 1920 Act. The Council of Ireland provided for in the Treaty, to link Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State, did not come into being.^[7] Territory of the Irish Free State Capital Dublin Language(s) Irish, English Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch - 1922â€“1936 George V - 1936â€“1936 George VI President of the Executive Council - 1922â€“1932 W.T. Cosgrave - 1932â€“1937 Eamon de Valera Legislature Oireachtas - Upper house Seanad Ã‰ireann - Lower house DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann... The Irish Boundary Commission was established by the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ended the Anglo-Irish War in 1921. ... Londonderry redirects here. ... , Newry (from the Irish: IÃºr Cinn TrÃ¡ meaning The Yew Tree at the Head of the Strand, short form An tIÃºr, The Yew) is the fourth largest city in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. ... The Council of Ireland may refer to one of two councils, one proposed and one implemented for a brief period. ...

1925 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.^[8] The British did not inform the Northern Ireland government that they had made the offer to the Dublin government. Image File history File links Coat of Arms for Northern Ireland, granted in 1925. ... Image File history File links Coat of Arms for Northern Ireland, granted in 1925. ... Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 â€“ 24 January 1965) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. ... The Taoiseach (IPA: or ) â€” plural: Taoisigh ( or ), also referred to as An Taoiseach[1], is the head of government of Ireland or prime minister. ... Ã‰amon de Valera (born with the name Edward George de Valera,IPA: [1][2]) (14 October 1882 â€“ 29 August 1975) was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century Ireland. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

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. 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. 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 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 Northern Ireland. An acknowledgement that a decision on whether to remain in the United Kingdom or join the Republic of Ireland rests with the people of Northern Ireland 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. However, many unionist leaders equivocate when asked if they would peacefully accept a reunited Ireland if a majority in Northern Ireland sought it.^{[citation needed]} The Ireland Act 1949 is a UK Act of Parliament which was intended to deal with the consequences of the then recently passed Republic of Ireland Act 1948 as passed by the Irish parliament (Oireachtas). ... The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which existed from June 7, 1921 to March 30, 1972, when it was suspended. ... The Northern Ireland Act 1998 is part of the Labour governments constitutional reform programme. ... The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. ... The Constitution of Ireland is the founding legal document of the state known today as the Republic of Ireland. ... Article 2 and Article 3 of Bunreacht na hÃ‰ireann, the constitution of the Republic of Ireland, were adopted with the constitution as a whole in 1937, but completely revised by means of the Nineteenth Amendment which took full effect in 1999. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ...

A plebiscite within Northern Ireland on whether it should remain in the United Kingdom, or join the Republic, was held in 1973. 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). 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. A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Look up Boycott in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Northern Ireland referendum of 1973 was a referendum held in Northern Ireland only on March 8, 1973 on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom or join with the Republic of Ireland to form a United Ireland. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Lord Trimble William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC (born 15 October 1944), known as David Trimble, is a Northern Irish politician who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the first First Minister of Northern Ireland. ...

8 May 2007 Home rule returned to Northern Ireland. DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness took office as First Minister and Deputy First Minister, respectively ^[9]. is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Lives lost and injured in the “Troubles”

Main article: The Troubles For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ...

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% percent of those attributed to the British Army. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

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.

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 Smyth to the Northern Ireland Commission on Victims, 40,000 people have also been injured, though she believes that to be a conservative figure.

Demographics and politics

The population of Northern Ireland was estimated as being 1,710,300 on 30 June 2004. In the 2001 census, 53.1% of the Northern Irish population were Protestant, (Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, Methodist and other Protestant denominations), 43.8% of the population were Roman Catholic, 0.4% Other and 2.7% none.^[10]^[11] Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... // Population 1,685,267 Place of birth Northern Ireland: 1,534,268 (91. ...

A plurality of the present-day population (40%) define themselves as Unionist, 22% as Nationalist and 35% define themselves as neither.^[12] 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.^[13] 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 "don't know" (14%).^[14] Possible explanations for this include disillusionment with Northern Irish politics surrounding the constitutional question, and others who support the Union but only soIreland]]) 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% vot long as that is the preference of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland.^{[citation needed]} (See [[demographics and politics of Northern e 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. A plurality, relative majority or simple majority is the largest share of something, which may or may not be considered a majority, i. ... In the Irish context, Unionists form a group of largely (though not exclusively) Protestant people in Ireland, of all social classes, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which the Northern Ireland provincial state created in... Irish nationalism refers to political movements that desire greater autonomy or the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. ...

