'Northern Ireland' (,
Ulster Scots: ''Norlin Airlann'') 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.
Northern Ireland consists of
six of the nine counties of the
Province of
Ulster. In the U.K., 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.
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]
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 see themselves as both British and Irish. People from Northern Ireland are entitled to both British and Irish citizenship (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 (also known as the Good Friday Agreement or the G.F.A.) in 1998, many of the major
paramilitary campaigns have either been on
ceasefire or have declared their war to be over.
History
:''Main article:
History of Northern Ireland; for events before 1900 see
Ulster or
History of Ireland.''
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 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.
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".
The prospect of civil war in Ireland was seen by some as likely. 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.
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.
Partition of Ireland, partition of Ulster
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.
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, the Boundary Commission decided against this. This decision was approved by the
Dail in Dublin by a vote of 71 to 20.
[7] The
Council of Ireland provided for in the
1920 Act, and in the Treaty, to link Northern Ireland eventually to the Irish Free State within 50 years was removed.
[8]
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.
[9] The British did not inform the Northern Ireland government that they had made the offer to the Dublin government, and De Valera's rejection was not publicized until 1970.
The ''
Ireland Act 1949'' gave the first legal guarantee to the
Parliament and
Government that Northern Ireland would not cease to be part of the
United Kingdom without consent of the majority of its citizens, and this was most recently reaffirmed by the
Northern Ireland Act 1998. 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.
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.
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
[10].
Lives lost and injured in the “Troubles”
Main article:
The Troubles
Bombings in Great Britain tended to have had more publicity, since attacks there were comparatively rare (in the context of the troubles); indeed 93% of killings happened in Northern Ireland. Republican paramilitaries have contributed to nearly 60% (2056) of these. Loyalists have killed nearly 28% (1020) while the security forces have killed just over 11% (362) with 9% percent of those attributed to the
British Army.
Civilians killed
Civilians account for the highest death toll at 53% or 1798 fatalities. Loyalist paramilitaries account for a higher proportion of civilian deaths (those with no military or paramilitary connection) according to figures published in Malcolm Sutton’s book, “Bear in Mind These Dead: An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland 1969 - 1993”. According to research undertaken by the CAIN organisation, based on Sutton's work, 85.6% (873) of Loyalist killings, 52.9% (190) by the security forces and 35.9% (738) of all killings by Republican paramilitaries took the lives of civilians between 1969 and 2001. The disparity of a relatively high civilian death toll yet low Republican percentage is explained by the fact that they also had a high combatants' death toll.
Combatants killed
Republican paramilitaries account for a higher proportion of combatants killed (those within paramilitaries or the military) Again from Malcolm Sutton's research, Republicans killed 1318 combatants, the security forces killed 192 and the Loyalists killed 147. Both Republicans and Loyalists killed more of their own than each other, over twice as many for Loyalists and nearly four times as many for Republicans.
80 people, mainly civilians, have died without any organisation claiming responsibility. The British Army has also lost 14 soldiers to Loyalists while the security forces overall in the Republic have lost 10 to Republicans.
According to a submission by Marie 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
Main articles: Demographics and politics of Northern Ireland
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.
[11][12]
A
plurality of the present-day population (40%) define themselves as
Unionist, 22% as
Nationalist and 35% define themselves as neither.
[13] 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.
[14] 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%).
[15] Official voting figures, which reflect views on the "national question" along with issues of candidate, geography, personal loyalty and historic voting patterns, show 54% of Northern Ireland voters vote for Pro-Unionist parties, 42% vote for Pro-Nationalist parties and 4% vote "other". Opinion polls consistently show that the election results are not necessarily an indication of the electorate's stance regarding the constitutional status of Northern Ireland.
Most of the population of Northern Ireland are at least nominally
Christian. 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. In a survey by Northern Ireland Life and Times, quarter of Northern Irish Catholics were said to support Northern Ireland remaining a part of the United Kingdom (see
Catholic Unionist). Despite this no Catholics in the survey stated they would vote for the Unionist Parties and only 5% would vote for the Alliance Party.
Protestants have a slight majority in Northern Ireland, according to the latest Northern Ireland Census.
[16] 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 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.
Nationalists are predominantly
Catholic and usually descend from the population predating the settlement, with a minority from Scottish Highlanders as well as some converts from Protestantism. Discrimination against nationalists under the
Stormont government (1921–1972) gave rise to the nationalist
civil rights movement in the 1960s.
