View source for Northern Ireland

{{Short description|Part of the United Kingdom}}
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{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox UK country
| native_name = {{unbulleted list| {{native name|ga|Tuaisceart Éireann}}| {{native name|sco-ulster|Norlin Airlann}} }}
| image_flag = <!--Northern Ireland does not have an official flag, this article should not use a flag because none is officially recognized by the government of the state.-->
| flag_caption =
| national_motto =
| englishmotto =
| national_anthem = [[National anthem of Northern Ireland|Various]]
| image_map2 = <!-- Another map -->
| capital = [[Belfast]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|54.596|-5.93|type:city|display=inline}}
| largest_city = Belfast
| languages_type = [[Languages of Northern Ireland|Official languages]]
| languages = {{Hlist| [[Ulster English|English]]| [[Irish language|Irish]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ainsworth |first=Paul |date=6 December 2022 |title='Historic milestone' passed as Irish language legislation becomes law |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/2022/12/06/news/_historic_milestone_passed_as_irish_language_legislation_becomes_law-2932333/ |access-date=7 December 2022 |website=The Irish News |language=en |archive-date=12 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212015026/https://www.irishnews.com/news/2022/12/06/news/_historic_milestone_passed_as_irish_language_legislation_becomes_law-2932333/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Parliament3168">{{Cite web |url=https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3168/publications |title=Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 publications – Parliamentary Bills – UK Parliament |access-date=28 May 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529205121/https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3168/publications |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| languages2_type = Regional and minority languages
| languages2 = [[Ulster Scots dialect|Ulster Scots]]
| ethnic_groups = {{Plain list|
* 96.8% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
* 1.6% [[Asian people|Asian]]
* 0.8% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
* 0.6% [[Black people|Black]]
* 0.3% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other ethnic groups]]
}}
| ethnic_groups_year = [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]]
| ethnic_groups_ref = <ref name="2021 census ethnicity">{{cite web |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-ms-b01.xlsx |title=MS-B01 Ethnic group |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=30 November 2023 |website=[[Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency]] |access-date=28 May 2024 }}</ref>
| religion = {{Tree list}}
* 79.7% [[Religion in Northern Ireland#Christianity|Christianity]]
** 42.3% [[Catholic Church in Ireland|Catholicism]]
** 30.5% [[Ulster Protestants|Protestantism]]
** 6.9% other Christians
* 17.4% [[Irreligion in the United Kingdom|no religion]]
* 1.6% religion not stated
* 1.3% [[Religion in Northern Ireland#Minor religions|other religions]]
{{Tree list/end}}
| religion_year = 2021
| religion_ref = <ref name="2021 census religion">{{cite web |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-ms-b21.xlsx |title=MS-B21 Religion - full detail |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=31 May 2023 |website=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency |access-date=28 May 2024 }}</ref>
| demonym =
| legal_jurisdiction = [[Law of Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland]]
| government_type = [[Consociationalism|Consociational]] devolved legislature within a [[Westminster parliamentary system|parliamentary constitutional monarchy]]
| monarch = [[Charles III]]
| first_minister = [[Michelle O'Neill]]
| deputy_first_minister = [[Emma Little-Pengelly]]
| secretary_of_state = [[Hilary Benn]]
| number_of_mps = 18
| legislature = [[Northern Ireland Assembly]]
| sovereignty_type = [[History of Northern Ireland|Establishment]]
| established_event1 = [[Government of Ireland Act 1920]]
| established_date1 = 3 May 1921
| established_event2 = [[Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973|Constitution Act 1973]]
| established_date2 = 18 July 1973
| established_event3 = [[Northern Ireland Act 1974]]
| established_date3 = 17 July 1974
| established_event4 = [[Northern Ireland Act 1998]]
| established_date4 = 19 November 1998
| established_event5 =
| established_date5 =
| area_rank =
| area_label = Total{{efn|[[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] Standard Area Measurement, area to Mean Sea Level (MSL) Belfast}}
| area_km2 = 14330
| area_sq_mi = auto
| area_footnote = <ref name="ONS Standard Area Measurement">{{cite web |url=https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/ons::standard-area-measurements-for-administrative-areas-december-2023-in-the-uk/about |title=Standard Area Measurements for Administrative Areas (December 2023) in the UK |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=31 May 2024 |website=[[ONS Open Geography Portal|Open Geography Portal]] |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=7 June 2024 }}</ref>
| area_label2 = Land{{efn|ONS Standard Area Measurement, area to Mean Sea Level (MSL) Belfast excluding inland water}}
| area_data2 = {{cvt|{{UK subdivision area|GSS=N92000002}}|km2|sqmi}}<ref name="ONS mid-year pop est"/>
| percent_water =
| population_estimate = {{UK subdivision population|GSS=N92000002}}<ref name="ONS mid-year pop est">{{UK subdivision statistics citation}}</ref>
| population_estimate_rank =
| population_estimate_year = {{UK subdivision statistics year}}
| population_census = 1,903,175<ref name="NISRA 2021 census">{{cite web |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/census/2021-census |title=2021 Census |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=[[Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency]] |access-date=6 January 2024}}</ref>
| population_census_year = 2021
| population_density_km2 = {{UK subdivision density|GSS=N92000002}}
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| population_density_rank =
| pop_den_footnote = <ref name="ONS mid-year pop est"/>
| GVA = £56.1 billion
| GVA_rank =
| GVA_year = 2023
| GVA_per_capita = £29,234<ref name="ONS GDP GVA">{{Cite web |title=Regional gross domestic product: all ITL regions |date=24 April 2024 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/datasets/regionalgrossdomesticproductallnutslevelregions |access-date=15 May 2024 |website=Office for National Statistics}}</ref>
| GVA_per_capita_rank =
| GDP_PPP =
| GDP_PPP_rank =
| GDP_PPP_year =
| GDP_PPP_per_capita =
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
| GDP_nominal = £63.3 billion
| GDP_nominal_rank =
| GDP_nominal_year = 2023
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = £32,944<ref name="ONS GDP GVA" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
| Gini_year = 
| Gini_change = 
| Gini = 
| Gini_ref = 
| Gini_rank = 
| HDI_year = 2022
| HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI = 0.907 <!--number only-->
| HDI_ref = <ref name ="HDI">{{cite web |url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/table/shdi/GBR/?years=2022 |title=Subnational HDI |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=Global Data Lab |publisher= |access-date=30 September 2024}}</ref>
| HDI_rank =
| utc_offset = +0
| calling_code = [[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|+44]]{{efn|+44 is always followed by 28 when calling landlines. The code is 028 within the UK and 048 from the Republic of Ireland where it is treated as a domestic call.}}
| cctld =
| official_website =
| footnote_a = The official and ''[[de jure]]'' flag of Northern Ireland is the [[Union Jack]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 November 2000 |title=The Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2000/347/contents/made |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130902204715/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2000/347/contents/made |archive-date=2 September 2013 |access-date=26 October 2019 |publisher=[[Government of the United Kingdom]]}}</ref> The [[Ulster Banner]] was used by the [[Parliament of Northern Ireland]] from 1953 until the latter was abolished in 1973. The Ulster Banner is still used by some organisations and entities and is used to represent Northern Ireland when it plays as a national sports team. See [[Northern Ireland flags issue]] for more.
}}