Most of the population of Northern Ireland are at least nominally Christian. 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. This is, however, becoming increasingly irrelevant as the Irish Question is very complicated. 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 & Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and their respecticve party platforms for Democratic Socialism & Social Democracy. For the most part, Protestants feel a strong connection with Great Britain and wish for Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. Catholics generally desire a greater connection with the Republic of Ireland, or are less certain about how to solve the constitutional question. A quarter of Northern Irish Catholics support Northern Ireland remaining a part of the United Kingdom (see Catholic Unionist). Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Pope Â· Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box: A Christian () is a person who... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Irish Question is the phrase used for the internal dispute in Britain concerning rational Irish nationalism and calls for independence. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn FÃ©in (19th century). ... The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP â€” Irish: PÃ¡irtÃ SÃ³isialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is the smaller of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... A Catholic Unionist is a Northern Irish, Roman Catholic, who supports continuing ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. ...

Protestants have a slight majority in Northern Ireland, according to the latest Northern Ireland Census.^[15] The make-up of the Northern Ireland Assembly reflects the appeals of the various parties within the population. Of the 108 members, 59 are Unionists and 42 are Nationalists (the remaining seven are classified as "other"). Although the Protestant population is the majority, the largest religious denomination is the Roman Catholic Church, followed by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Church of Ireland (Anglican), and the Methodist Church. The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ... Modern logo of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (or PCI) has a membership of 300,000 people in 650 congregations across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, though the bulk of the membership is in Northern Ireland. ... The Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... Anglicanism commonly refers to the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Communion, the churches that are in full communion with the see of Canterbury. ... The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist denomination, and the second-largest Protestant one, in the United States. ...

The two opposing views of British unionism and Irish nationalism are linked to deeper cultural divisions. Unionists are predominantly Protestant and often descendants of mainly Scottish, English, Welsh and Huguenot settlers and indigenous Irishmen who had converted to one of the Protestant denominations. Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Wycliffe Tyndale Â· Luther Â· Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Pope Â· Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box: Protestantism encompasses the forms... This article is about the country. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified - by Athelstan 927 AD Area - Total... This article is about the country. ... In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Huguenot was applied to a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of France, historically known as the French Calvinists. ... In the field of ecology, an indigenous species is an organism which is native to a region or ecosystem. ...

Nationalists are predominantly Catholic and usually descend from the population predating the settlement. Discrimination against nationalists under the Stormont government (1921–1972) gave rise to the nationalist civil rights movement in the 1960s.^[16] 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.^[17] 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.^[18] Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ... Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings 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 and successive Northern Ireland assemblies and conventions. ... The Civil Rights Mural - The Beginning.[1] The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for civil rights in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ...

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 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. Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish name: Ã“glaigh na hÃ‰ireann) (PIRA; more commonly referred to as the IRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA) is an Irish Republican, left wing[2] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was 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. 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. 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). The resulting case against the accused Sinn Féin member collapsed and the defendant later admitted to being a British agent. Politicians elected to the Assembly at the 2003 Assembly Election were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 ^[19] for the purpose of electing a First Minister and Deputy First Minister and choosing the members of an Executive (before 25 November 2006) as a preliminary to the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland. Another election was held on 7 March 2007 and this Assembly sat following the return of devolved government in May 2007 A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war or any armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ... The Northern Ireland Executive as established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 is the (currently suspended) executive body for Northern Ireland, answerable to the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ... The Police Service of Northern Ireland (Irish: SeirbhÃs PÃ³ilÃneachta Thuaisceart na hÃ‰ireann) 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 Northern Ireland. ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn FÃ©in (19th century). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

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. 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 is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... View of the Entrance to the Arsenal, by Canaletto, 1732. ... The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) was established to oversee the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons in Ireland, as part of the peace process. ...

Citizenship and identity

People from Northern Ireland are British citizens on the same basis as people from any other part of the United Kingdom (e.g. by birth in the UK to at least one parent who is a UK permanent resident or citizen, or by naturalisation). The Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, the founding legal document of the Republic of Ireland, provided that children born on the island of Ireland to parents who were both non-nationals would no longer have a constitutional right to Irish citizenship. ... British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning British citizenship and other categories of British nationality. ...

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.^[20] This is as a result of the Republic of Ireland extending Irish nationality law on an extra-territorial basis. Originally passed in 1956, the legislation was further developed in 2001 as a result of the Belfast Agreement of 1998, which stated that: is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Irish nationality law is the law of the Republic of Ireland governing citizenship. ... Legislation (or statutory law) is law which has been promulgated (or enacted) by a legislature or other governing body. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ...

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.

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 subsequent legislation (Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act of 2004) came into effect on 1 January 2005 and brought Irish nationality law broadly into line with British nationality law. The Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, the founding legal document of the Republic of Ireland, provided that children born on the island of Ireland to parents who were both non-nationals would no longer have a constitutional right to Irish citizenship. ... The Constitution of Ireland (Irish: Bunreacht na hÃ‰ireann)[1] is the founding legal document of the state known today both as Ireland and as the Republic of Ireland. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 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 the Republic of Ireland governing citizenship. ... British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning British citizenship and other categories of British nationality. ...