[17] 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.
[18] 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.
[19]
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.
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
[20] 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
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
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).
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.
[21] 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:
''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.
Today, a constitutional right to Irish citizenship still exists for anyone who is ''both'':
★ Born on the island of Ireland (including its "isles and seas").
★ Born to at least one parent who is, or is entitled to be, an Irish citizen.
In general, Protestants in Northern Ireland see themselves primarily as being British, while Catholics regard themselves primarily as being Irish. Several studies and surveys performed between 1971 and 2006 show this.
[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]
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"
[30]
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 only official flag is the
Union Flag.
[31] 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.
The Union Flag and the Ulster Banner are typically only used by Unionists.
[32] Nationalists generally eschew symbols which uniquely represent Northern Ireland; some instead use the
Irish Tricolour, particularly at sporting events. Many people, however, prefer to avoid flags altogether because of their divisive nature. Paramilitary groups on both sides have also developed their own flags. Some unionists also occasionally use the flags of secular and religious organisations to which they belong.
Some groups, including the
Irish Rugby Football Union and the
Church of Ireland have used the
Flag of St. Patrick as a symbol of Ireland which lacks nationalist or unionist connotations. 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
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. At some sporting events, such as
GAA matches the Irish national anthem
Amhran na bhFiann is played.
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.
[33]
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.
Geography and climate
Map of Northern Ireland
,
Geography of the United Kingdom
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. 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.
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.
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 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 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.
'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.
'Lowest minimum temperature': -17.5 °C (0.5 °F) at Magherally, near
Banbridge,
County Down on
1 January 1979.
[34]
Counties
Main articles: Counties of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland consists of six
counties:
★
County Antrim
★
County Armagh
★
County Down
★
County Fermanagh
★
County Londonderry[35]
★
County Tyrone
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.
Cities
There are 5 settlements with
city status in Northern Ireland:
★
Armagh
★
Belfast
★
Derry[36]
★
Lisburn
★
Newry
Towns and villages
Main articles: Towns in Northern Ireland,
Villages in Northern Ireland
:''See also the
list of places in Northern Ireland for all villages, towns and cities''
★
Ahoghill,
Antrim,
Annalong,
Annaclone
★
Ballycastle,
Ballyclare,
Ballykelly,
Ballymena,
Ballymoney,
Ballynahinch,
Banbridge,
Bangor,
Bushmills
★
Carnmoney,
Carrickfergus,
Castledawson,
Castlerock,
Comber,
Coleraine,
Cookstown,
Craigavon,
Crossmaglen,
Crumlin,
Corbet
★
Donaghadee,
Downpatrick,
Dromore,
Dundonald,
Dungannon,
Dungiven,
Dromore,
Donaghcloney
★
Enniskillen
★
Glengormley,
Garvagh,
Gilford
★
Garrison
★
Hillsborough,
Holywood
★
Kilkeel
★
Larne,
Limavady,
Lurgan,
Loughbrickland
★
Magherafelt,
Macosquin
★
Newcastle,
Newtownards,
Newtownstewart
★
Omagh
★
Portrush,
Portstewart,
Portadown,
Portaferry,
Poyntzpass,
Portballintrae
★
Rasharkin,
Rathfriland
★
Strabane,
Scarva,
Seapatrick
★
Warrenpoint
Variations in geographic nomenclature
Main articles: Alternative nomenclature for Northern Ireland
Many people inside and outside Northern Ireland use other names for Northern Ireland, depending on their point of view.
Unionist/Loyalist
★ '''
Ulster''' - this is used by some to suggest that the border of the province of Ulster, one of four
provinces on the island of Ireland, was redrawn due to
partition. The historic province of Ulster covers a greater landmass than Northern Ireland: six of its counties are in Northern Ireland, three in the Republic of Ireland.
[37]
★ '''The Province''' - to again link to the historic Irish province of Ulster, with its mythology. Also refers to the fact that NI is a ''province'' of the UK.
[38]
Nationalist/Republican
★ '''North of Ireland''' '''(Tuaisceart na hÉireann)''' - to link Northern Ireland to the rest of the island, by describing it as being in the 'north ''of'' Ireland' and so by implication playing down Northern Ireland's links with
Great Britain. (The northernmost point in Ireland, in
County Donegal, is in fact in the Republic.)