'''Northern Ireland'''{{efn|{{langx|ga|Tuaisceart Éireann}} {{IPA|ga|ˈt̪ˠuəʃcəɾˠt̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ||Tuaisceart_Eireann.ogg}};<ref>[https://www.dfa.ie/ie/nuacht-agus-na-meain/tags/browsebyregion/tuaisceart-%C3%A9ireann/ Tuaisceart Éireann]. {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815035945/https://www.dfa.ie/ie/nuacht-agus-na-meain/tags/browsebyregion/tuaisceart-%C3%A9ireann/ |date=15 August 2021 }}. DFA.ie. Retrieved 27 March 2016.</ref> {{langx|sco|label=[[Ulster Scots dialect|Ulster Scots]]|Norlin Airlann}}}} is a [[Countries of the United Kingdom|part]] of the [[United Kingdom]] in the north-east of the island of [[Ireland]]. It has been [[#Descriptions|variously described]] as a country, province or region.<ref name="ONS Geography Guide">{{cite web |url=https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/d1f39e20edb940d58307a54d6e1045cd/about |title=A Beginner's Guide to UK Geography (2023) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=4 February 2025 |website=Open Geography Portal |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=14 May 2025 }}</ref><ref name="ISO">{{cite web |url=https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:code:3166:GB |title=Standard: ISO 3166 — Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=[[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] |access-date=16 January 2024}}</ref><ref name="alphabeticalNI">{{Citation |first1=S. |last1=Dunn |title=An Alphabetical Listing of Word, Name and Place in Northern Ireland and the Living Language of Conflict |year=2000 |place=[[Lewiston, New York]] |publisher=[[Edwin Mellen Press]] |quote=One specific problem – in both general and particular senses – is to know what to call Northern Ireland itself: in the general sense, it is not a country, or a province, or a state – although some refer to it contemptuously as a statelet: the least controversial word appears to be jurisdiction, but this might change. |last2=H. Dawson}}</ref><ref name="interpretingNI">{{Citation |first1=J. |last1=Whyte |title=Interpreting Northern Ireland |year=1991 |place=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |quote=One problem must be adverted to in writing about Northern Ireland. This is the question of what name to give to the various geographical entities. These names can be controversial, with the choice often revealing one's political preferences. ... some refer to Northern Ireland as a 'province'. That usage can arouse irritation particularly among nationalists, who claim the title 'province' should be properly reserved to the four historic provinces of Ireland-Ulster, Leinster, Munster, and Connacht. If I want to a label to apply to Northern Ireland I shall call it a 'region'. Unionists should find that title as acceptable as 'province': Northern Ireland appears as a region in the regional statistics of the United Kingdom published by the British government. |last2=G. FitzGerald}}</ref><ref name="placeApart">{{Citation |first=D. |last=Murphy |title=[[A Place Apart]] |year=1979 |place=London |publisher=Penguin Books |quote=Next – what noun is appropriate to Northern Ireland? 'Province' won't do since one-third of the province is on the wrong side of the border. 'State' implies more self-determination than Northern Ireland has ever had and 'country' or 'nation' are blatantly absurd. 'Colony' has overtones that would be resented by both communities and 'statelet' sounds too patronizing, though outsiders might consider it more precise than anything else; so one is left with the unsatisfactory word 'region'.}}</ref> Northern Ireland shares [[Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border|an open border]] to the south and west with the [[Republic of Ireland]]. At the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]], its population was 1,903,175,<ref name="NISRA 2021 census"/> making up around 3% of the [[Demographics of the United Kingdom#Population|UK's population]] and 27% of the population on the island of [[Ireland#Demographics|Ireland]]. The [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], established by the [[Northern Ireland Act 1998]], holds responsibility for a range of [[Devolution|devolved]] policy matters, while other areas are reserved for the [[Government of the United Kingdom|UK Government]]. The [[government of Northern Ireland]] cooperates with the [[government of Ireland]] in several areas under the terms of the [[Good Friday Agreement]].<ref name="gfa">{{Citation |author=Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |title=Northern Ireland Peace Agreement (The Good Friday Agreement) |url=http://peacemaker.un.org/node/1697 |year=1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221043707/http://peacemaker.un.org/node/1697 |access-date=3 June 2013 |archive-date=21 February 2013 |last2=Government of Ireland |url-status=deviated}}</ref> The Republic of Ireland also has a consultative role on non-devolved governmental matters through the [[British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Forde |first=Eoin |date=2020 |title=Constitutional Models of a United Ireland |url=https://www.academia.edu/44210367 |journal=Academia |pages=16–17 |access-date=27 January 2023 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404031607/https://www.academia.edu/44210367 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Northern Ireland was created in 1921,<!-- the Act was passed in 1920 but didn't come into effect until 3 May 1921 --> when [[Partition of Ireland|Ireland was partitioned]] by the [[Government of Ireland Act 1920]], creating a devolved government for the [[Counties of Northern Ireland|six northeastern counties]]. As was intended by unionists and their supporters in [[Westminster]], Northern Ireland had a [[Unionism in Ireland|unionist]] majority, who wanted to remain in the United Kingdom;<ref name="McKittrick-McVea p5">David McKittrick & David McVea. ''Making Sense of the Troubles''. New Amsterdam Books, 2002. p.5</ref> they were generally the [[Ulster Protestants|Protestant]] descendants of [[Plantation of Ulster|colonists from Britain]]. Meanwhile, the majority in [[Southern Ireland (1921–1922)|Southern Ireland]] (which became the [[Irish Free State]] in 1922), and a significant minority in Northern Ireland, were [[Irish nationalism|Irish nationalists]] (generally [[Irish Catholics|Catholics]]) who wanted a [[United Ireland|united independent Ireland]].<ref>Richard Jenkin, 1997, ''Rethinking ethnicity: arguments and explorations'', SAGE Publications: London: "In Northern Ireland the objectives of contemporary nationalists are the reunification of Ireland and the removal of British government."; Peter Dorey, 1995, ''British politics since 1945'', Blackwell Publishers: Oxford: "Just as some Nationalists have been prepared to use violence in order to secure Irish reunification, so some Unionists have been prepared to use violence in order to oppose it."; {{Cite web |title=Strategy Framework Document: Reunification through Planned Integration: Sinn Féin's All Ireland Agenda |url=http://www.sinnfein.ie/policies/document/155 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716075752/http://www.sinnfein.ie/policies/document/155 |archive-date=16 July 2006}} Sinn Féin. Retrieved 2 August 2008.; {{Cite web |url=http://www.sdlp.ie/policy_details.php?id=78 |title=Policy Summaries: Constitutional Issues |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618145438/http://www.sdlp.ie/policy_details.php?id=78 |archive-date=18 June 2009 |publisher=[[Social Democratic and Labour Party]] |access-date=2 August 2008}}</ref> Today, the former generally see themselves as British and the latter generally see themselves as Irish, while a Northern Irish or [[Ulster]] identity is claimed by a significant minority from all backgrounds.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2014 |title=Which of these best describes the way you think of yourself? |url=http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2014/Community_Relations/NINATID.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224200622/https://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2014/Community_Relations/NINATID.html |archive-date=24 February 2021 |access-date=24 March 2016 |website=Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey}}</ref>