Today, a constitutional right to Irish citizenship still exists for anyone who is both:

In general, Protestants in Northern Ireland see themselves primarily as being British citizens, while Catholics regard themselves primarily as being Irish citizens. Several studies and surveys performed between 1971 and 2006 show this.^[21]^[22]^[23]^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28]

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.

Not everyone in Northern Ireland regards themselves as being Irish, particularly not Protestants. A 1999 survey showed that 51% of Protestants felt "Not at all Irish" and 41% only "weakly Irish"^[29]

Symbols

Today, Northern Ireland comprises a diverse patchwork of communities, whose national loyalties are represented in some areas by flags flown from lamp posts. The Union Flag and former governmental Flag 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. Even kerbstones in some areas are painted red-white-blue or green-white-orange, depending on whether local people express unionist/loyalist or nationalist/republican sympathies. // The Northern Ireland flags issue is one that divides the population along sectarian lines. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack and Butchers Apron) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... The National Flag of Ireland (Irish: An Bhratach NÃ¡isiÃºnta), also known as the Irish tricolour, was adopted officially in 1919 by the the state called Ireland (Ã‰ire in Irish), sometimes known as the Republic of Ireland. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack and Butchers Apron) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... The Union Flag is used by the British government for official events in Northern Ireland. ... The Irish tricolour (flag ratio: 1:2). ... Curb, gutter, and storm drain A curb or kerb (see spelling differences) is the edge where a raised pavement/sidewalk/footpath, road median, or road shoulder meets an unraised street or other roadway. ...

The only official flag is the Union Flag.^[30] The former Northern Ireland Flag (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 has not been used by the government since the abolition of the Parliament of Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. 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. Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack and Butchers Apron) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... Flag of Northern Ireland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which existed from June 7, 1921 to March 30, 1972, when it was suspended. ... The Northern Ireland Constitution Act was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed in 1973 to replace the previous system established by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. ... The Flag of Ulster The Flag of Ulster, one of the four provinces of Ireland, consists of a red cross on a golden field (from the arms of Norman coloniser, John de Courcy), charged with a white shield and the red hand. ...

The Union Flag and the Ulster Banner are typically only used by Unionists.^[31] 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. The National Flag of Ireland (Irish: An Bhratach NÃ¡isiÃºnta), also known as the Irish tricolour, was adopted officially in 1919 by the the state called Ireland (Ã‰ire in Irish), sometimes known as the Republic of Ireland. ...

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. 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. 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. The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. ... The Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... The Irish tricolour (flag ratio: 1:2). ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. ...

The national anthem played at state events in Northern Ireland is God Save the Queen. At some cross-community events, however, the Londonderry Air, also known as the tune of Danny Boy, may be played as a neutral, though unofficial, substitute. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Publication of an early version in The Gentlemans Magazine, 15 October 1745. ... The Londonderry Air is an anthem of Northern Ireland. ... For the Scottish comedian, see Danny Bhoy. ...

At the Commonwealth Games, the Northern Ireland team uses the Ulster Banner as its flag and Danny Boy is used as its National Anthem. The Northern Ireland football team also uses the Ulster Banner as its flag.^[32] Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation Locations of the games, and participating countries Commonwealth Games Federation seal, adopted in 2001 The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. ... First international Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest win Ireland (IFA) 7 - 0 Wales (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 1 February 1930) Biggest defeat Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) World Cup Appearances 3 (First in 1958) Best result Quarterfinals, 1958 European Championship Appearances none...

Northern Irish murals have become well-known features of Northern Ireland, depicting past and present divisions. Almost 2,000 murals have been documented in Northern Ireland since the 1970s. Northern Irish murals have become symbols of Northern Ireland, depicting the countys past and present divisions. ...