[39]
★ '''North-East Ireland''' - used in the same way as the "North of Ireland" is used.
★ '''The Six Counties''' '''(na Sé Chontae)''' - language used by republicans e.g. Republican Sinn Féin, which avoids using the name given by the British-enacted ''Government of Ireland Act, 1920''. (The Republic is similarly described as the ''Twenty-Six Counties''.)
[40] Some of the users of these terms contend that using the official name of the region would imply acceptance of the legitimacy of the ''Government of Ireland Act''.
★ '''The Occupied Six Counties'''. The Republic, whose legitimacy is not recognised by republicans opposed to the
Belfast Agreement, is described as being "The Free State", referring to the
Irish Free State, the Republic's old name.
[41]
★ '''British-Occupied Ireland'''. Similar in tone to the ''Occupied Six Counties'' this term is used by more dogmatic anti-
Good Friday Agreement republicans who still hold that the
First Dáil was the last legitimate government of Ireland and that all governments since have been foreign imposed usurpations of Irish national self-determination.
[42]
★ '''Fourth Green Field'''. From the song ''
Four Green Fields'' by
Tommy Makem which describes Ireland as divided with one of the four green fields (the traditional
provinces of Ireland) being ''In strangers hands'', referring to the partition of Ireland.
Other
★ '''The North''' - used to describe Northern Ireland in the same way that "The South" is used to describe the Republic of Ireland.
★ '''
The Black North''' - a term sometimes used in different ways - either pejoratively or ironically, depending on one's political affiliation/sympathies. Often used by people from the
Republic of Ireland.
★ '''
Norn Iron''' - is an informal and affectionate local nickname used by both nationalists and unionists to refer to Northern Ireland, derived from the pronunciation of the words "Northern Ireland" in an exaggerated Ulster accent (particularly one from the Greater Belfast area). The phrase is seen as a light-hearted way to refer to the province, based as it is on regional pronunciation. Often refers to the
Northern Ireland national football team.
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".
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".
[43]
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".
[44] Some nationalist and republican-leaning media outlets in Ireland (such as ''
Daily Ireland'') almost always use "North of Ireland" or the "Six Counties".
[45]
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.
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,
[46] while others, such as
The Guardian use the terms interchangeably.
[47] The media in the
Republic of Ireland use the names preferred by nationalists.
[48] Whether this is an official editorial policy or a personal preference by the writers is unknown.
The division in nomenclature is seen particularly in sports and religions associated with one of the communities.
Gaelic games use ''Derry'', for example. 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.
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
Main articles: Northern Ireland 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.
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Northern Ireland
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.
'East/West Bias'
For some time there have been allegations that the east of the province (mainly the Belfast area) has been given preferential treatment over the towns and cities in the western region (mainly Derry/Londonderry), the divisionary boundary being seen as the Bann River which divides Northern Ireland into two regions.
This belief was further advanced when, in 1969, plans were revealed for a second university (Queens University in Belfast being the first). The decision to place this into Coleraine, rather than the second largest city - Derry/Londonderry, was taken against the wishes of many of the unionist leaders in Stormont at the time.
According to figures obtained from Hansard, and questions raised by Foyle MP Mark Durkan in the House of Commons, the parliamentary area of South Belfast has received more funding from Invest NI than all the council areas in the west of the province combined. Furthermore, in terms of civil service jobs, the vast majority are centered in the greater Belfast area.
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Northern Ireland
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.
Mythology
Ulster Cycle
Main articles: 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.
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".
[49]
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, however some Protestants feel that they are not welcome in these areas as a result, in similar ways that Catholics do not feel welcome in some Protestant areas where British and Loyalist paramilitary flags are raised on lamp posts. Approximately 14% of the population speak Irish,
[50] but only 1% speak it as their main language at home.
[51] 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.
[52]
Ulster Scots
Ulster Scots comprises varieties of the
Scots language spoken in Northern Ireland. Aodan Mac Poilin
[53] 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,
[54] however the number speaking it as their main language in their home is negligible.
[51] 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. 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."
[53] The St Andrews Agreement recognises the need to "enhance and develop the Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture".
[49]
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.
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),
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.
Education
Main articles: Education in Northern Ireland
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.