The creation of Northern Ireland was accompanied by violence both in defence of and against partition. During [[The Troubles in Ulster (1920–1922)]], the capital [[Belfast]] saw major [[communal violence]], mainly between Protestant unionist and Catholic nationalist civilians.{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|pages=11, 100–101}} More than 500 were killed{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|page=99}} and more than 10,000 became refugees, mostly Catholics.{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|pages=171–176}} For the next fifty years, Northern Ireland had an unbroken series of [[Government of Northern Ireland (1921–1972)|Unionist Party governments]].<ref>David McKittrick & David McVea. ''Making Sense of the Troubles''. New Amsterdam Books, 2002. p.6</ref> There was informal mutual [[Segregation in Northern Ireland|segregation]] by both communities,<ref>McKittrick & McVea, p.18</ref> and the Unionist governments were accused of discrimination against the Irish nationalist and Catholic minority.<ref>Gallagher, Tom. ''Contemporary Irish Studies''. Manchester University Press, 1983. pp.29–32</ref> In the late 1960s, a [[Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association|campaign to end discrimination]] against Catholics and nationalists was opposed by [[Ulster loyalism|loyalists]], who saw it as a [[Irish republicanism|republican]] front.<ref>Maney, Gregory. "The Paradox of Reform: The Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland", in ''Nonviolent Conflict and Civil Resistance''. Emerald Group Publishing, 2012. p.15</ref> This unrest sparked [[the Troubles]], a thirty-year conflict involving republican and loyalist paramilitaries and state forces, which claimed over 3,500 lives and injured 50,000 others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/sutton/tables/Status_Summary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118204006/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/tables/Status_Summary.html |archive-date=18 November 2018 |access-date=25 January 2021 |website=cain.ulster.ac.uk}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |title=CAIN: Northern Ireland Society – Security and Defence |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/ni/security.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226112129/https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/ni/security.htm |archive-date=26 February 2019 |access-date=25 January 2021 |website=cain.ulster.ac.uk}}</ref> The 1998 [[Good Friday Agreement]] was a major step in the [[Northern Ireland peace process|peace process]], including [[Decommissioning in Northern Ireland|paramilitary disarmament]] and security normalisation, although [[sectarianism]] and segregation remain major social problems, and sporadic violence has continued.<ref>"The troubles were over, but the killing continued. Some of the heirs to Ireland's violent traditions refused to give up their inheritance." Jack Holland: Hope against History: The Course of Conflict in Northern Ireland. Henry Holt & Company, 1999, p. 221; {{ISBN|0-8050-6087-1}}</ref>