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 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, and the third largest lake in Western Europe. A second extensive lake system is centred on Lower and Upper Lough Erne in Fermanagh. The largest island of Northern Ireland is Rathlin, off the Antrim coast. Strangford Lough is the largest inlet in the British Isles, covering 150 square kilometres. Download high resolution version (1252x1032, 273 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Northern Ireland Categories: Central Intelligence Agency images ... Download high resolution version (1252x1032, 273 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Northern Ireland Categories: Central Intelligence Agency images ... Ireland is sometimes known as the Emerald Isle because of its green scenery. ... The United Kingdom occupies a substantial part of the British Isles. ... An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 kmÂ² (19,305 mileÂ²). The only current ice sheets are Antarctic and Greenland; during the last ice age at Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) the Laurentide ice sheet covered much of Canada... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... Drumlin in Cato, New York Drowned drumlin in Clew Bay Drumlin at Withrow Moraine and Jameson Lake Drumlin Field National Natural Landmark A drumlin (Irish droimnÃn, a little hill ridge) is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial action. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The British Isles in relation to mainland Europe The British Isles (French: , Irish: [1] or OileÃ¡in Iarthair Eorpa,[2] Manx: Ellanyn Goaldagh, Scottish Gaelic: , Welsh: ), are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe comprising Great Britain, Ireland and a number of smaller islands. ... Largest Lakes of Western Europe - Rank Order: Lake Geneva (Lac LÃ©man, Lac de GenÃ¨ve) - 581. ... Categories: Ireland-related stubs | Irish loughs ... Rathlin Islands location Bird sanctuary on Rathlin Island False-colour NASA Landsat image showing Rathlin, the Antrim coast, and Kintyre Rathlin Island (Irish: Reachlainn) is an island off the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, and is the northernmost point of the region. ... View of Portaferry from the Strangford side of the lough Strangford Lough (Loch Cuan in Irish) is a lough in County Down, Northern Ireland, separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards peninsula. ...

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. None of the hills are especially high, with Slieve Donard in the dramatic Mournes reaching 848 m (2782 ft), Northern Ireland's highest point. 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. Also in north Antrim are the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Mussenden Temple and the Glens of Antrim. Sperrins is a mountain range in Northern Ireland. ... Close-up of granite from Yosemite National Park, valley of the Merced River Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... The granite Mountains of Mourne are located in the first proposed national park of Northern Ireland. ... Basalt Basalt (IPA: ) is a common gray to black extrusive volcanic rock. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Armagh Area: 1,254 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Slieve Donard (Sliabh Domangard or Sliabh DÃ³nairt in Irish) is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland at 849 m (2,786 ft). ... Cave Hill refers to a a number of place names. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge from the mainland 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 the cliffs of Binevenagh, high above the Atlantic Ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland. ... The Glens of Antrim, or, simply, the Glens, is a region of County Antrim comprised of nine glens, or valleys, that radiate inward from the coast towards Lough Neagh. ...

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 is the largest river in Northern Ireland. ... The River Foyle at Night. ... River Blackwater is a river in Northern Ireland which enters Lough Neagh west of Derrywarragh Island and is navigable from Maghery to Blackwatertown. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

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 where it enters Belfast Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. ... Belfast Lough (Loch Lao in Irish) is a large intertidal sea lough situated at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. ...

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. 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 16^th and 17^th centuries resulted in much of the region being covered in rich green grassland. 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 of all the worlds continents, and in southeastern Australia; similar climates are also found at high elevations within the tropics. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

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. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Northern Ireland County: District: Belfast UK Parliament: Belfast North Belfast South Belfast East Belfast West European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 posttown = Belfast Postal District(s): BT1-BT17, BT29 (part of), BT58 Area: 115 kmÂ² Population (2001) Website: www. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 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.^[33] WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Downpatrick Area: 2,448 kmÂ² Population (est. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

Counties

Northern Ireland consists of six counties: Northern Ireland is one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 Ã— 1536 pixel, file size: 678 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Giants Causeway, Co. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 Ã— 1536 pixel, file size: 678 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Giants Causeway, Co. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... For much of its history, the island of Ireland was divided into 32 counties (Irish language contae or condae, pronounced IPA: ). Two historical counties, County Desmond and County Coleraine, no longer exist. ...

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. Fermanagh District Council most closely follows the borders of the county from which it takes its name. Coleraine Borough Council, on the other hand, derives its name from the town of Coleraine in County Londonderry. Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Antrim Area: 2,844 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Armagh Area: 1,254 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Downpatrick Area: 2,448 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Enniskillen Area: 1,691 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Derry Area: 2,074 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Omagh Area: 3,155 kmÂ² Population (est. ... Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes. ... Fermanagh District Council is a Local Council in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. ...

Cities

There are 5 settlements with city status in Northern Ireland: Historically, city status in England and Wales was associated with the presence of a cathedral, such as York Minster. ...

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Northern Ireland County: District: Belfast UK Parliament: Belfast North Belfast South Belfast East Belfast West European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 posttown = Belfast Postal District(s): BT1-BT17, BT29 (part of), BT58 Area: 115 kmÂ² Population (2001) Website: www. ... Londonderry redirects here. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Lisburn UK Parliament: Lagan Valley European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: (+44) 02892 Post Town: Lisburn Postal District(s): BT27, BT28 Population (2001) 71,465 Website: www. ... , Newry (from the Irish: IÃºr Cinn TrÃ¡ meaning The Yew Tree at the Head of the Strand, short form An tIÃºr, The Yew) is the fourth largest city in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. ...