See:
★
List of Gaelic medium Primary schools in Northern Ireland
★
List of Primary schools in Northern Ireland
★
List of Grammar schools in Northern Ireland
★
List of Secondary schools in Northern Ireland
★
List of Integrated Schools in Northern Ireland
See also
'Lists'
★
List of Ireland-related topics
★
List of Northern Irish people
★
List of topics related to Northern Ireland
★
List of United Kingdom-related topics
Footnotes
1. The Northern Ireland Act 1998 describes Northern Ireland as "part of the United Kingdom". The term "constituent country" is sometimes applied to Northern Ireland by Unionists and British sources. [1] [2]. The term is rejected by most Irish Nationalists.
2. Historic return for NI Assembly
3. The Assembly operates on consociational democracy principles requiring cross community support. Due to a lack of cross party support, the Assembly was prorogued by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
4. "For the purposes of the English conflict of laws, every country in the world which is not part of England and Wales is a foreign country and its foreign laws. This means that not only totally foreign independent countries such as France or Russia... are foreign countries but also British Colonies such as the Falkland Islands. Moreover, the other parts of the United Kingdom - Scotland and Northern Ireland - are foreign countries for present purposes, as are the other British Islands, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey." ''Conflict of Laws'', JG Collier, Fellow of Trinity Hall and lecturer in Law, University of Cambridge
5. Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES survery. Question: Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a unionist, nationalist or neither?, ARK Research, 2005
6. Anglo-Irish Treaty, sections 11, 12
7. http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0013/D.0013.192512100009.html
8. Anglo-Irish Treaty. Section 13.
9. "Anglo-Irish Relations, 1939—41: A Study in Multilateral Diplomacy and Military Restraint" in ''Twentieth Century British History'' (Oxford Journals, 2005). ISSN 1477-4674.
10. (BBC)
11. CAIN: Background Information on Northern Ireland Society - Population and Vital Statistics
12. BBC News: Fascination of religion head count
13. Ark survey, 2005. Answer to the question "Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a unionist, a nationalist or neither?"
14. [http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2005/Political_Attitudes/NIRELAND.html Ark survey, 2005. Answers to the question "Do you think the long-term policy for Northern Ireland should be for it [one of the following]"
15. [http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2005/Political_Attitudes/NIRELAND.html Ark survey, 2005. Answers to the question "Do you think the long-term policy for Northern Ireland should be for it to [one of the following]"
16. 2001 Census Cultural Profile for Northern Ireland
17. Professor John H. Whyte paper on discrimination in Northern Ireland
18. CAIN website key issues discrimination summary
19. Lord Scarman, "Violence and Civil Disturbances in Northern Ireland in 1969: Report of Tribunal of Inquiry" Belfast: HMSO, Cmd 566. (known as the ''Scarman Report'')
20. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/20060017.htm
21. http://www.irishembassy.nl/html/pp_acquiring.html
22. Breen, R., Devine, P. and Dowds, L. (editors), 1996. ''"Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland: The Fifth Report"'' ISBN 0-86281-593-2. Chapter 2 retrieved from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/research/nisas/rep5c2.htm on August 24, 2006. Summary: In 1989—1994, 79% Protestants replied "British" or "Ulster", 60% of Catholics replied "Irish."
23. Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1999. Module:Community Relations. Variable:NINATID. Summary:72% of Protestants replied "British". 68% of Catholics replied "Irish".
24. Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey. Module:Community Relations. Variable:BRITISH. Summary: 78% of Protestants replied "Strongly British."
25. Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1999. Module:Community Relations. Variable:IRISH. Summary: 77% of Catholics replied "Strongly Irish."
26. Institute of Governance, 2006. ''"National identities in the UK: do they matter?"''
Briefing No. 16, January 2006. Retrieved from on August 24, 2006. Extract:"Three-quarters of Northern
Ireland’s Protestants regard themselves as British, but only 12
per cent of Northern Ireland’s Catholics do so. Conversely, a
majority of Catholics (65%) regard themselves as Irish, whilst
very few Protestants (5%) do likewise. Very few Catholics
(1%) compared to Protestants (19%) claim an Ulster identity
but a Northern Irish identity is shared in broadly equal
measure across religious traditions."''Details from attitude surveys are in Demographics and politics of Northern Ireland.''
27. [3] University of York Research Project 2002-2003 L219252024 - Public Attitudes to Devolution and National Identity in Northern Ireland
28. [4] Northern Ireland: Constitutional Proposals and the Problem of Identity, by J. R. Archer
The Review of Politics, 1978
29. A changed Irish nationalism? The significance of the Belfast Agreement of 1998, by Joseph Ruane and Jennifer Todd
30. Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1999. Module:Community Relations. Variable:IRISH.