The [[economy of Northern Ireland]] was the most industrialised in Ireland at the time of partition, but soon began to decline, exacerbated by the political and social turmoil of the Troubles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McCourt |first=Malachy |title=History of Ireland |date=2004 |publisher=MJF Books, Fine Communications |isbn=978-1-60671-037-1 |location=New York |page=324}}</ref> Its economy has grown significantly since the late 1990s. Unemployment in Northern Ireland peaked at 17.2% in 1986, but dropped back down to below 10% in the 2010s,<ref>[http://www.detini.gov.uk/economic_overview___8211__october_2014.pdf?rev=0 Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Investment: Full Economic Overview, 15 October 2014] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107220447/http://www.detini.gov.uk/economic_overview___8211__october_2014.pdf?rev=0 |date=7 November 2014}}</ref> similar to the rate of the rest of the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Larry Elliott |date=17 September 2014 |title=UK unemployment rate falls to lowest level since 2008 financial crisis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/sep/17/uk-unemployment-rate-falls-lowest-level-2008-financial-crisis |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815085418/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/sep/17/uk-unemployment-rate-falls-lowest-level-2008-financial-crisis |archive-date=15 August 2021 |access-date=12 December 2016 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> Cultural links between Northern Ireland, the rest of Ireland, and the rest of the UK are complex, with Northern Ireland sharing both the [[culture of Ireland]] and the [[culture of the United Kingdom]]. In many sports, there is an [[All-Ireland]] governing body or team for the whole island; the most notable exception is association football. Northern Ireland [[Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games|competes separately]] at the [[Commonwealth Games]], and people from Northern Ireland may compete for either [[Great Britain at the Olympics|Great Britain]] or [[Ireland at the Olympics|Ireland]] at the [[Olympic Games]].