Towns and villages

Corbet Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This is a list page for villages in Northern Ireland. ... List of settlements in Northern Irelandâ€”data from the 2001 census List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in Northern Ireland List of villages in Northern Ireland Lists of places within counties List of places in County Antrim List of places in County Armagh List of places... Ahoghill (pronounced ah-HOCH-ill, where ch represents the guttural sound in loch; not pronounced A Hog Hill) is a village in the district of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Annalong (in Irish: Ãth na Long , ie ford of the ships) is a picturesque seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland situated at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. ... Ballycastle (Baile an Chaistil in Irish) is a small town in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Ballykelly (Baile UÃ Cheallaigh) is a village 3 miles west of Limavady and contains some of the most interesting buildings erected in Ulster by the Plantation companies. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Ballymena Borough Council UK Parliament: North Antrim European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Ballymena Postal District(s): BT42-44 Population (2001) 28,717 Ballymena (from the Irish: An Baile MeÃ¡nach meaning middle townland) is a... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 55. ... Ballynahinch is the name of at least two towns in Ireland: Ballynahinch, County Down in Northern Ireland Ballynahinch, County Galway in the Republic of Ireland This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Bangor (in Irish Beannchor) is a town of approximately 80,000 population in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Moyle District UK Parliament: North Antrim European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Bushmills Postal District(s): BT57 Population (2001) 1,319 Bushmills (in Irish: Muileann na Buaise) is a village on the north coast of County... Carnmoney was in the past a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, it is now regarded as a suburb of Belfast. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Carrickfergus Borough UK Parliament: East Antrim European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Carrickfergus Postal District(s): BT38 Population (2005) 32,668 Carrickfergus (from the Irish: Carraig Fhearghais meaning Rock of Fergus) is a large town in... Castledawson is a small village in County Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland,and was built on the older townland of Shanemullagh. ... Castlerock is a small seaside town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK. It is situated between Coleraine and Londonderry and is very popular with summer tourists, having numerous apartment blocks and two caravan sites. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Coleraine Borough UK Parliament: East Londonderry European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Coleraine Postal District(s): BT51, BT52 Population (2001) 24,042 Coleraine (from the Irish: CÃºil Raithin meaning Ferny corner) is a large town... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Crossmaglen (Irish:Crois Mhic LionnÃ¡in) is a village in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland, near the border with the Republic of Ireland. ... Crumlin (in Irish: Cromghlinn, ie crooked glen) is a large village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, situated near Lough Neagh 20 miles west of Belfast city centre. ... Corbet is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, near Banbridge. ...

Donaghadee Harbour and lighthouse Donaghadee (in Irish: Domhnach Daoi, ie Daoiâ€™s Church) is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated on the east coast, about 18 miles from Belfast and about eight miles north east of Newtownards. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Down District UK Parliament: South Down European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Downpatrick Postal District(s): BT30 Population (2001) 10,316 Downpatrick (from the Irish: DÃºn PÃ¡draig meaning Patricks fort) is a town... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Banbridge District UK Parliament: Lagan Valley European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Dungiven (Irish: DÃºn GeimhÃn; meaning Givens fort) is a large village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on the main Belfast to Derry road. ... There are a number of settlements called Dromore: In Northern Ireland: Dromore, Omagh Dromore, Banbridge This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Donaghcloney [ A common alternative spelling is DONACLONEY] is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... Enniskillen (from the Irish: Inis Ceithleann meaning Kathleens Island) is the county town (and largest town) of County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. ... Glengormley is a town located in the borough of Newtownabbey, bordering the north-western edge of Belfast in Northern Ireland. ... Garvagh (Irish: Garbh Achadh; meaning Rough field) is a town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 18 kilometres (11 miles) south of Coleraine on the A29 route, the main trunk road between Coleraine and Maghera. ... Gilford is a village situated in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Lisburn UK Parliament: Lagan Valley European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Hillsborough Postal District(s): BT26 Area: ? kmÂ² Population (2001) 3,400 Hillsborough (Cromghlinn in Irish, Cromlyn in anglicized Gaelic) is a pretty and historical large Georgian village in County... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 55. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Loughbrickland is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Macosquin is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 4 kilometres south of Coleraine, on the road to Limavady. ... Newcastle (An Caislean Nua in Irish) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Newtownstewart is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. ... , Omagh (from the Irish: An Ã“maigh meaning The Sacred Plain) is the county town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 55. ... Portadown (from the Irish: Port an DÃºnÃ¡in meaning port of the fortress) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. ... Portaferry (in Irish: Port an Pheire, ie Landing place of the ferry) is a large village in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough. ... Poyntzpass is a small village situated between Portadown and Newry. ... Portballintrae (in Irish: Port Bhaile an TrÃ¡, ie harbour of the settlement of the shore) is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, seven miles east of Portrush and two miles west of the Giants Causeway. ... Rasharkin (in Irish: Ros EarcÃ¡in, ie EarcÃ¡nâ€™s wooded height or Larkins wood) is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 12 kilometres (7 miles) south of Ballymoney. ... Rathfriland is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Ulster County: District: Strabane UK Parliament: West Tyrone European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 Post Town: Strabane Postal District(s): BT82 Population (2006 est. ... Scarva is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the main road west of Banbridge. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ...