31. [6]
32. Northern Irish flags from the World Flag Database
33. http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/confederations/associationdetails/0,1483,NIR,00.html?countrycode=NIR
34. British Meteorological Office figures
35. Many Nationalists use the name ''County Derry''.
36. Most Nationalists use the name ''Derry'', while Unionists often use ''Londonderry'', the name specified on the city's Royal Charter.
37. Examples of usage of this term include Radio Ulster, Ulster Orchestra and RUC; political parties like the ''Ulster Unionist Party''; paramilitary organisations like ''Ulster Defence Association'' and ''Ulster Volunteer Force''. ''Ulster'' was also used political campaigns such as ''"Ulster Says No"'' and ''Save Ulster from Sodomy''.
38. DUP Press Release ''"PAISLEY REACTS TO PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT"''. Date unknown. Extract ''"The DUP will be to the fore in representing the vast majority of unionists in the Province."''—example of Ian Paisley referring to Northern Ireland as ''The Province''. Retrieved from Google cache on October 11, 2006.
39. Example of "North of Ireland"
40. Sinn Féin usage of "Six Counties"
41. Examples of usage by the United States-based extreme republican "Irish Freedom Committee"
42. Usage on "Gaelmail.com", a republican website
43. Sunday Independent article on Mallon and the use of "Six Counties".
44. Example of Daily Telegraph use of "Ulster" in text of an article, having used "Northern Ireland" in the opening paragraph.
45. Daily Ireland usage of "The North" and the "Six Counties".
46. Daily Telegraph usage
47. The Guardian example
48. RTÉ News usage
49.
50. Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES Survey: Do you yourself speak Irish?
51. Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES Survey: What is the main language spoken in your own home?
52. BBC News, Wednesday, 13 December 2006
53. Aodan Mac Poilin, 1999, "Language, Identity and Politics in Northern Ireland" in Ulster Folk Life Vol. 45, 1999
54. Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES Survey: Do you yourself speak Ulster-Scots?
55. Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES Survey: What is the main language spoken in your own home?
56. Aodan Mac Poilin, 1999, "Language, Identity and Politics in Northern Ireland" in Ulster Folk Life Vol. 45, 1999
57.
Further reading
★
Jonathan Bardon, ''A History of Ulster'' (Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992), ISBN 0-85640-476-4
★ Brian E. Barton, ''The Government of Northern Ireland, 1920—1923'' (Athol Books, 1980).
★
Paul Bew, Peter Gibbon and Henry Patterson '' The State in Northern Ireland, 1921—72: Political Forces and Social Classes, Manchester'' (Manchester University Press, 1979)
★
The Irish War, Tony Geraghty, , , Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-8018-7117-4
★
Robert Kee, ''The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism'' (Penguin, 1972–2000), ISBN 0-14-029165-2
★ Osborne Morton, 1994. ''Marine Algae of Northern Ireland'' Ulster Museum, Belfast.
External links
General
★
BBC Northern Ireland News The Northern Ireland news from
BBC News Online
★
Online NI Local Government Portal
★
ni-photos.jmcwd.com Photos From Around Northern Ireland
★
NICVA Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action
★
Community NI Community NI: Northern Ireland voluntary and community sector.
Geography
★
Geography in Action The geology of Northern Ireland
History
★
Northern Ireland Elections
★
BBC Nations History of Ireland on
bbc.co.uk
★
Conflict Archive on the Internet from the
University of Ulster
★ by Prof. Philip Payton
★
From Partition to Direct Rule: 50 Years of Northern Ireland Parliamentary Papers Online
Tourism
★
Discover Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Tourist Board
★
Outdoor Activities NI Directory of outdoor activities and activity providers in Northern Ireland. Provided by the Countryside Access & Activities Network and The Northern Ireland Tourist Board
★
Walk NI The definitive guide to walking in Northern Ireland from the Countryside Access & Activities Network and The Northern Ireland Tourist Board
★
Northern Ireland Tourist Guide What has Northern Ireland got to offer tourists?
★
The Northern Ireland Guide - a travel guide to Northern Ireland for tourists and residents alike
★
Armagh Down Tourism
★
Go To Belfast
★
Fermanagh Lakelands
★
Mourne Mountains
★
culturenorthernireland.org
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