==History==
{{Main|History of Northern Ireland}}
{{See also|History of Ireland|Ulster#History}}
[[File:Northern Ireland - Counties.png|thumb|left|alt=Northern Ireland – Counties|The traditional counties of Northern Ireland]]

The region now known as Northern Ireland was historically inhabited by Irish-speaking [[Gaels]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stanbridge |first1=Karen |title=Toleration and State Institutions: British Policy Toward Catholics in Eighteenth-century Ireland and Quebec |date=2003 |publisher=Lexington Books |page=43}}; {{cite book |last1=Ruane |first1=Joseph |title=The Dynamics of Conflict in Northern Ireland: Power, Conflict and Emancipation |date=1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=51}}</ref> It consisted of several Gaelic kingdoms within the province of [[Ulster]]. In 1169, Ireland was invaded by [[Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland|Anglo-Norman]] forces under the English crown, initiating centuries of foreign dominance. While English authority spread across much of Ireland, Ulster's major Gaelic kingdoms such as the [[Uí Néill]] largely retained their autonomy, with English control limited to parts of the eastern coast.

During the [[Nine Years' War (Ireland)|Nine Years' War]] (1593–1603), an alliance of Gaelic chieftains led by [[Hugh Roe O'Donnell]] and [[Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone|Hugh O'Neill]] resisted English rule. Despite early successes and support from Spain, the alliance was ultimately defeated, culminating in the [[Flight of the Earls]] in 1607, when many Ulster nobles fled to [[Continental Europe|mainland Europe]]. Their lands were confiscated and colonized by English-speaking Protestant settlers from Britain in the [[Plantation of Ulster]], establishing a lasting Protestant community with ties to Britain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Plantation of Ulster: A Brief Overview – The Irish Story |url=https://www.theirishstory.com/2024/06/02/the-plantation-of-ulster-a-brief-overview/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The [[Irish Rebellion of 1641]] began in Ulster, driven by demands to end [[Anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]] discrimination, achieve greater Irish self-governance, and reverse the plantations. The uprising escalated into an ethnic conflict between [[Irish Catholics]] and British Protestant settlers and became part of the wider [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] (1639–1653), concluding with the [[Parliament of England|English Parliamentarian]] conquest

Subsequent Protestant victories in the [[Williamite War in Ireland|Williamite-Jacobite War]] (1688–1691), including the [[Siege of Derry]] and the [[Battle of the Boyne]], solidified Anglican Protestant rule in Ireland. These events are still commemorated by some Protestants in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/government-citizens-and-rights/living-in-northern-ireland/bank-holidays.htm |title=Bank holidays |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122114013/http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/government-citizens-and-rights/living-in-northern-ireland/bank-holidays.htm |archive-date=22 November 2010}}; {{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-20565591 |title=Lundy's Day: Thousands attend 'peaceful' Londonderry parade |work=BBC News |date=December 2012 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=23 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923010159/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-20565591 |url-status=live}}</ref> Many more Scots Protestants migrated to Ulster during the [[Seven ill years|Scottish famine of the 1690s]].