Variations in geographic nomenclature

Many people inside and outside Northern Ireland use other names for Northern Ireland, depending on their point of view. There are a number of alternative names used for the region of the island of Ireland which remained part of the United Kingdom following the secession of the twenty-six counties which formed the Irish Free State in 1922 (now the Republic of Ireland). ...

Unionist/Loyalist

Statistics Area: 24,481 kmÂ² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: CÃºige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... During late Gaelic and early historic times Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha. ... The Partition of Ireland took place in May 1921. ...

Nationalist/Republican

Statistics Province: Ulster DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann: Donegal North East, Donegal South West County Town: Lifford Code: DL Area: 4,841 kmÂ² Population (2006) 146,956 Website: www. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... Territory of the Irish Free State Capital Dublin Language(s) Irish, English Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch - 1922â€“1936 George V - 1936â€“1936 George VI President of the Executive Council - 1922â€“1932 W.T. Cosgrave - 1932â€“1937 Eamon de Valera Legislature Oireachtas - Upper house Seanad Ã‰ireann - Lower house DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was signed in Belfast on April 10, 1998 by the British and Irish Governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland political parties. ... The First DÃ¡il (Irish: An ChÃ©ad DÃ¡il) was DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann as it convened from 1919â€“1921. ... Four Green Fields is a 1967 folk song by Irish musician Tommy Makem, described in the New York Times as a hallowed Irish leave-us-alone-with-our-beauty ballad. It is probably Makems only composition to have truly entered the common repertoire of Irish folk musicians. ... Tommy Makem (November 4, 1932 â€“ August 1, 2007) was an internationally celebrated folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller from Ireland, most known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. ... During late Gaelic and early historic times Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha. ...

Other

The Black North is an expression sometimes used to describe Northern Ireland. ... Norn Iron is an informal and affectionate local nickname for Northern Ireland, derived from the pronounciation of the words Northern Ireland in an exaggerated Belfast accent. ... First international Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest win Ireland (IFA) 7 - 0 Wales (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 1 February 1930) Biggest defeat Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) World Cup Appearances 3 (First in 1958) Best result Quarterfinals, 1958 European Championship Appearances none...

Use of language for geography

Notwithstanding the ancient realm of Dal 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". Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1230x890, 176 KB) Description: mural in Derry. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1230x890, 176 KB) Description: mural in Derry. ... Free Derry was the name given to the self-declared autonomous republican region of Derry, Northern Ireland, following the Battle of the Bogside of August 12-August 14, 1969. ... The name of the city and county of Derry or Londonderry in Northern Ireland is the subject of a naming dispute between nationalists (mostly Catholic) and unionists (most of whom are Protestant), with nationalists calling it Derry, and unionists, Londonderry. ...

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".^[42] See Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister of Scotland Deputy First Minister of Wales This is a disambiguation page â€” a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Seamus Mallon, MP Seamus Mallon (born on 17 August 1936) is a Northern Irish politician and former Deputy Leader of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party. ...

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".^[43] Some nationalist and republican-leaning media outlets in Ireland (such as Daily Ireland) almost always use "North of Ireland" or the "Six Counties".^[44] This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... For other uses, see Daily Express (disambiguation). ... Daily Ireland was an Irish daily newspaper which existed from January 2005 to September 2006 to cover news stories from an Irish republican viewpoint. ...

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) is a multi-centre university located in Northern Ireland and is the largest single university on the island of Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Corrie Denew Chase. ... The Ulster Orchestra is Northern Irelands only full-time symphony orchestra and one of the major orchestras in the United Kingdom. ... BBC Radio Ulster is a BBC Northern Ireland Radio station based in Belfast. ...