Following the Williamite victory, a series of [[Penal laws (Ireland)|Penal Laws]] were enacted by the Anglican Protestant ruling class to suppress Catholicism and, to a lesser extent, [[Presbyterianism]]. These laws aimed to concentrate property and public office in the hands of those aligned with the [[Church of Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=McEvoy |first=Brendan |date=1960 |title=The United Irishmen in Co. Tyrone |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/29740719 |journal=Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=1–32 |doi=10.2307/29740719 |jstor=29740719 |issn=0488-0196|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>Bew, John (2011). ''Castlereagh, From Enlightenment to Tyranny''. Quercus Publishing Plc. pp. 126–127. {{ISBN|9780857381866}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Irish Tithe Act of 1838 {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/irish-tithe-act-1838 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> Between 1717 and 1775, approximately 200,000 [[Presbyterian Church in Ireland|Ulster Presbyterians]] emigrated to the American colonies, where their descendants are known as [[Scotch-Irish Americans]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Thernstrom |first=Stephan |title=Harvard encyclopedia of American ethnic groups |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npQ6Hd3G4kgC&pg=PA896 |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=1980 |page=896 |isbn=978-0-674-37512-3 |access-date=29 October 2011 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413214646/https://books.google.com/books?id=npQ6Hd3G4kgC&pg=PA896 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780767916899-1 |title=Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America |publisher=Powells.com |date=12 August 2009 |access-date=30 April 2010 |archive-date=16 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116001733/http://powells.com/biblio/1-9780767916899-1 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In the late 18th century, secretive and militant societies emerged in Ulster, exacerbating sectarian tensions. The [[Peep o' Day Boys|Protestant Peep o' Day Boys]] and the Catholic Defenders frequently clashed, notably during the [[Armagh disturbances]], culminating in the [[Battle of the Diamond]] in 1795.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NFB |date=2015-10-21 |title=Ireland's War: Peep O' Day Boys, Defenders And The Diamond |url=https://neverfeltbetter.wordpress.com/2015/10/21/irelands-war-peep-o-day-boys-defenders-and-the-diamond/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Never Felt Better |language=en-GB}}</ref> This event led to the founding of the [[Orange Order|Protestant Orange Order]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bardon |first=Jonathan |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofulster00jona |title=A history of Ulster |date=2005 |publisher=Blackstaff Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-85640-764-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tohall |first=Patrick |date=1958 |title=The Diamond Fight of 1795 and the Resultant Expulsions |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/29740669 |journal=Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=17–50 |doi=10.2307/29740669 |jstor=29740669 |issn=0488-0196|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The Irish Rebellion of 1798 was led by the [[Society of United Irishmen]], a cross-community republican group founded by Belfast Presbyterians seeking Irish independence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Irish Rebellion of 1798 {{!}} National Army Museum |url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/irish-rebellion-1798 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.nam.ac.uk |language=en}}</ref> The rebellion was ultimately suppressed, but it highlighted the growing demand for reform.<ref>The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Irish Rebellion". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Irish-Rebellion-Irish-history-1798. Accessed 21 April 2025</ref> In response, the British government enacted the [[Acts of Union 1800]], merging the Kingdom of Ireland with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. This legislative union aimed to quell sectarianism, remove discriminatory laws, and prevent the spread of revolutionary ideas.<ref>Ward, Alan J. (1994). The Irish Constitutional Tradition: Responsible Government and Modern Ireland 1782–1992. Irish Academic Press.</ref>

===Home Rule Crisis===
{{main|Home Rule crisis}}{{See also|Unionism in Ireland#"The Ulster Option" 1905–1920}}
[[File:Carson signing Solemn League and Covenant.jpg|thumb|Signing of the [[Ulster Covenant]] in 1912 in opposition to Home Rule]]
By the late 19th century, a large and disciplined cohort of [[Irish Parliamentary Party|Irish Nationalist]] MPs at Westminster committed the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] to [[Irish Home Rule movement|"Irish Home Rule"]]—self-government for Ireland, within the United Kingdom. This was bitterly opposed by [[Unionism in Ireland|Irish Unionists]], most of whom were Protestants, who feared an Irish devolved government dominated by Irish nationalists and Catholics. The [[Government of Ireland Bill 1886]] and [[Government of Ireland Bill 1893]] were defeated. However, Home Rule became a near-certainty in 1912 after the [[Government of Ireland Act 1914]] was first introduced. The Liberal government was dependent on Nationalist support, and the [[Parliament Act 1911]] prevented the House of Lords from blocking the bill indefinitely.<ref name=Lydon326>James F. Lydon, [https://books.google.com/books?id=yKA9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA326 ''The Making of Ireland: From Ancient Times to the Present''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508132513/https://books.google.com/books?id=yKA9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA326 |date=8 May 2021 }}, Routledge, 1998, p. 326</ref>

In response, unionists vowed to prevent Irish Home Rule, from [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative and Unionist Party]] leaders such as [[Bonar Law]] and Dublin-based barrister [[Edward Carson]] to militant working class unionists in Ireland. This sparked the [[Home Rule Crisis]]. In September 1912, more than 500,000 unionists signed the [[Ulster Covenant]], pledging to oppose Home Rule by any means and to defy any Irish government.<ref>[[A. T. Q. Stewart|Stewart, A.T.Q.]], ''The Ulster Crisis, Resistance to Home Rule, 1912–14'', pp. 58–68, Faber and Faber (1967) {{ISBN|0-571-08066-9}}</ref> In 1914, unionists [[Larne gun-running|smuggled thousands of rifles and rounds of ammunition]] from [[German Empire|Imperial Germany]] for use by the [[Ulster Volunteers]] (UVF), a paramilitary organisation formed to oppose Home Rule. Irish nationalists had also formed a paramilitary organisation, the [[Irish Volunteers]]. It sought to ensure Home Rule was implemented, and it [[Howth gun-running|smuggled its own weapons into Ireland]] a few months after the Ulster Volunteers.<ref>Annie Ryan, ''Witnesses: Inside the Easter Rising'', Liberties Press, 2005, p. 12</ref> Ireland seemed to be on the brink of civil war.<ref>Collins, M. E., ''Sovereignty and partition, 1912–1949'', pp. 32–33, Edco Publishing (2004) {{ISBN|1-84536-040-0}}</ref>

Unionists were in a minority in Ireland as a whole, but a majority in the province of [[Ulster]], especially the counties [[County Antrim|Antrim]], [[County Down|Down]], [[County Armagh|Armagh]] and [[County Londonderry|Londonderry]].<ref name="StephenGwynn">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IWnrSFoQVw0C&q=%22northern+ireland%22+partition+two+counties+nationalist+majority+tyrone+fermanagh&pg=PA525 |first=Stephen |last=Gwynn |author-link=Stephen Gwynn |chapter=The birth of the Irish Free State |title=The History of Ireland |year=2009 |orig-date=1923 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-1-113-15514-6 |access-date=19 October 2020 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413214537/https://books.google.com/books?id=IWnrSFoQVw0C&q=%22northern+ireland%22+partition+two+counties+nationalist+majority+tyrone+fermanagh&pg=PA525 |url-status=live}}</ref> Unionists argued that if Home Rule could not be stopped then all or part of Ulster should be excluded from it.<ref>O'Day, Alan. ''Irish Home Rule, 1867–1921''. Manchester University Press, 1998. p. 252</ref> In May 1914, the UK Government introduced an Amending Bill to allow for 'Ulster' to be excluded from Home Rule. There was then debate over how much of Ulster should be excluded and for how long. Some Ulster unionists were willing to tolerate the 'loss' of some mainly-Catholic areas of the province.<ref>Jackson, Alvin. ''Home Rule: An Irish History, 1800–2000''. pp. 137–138</ref> The crisis was interrupted by the outbreak of the [[World War I|First World War]] in August 1914, and [[Ireland and World War I|Ireland's involvement in it]]. The UK government abandoned the Amending Bill, and instead rushed through a new bill, the [[Suspensory Act 1914]], suspending Home Rule for the duration of the war,<ref>Hennessey, Thomas: ''Dividing Ireland, World War I and Partition'', ''The passing of the Home Rule Bill'' p. 76, Routledge Press (1998) {{ISBN|0-415-17420-1}}</ref> with the exclusion of Ulster still to be decided.<ref>Jackson, Alvin: p. 164</ref>