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. 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. British newspapers with unionist leanings, such as the Daily Telegraph, usually use the language of the unionist community,^[45] while others, such as The Guardian use the terms interchangeably.^[46] The media in the Republic of Ireland use the names preferred by nationalists.^[47] Whether this is an official editorial policy or a personal preference by the writers is unknown. This article or section should include material from The (Belfast) News Letter The News Letter is one of Northern Irelands main daily news papers, published Monday to Saturday. ... The Irish News is the only quality newspaper published in Northern Ireland. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ...

The division in nomenclature is seen particularly in sports and religions associated with one of the communities. Gaelic games use Derry, for example. 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. 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. A stylised Celtic cross serves as the traditional logo of the GAA. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann LÃºthchleas Gael) is an organisation which is mostly focussed on promoting Gaelic Games - traditional Irish sports, such as hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball, and rounders. ... A Royal Charter is a charter given by a monarch to legitimize an incorporated body, such as a city, company, university or such. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

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 government from 1922 until 1972. Thereafter, laws, administration and foreign affairs relating to Northern Ireland have been handled directly from Westminster. Northern Ireland law concerns the legal system in Northern Ireland. ... Motto Dieu et mon droit(French) God and my right1 Anthem God Save the King (Queen) Territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Capital London Language(s) EnglishÂ² Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch - 1801â€“1820 George III - 1820â€“1830 George IV - 1830â€“1837 William IV - 1837â€“1901... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons The Right Honourable Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker HÃ©lÃ¨ne Hayman, Baroness Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups (as of May 5, 2005 elections) Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats...

Economy

The Northern Ireland economy is the smallest of the four economies making up the United Kingdom. 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. The economy of Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four Home Nations economies of the United Kingdom. ...

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 centered in the greater Belfast area.

Culture

With its improved international reputation, Northern Ireland has recently witnessed rising numbers of tourists who come to appreciate the area's unique heritage. Attractions include cultural festivals, musical and artistic traditions, countryside and geographical sites of interest, pubs, welcoming hospitality and sports (especially golf and fishing). Since 1987 pubs have been allowed to open on Sundays, despite some limited vocal opposition. 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. ... A page from the Book of Kells. ... The culture of the United Kingdom is rich and varied, and has been influential on culture on a worldwide scale. ... An amusingly named pub (the Old New Inn) at Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswold Hills of South West England A pub in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland A public house, usually known as a pub, is a drinking establishment found mainly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada... This article is about the sport. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... An amusingly named pub (the Old New Inn) at Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswold Hills of South West England A pub in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland A public house, usually known as a pub, is a drinking establishment found mainly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada...

Mythology

Ulster Cycle

The Ulster Cycle is a large body of prose and verse centering around the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster. This is one of the four major cycles of Irish Mythology. The cycle centres around the reign of Conchobar mac Nessa, who is said to have been king of Ulster around the time of Christ. 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. The foremost hero of the cycle is Conchobar's nephew Cúchulainn. The Ulster Cycle, formerly the Red Branch Cycle, is a large body of prose and verse centering around the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster. ... The Ulaid, also known as the Ulaidh and the Ulad, are a people of Early Ireland who gave their name to the Irish Province of Ulster. ... 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, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branches of Celtic mythology. ... In Irish mythology, Conchobar mac Nessa (also Conchobor, Conchubar, Conchobhar, Conchubhar, Conchúr, Conchúir, Conor) was king of Ulster during the events of the Ulster Cycle. ... Emain Macha, (Old Irish , Emuin Macha, Modern Irish Eamhain Mhacha , Emania) known in English as Navan Fort, is an ancient monument in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. ... (, Medb, Medhbh, Meabh, Maeve, Maev) is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. ... Young CÃºchulainn (as SÃ©tanta), 1912 illustration by Stephen Reid. ...

Languages

English language

The Mid Ulster dialect of English spoken in Northern Ireland shows influence from both the West Midlands and Scotland, thereby giving it a distinct accent compared to Hiberno-English, along with the use of such Scots words as wee for 'little' and aye for 'yes'. 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. 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".^[48] Mid Ulster English (Ulster Anglo-Irish) is the dialect of most people in Ulster, including those in the two main cities. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the Midlands. ... This article is about the country. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ... British English (BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere in the Anglophone world. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... A flag occasionally used to represent Ulster-Scots. ...

Irish language

Often the use of the Irish language in Northern Ireland has met with considerable suspicion from Unionists, who have associated it with the largely Catholic Republic of Ireland, and more recently, with the republican movement in Northern Ireland itself. Catholic areas of Belfast have road signs in Irish, as they are in the Republic, viewed by some as a way to let Protestants know that they are not welcome. Approximately 14% of the population speak Irish,^[49] but only 1% speak it as their main language at home.^[50] Under the St Andrews Agreement, the British government has agreed to introduce an Irish language Bill, and a consultation period ending on the 2 March 2007 could see Irish becoming an official language, having equal validity with English, recognised as an indigenous language, or aspire to become an official language in the future.^[51] The Irish language is a minority language in Northern Ireland, known in Irish as Tuaisceart Ã‰ireann or na sÃ© chontae (the six counties). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The St Andrews Agreement is an agreement proposed by the British and Irish Governments in relation to devolution of power to the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Ulster Scots

Ulster Scots comprises varieties of the Scots language spoken in Northern Ireland. Aodan Mac Poilin^[52] 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 speak Ulster Scots,^[53] however the number speaking it as their main language in their home is negligible.^[54] Night classes at colleges can now be taken and it is likely that, in a potential united Ireland, language would become the main focal point of resistance to the regime.^{[citation needed]} This seems unlikely, however, as for a native English speaker "[it] is comparatively accessible, and even at its most intense can be understood fairly easily with the help of a glossary."^[55] The St Andrews Agreement recognises the need to "enhance and develop the Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture".^[56] Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scotch-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as Lowland Scots) spoken in parts of the province of Ulster, which spans the six counties of Northern Ireland and three of the Republic of Ireland. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ...

Ethnic minority languages

There are an increasing number of Ethnic Minorities in Northern Ireland. 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. Since the accession of new member states to the European Union in 2004, Central and Eastern European languages, particularly Polish, are becoming increasingly common. Since its creation, Northern Ireland has attracted immigrants from all over the world. ... Urdu ( , , trans. ...

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 Mary's Institute for Deaf Girls, in Cabra)^{[citation needed]}, Irish Sign Language (ISL) is commonly used in the Nationalist community. 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 ASL/Amerislan). A third language, Northern Ireland Sign Language, is also attested by some. Two sign language Intepreters working as a team for a school. ... British Sign Language (BSL) is the sign language used in the United Kingdom (UK), and is the first or preferred language of an unknown number of Deaf people in the UK (published estimates range from 30,000 to 250,000 but it is likely that the lower figures are more... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Irish Sign Language (ISL) is the sign language of Ireland, used primarily in the Republic of Ireland. ... Auslan is the sign language used by the Australian Deaf community. ... The acronym ASL OR a. ... Northern Ireland Sign Language (NISL) is a sign language used in Northern Ireland, mainly Belfast. ...

Education

Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. 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. This system is due to be changed in 2008 amidst some controversy. Irish Gaelic medium and Integrated Education are increasing. Northern Ireland still has a highly religiously segregated education system. Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from the system used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Eleven Plus is an examination which was given to students in their last year of primary education in the United Kingdom under the Tripartite System. ... A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sign of an Irish medium school in Newry Six families in Belfast established a Gaeltacht area in Belfast in the late 1960s and opened Bunscoil Phobal Feirste in 1970 as the first Gaelic medium school in Northern Ireland, and in 1984 was granted the status of a voluntary maintained primary... The Integrated Education movement in Northern Ireland is an attempt to bring together children, parents and teachers from both Catholic and Protestant traditions, the aim being to give pupils an education allowing the opportunity to understand and respect all cultural and religious backgrounds. ...

Bunscoil an Chaistil, Ballycastle, Country Antrim Bunscoil an IÃºir, Newry, County Down Bunscoil an Traonaigh, Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh Bunscoil an tSlÃ©ibhe Dhuibh, Belfast Bunscoil Ard Mhacha, County Armagh Bunscoil Bheann MhadagÃ¡in, Belfast Bunscoil Cholmcille, County Londonderry Bunscoil Eoin Baiste, Portadown, County Armagh Bunscoil Mhic Reachtain, Belfast Bunscoil... List of Primary schools in Northern Ireland This article is a (so far partial) list of Primary schools in operation in Northern Ireland (at 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). ... Secondary Schools Armagh Integrated College, Armagh, 2004 Hazelwood Integrated College, 1985 , Belfast Lagan College, Belfast, 1981 Malone Integrated College, Belfast, 1997 New-Bridge Integrated College, Loughbrickland, 1995 Primary Schools Acorn Integrated Primary, Carrickfergus, 1992 All ChildrenÂ´s Controlled Integrated Primary, Newcastle, 1986 Annsborough Controlled Integrated Primary School, Castlewellan, 1997 Bangor...

Contents

History

Partition of Ireland, partition of Ulster

1925 to the present

Lives lost and injured in the “Troubles”

Demographics and politics

Citizenship and identity

Symbols

Geography and climate

Counties

Cities

Towns and villages

Variations in geographic nomenclature

Unionist/Loyalist

Nationalist/Republican

Other

Use of language for geography

Law

Economy

Culture

Mythology

Ulster Cycle

Languages

English language

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See also

Footnotes

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