===Partition of Ireland===
{{Main|Partition of Ireland}}
[[File:1918 United Kingdom general election (Ireland) map - winning party vote share by constituency.svg|thumb|right|Result of the [[1918 Irish general election|1918 general election in Ireland]]]]
By the end of the war (during which the 1916 [[Easter Rising]] had taken place), most Irish nationalists now wanted full independence rather than home rule. In September 1919, British Prime Minister [[David Lloyd George]] tasked a committee with planning another home rule bill. Headed by [[Unionism in Ireland|English unionist]] politician [[Walter Long, 1st Viscount Long|Walter Long]], it was known as the 'Long Committee'. It decided that two devolved governments should be established—one for the nine counties of Ulster and one for the rest of Ireland—together with a [[Council of Ireland]] for the "encouragement of Irish unity".<ref>Jackson, pp. 227–229</ref> Most Ulster unionists wanted the territory of the Ulster government to be reduced to six counties so that it would have a larger Protestant unionist majority, which they believed would guarantee its longevity. The six counties of [[County Antrim|Antrim]], [[County Down|Down]], [[County Armagh|Armagh]], [[County Londonderry|Londonderry]], [[County Tyrone|Tyrone]] and [[County Fermanagh|Fermanagh]] comprised the maximum area unionists believed they could dominate.<ref>Morland, Paul. ''Demographic Engineering: Population Strategies in Ethnic Conflict''. Routledge, 2016. pp.96–98</ref> The area that was to become Northern Ireland included counties Fermanagh and Tyrone, even though they had nationalist majorities in the [[1918 Irish general election]].<ref>{{cite report |title=The Irish Election of 1918 |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/h1918.htm |publisher=Northern Ireland Elections |docket= |access-date=31 August 2022 |archive-date=17 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817120216/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/h1918.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Events overtook the government. In the 1918 Irish general election, the pro-independence [[Sinn Féin]] party won the overwhelming majority of Irish seats. Sinn Féin's elected members boycotted the British parliament and founded a separate Irish parliament ([[First Dáil|Dáil Éireann]]), [[Irish Declaration of Independence|declaring an independent Irish Republic]] covering the whole island. Many [[Irish republicans]] blamed the British establishment for the sectarian divisions in Ireland, and believed that Ulster unionism would fade once British rule was ended.{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|pages=51–52}} The British authorities outlawed the Dáil in September 1919,<ref>Mitchell, Arthur. ''Revolutionary Government in Ireland''. Gill & MacMillan, 1995. p. 245</ref> and a guerrilla conflict developed as the [[Irish Republican Army (1919–1922)|Irish Republican Army]] (IRA) began attacking British forces. This became known as the [[Irish War of Independence]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coleman |first1=Marie |title=The Irish Revolution, 1916–1923 |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1317801474 |page=67}}; Gibney, John (editor). ''The Irish War of Independence and Civil War''. Pen and Sword History, 2020. pp.xii–xiii</ref>

[[File:Ulster Welcomes Her King & Queen (10990906846).jpg|thumb|Crowds in Belfast for the state opening of the Northern Ireland Parliament on 22 June 1921]]

Meanwhile, the [[Government of Ireland Act 1920]] passed through the British parliament in 1920. It would divide Ireland into two self-governing UK territories: the six northeastern counties (Northern Ireland) being ruled from [[Belfast]], and the other twenty-six counties ([[Southern Ireland (1921–1922)|Southern Ireland]]) being ruled from [[Dublin]]. Both would have a shared [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]], who would appoint both governments and a [[Council of Ireland]], which the UK government intended to evolve into an all-Ireland parliament.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pilkington |first=Colin |author-link= |title=Devolution in Britain Today |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2002 |page=75 |isbn=978-0-7190-6076-2}}</ref> The Act received [[royal assent]] that December, becoming the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It came into force on 3 May 1921,<ref name="O'Day 299">O'Day, Alan. ''Irish Home Rule, 1867–1921''. Manchester University Press, 1998. p. 299</ref><ref>Jackson, Alvin. ''Home Rule – An Irish History''. Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 368–370</ref> [[Partition of Ireland|partitioning Ireland]] and creating Northern Ireland. the [[1921 Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland general elections|1921 Irish elections]] were held on 24 May, in which unionists won most seats in the Northern Ireland parliament. It first met on 7 June and formed its [[Craigavon ministry|first devolved government]], headed by Ulster Unionist Party leader [[James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon|James Craig]]. Irish nationalist members refused to attend. King George V addressed the ceremonial opening of the Northern parliament on 22 June.<ref name="O'Day 299"/>

During 1920–22, in what became Northern Ireland, partition was accompanied by violence "in defence or opposition to the new settlement"{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|pages=11, 100–101}} during [[The Troubles in Ulster (1920–1922)]]. The IRA carried out attacks on British forces in the north-east but was less active than in the rest of Ireland. Protestant loyalists attacked Catholics in reprisal for IRA actions. In the summer of 1920, sectarian violence erupted in Belfast and Derry, and there were mass burnings of Catholic property in [[Lisburn]] and [[Banbridge]].{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|pages=90–92}} Conflict continued intermittently for two years, mostly in [[Belfast]], which saw "savage and unprecedented" [[communal violence]] between Protestants and Catholics, including rioting, gun battles, and bombings. Homes, businesses, and churches were attacked and people were expelled from workplaces and mixed neighbourhoods.{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|pages=11, 100–101}} More than 500 were killed{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|page=99}} and more than 10,000 became refugees, most of them Catholics.{{Sfnp|Lynch|2019|pages=71–76}} The [[British Army]] was deployed and the [[Ulster Special Constabulary]] (USC) was formed to help the regular police. The USC was almost wholly Protestant. Members of the USC and regular police were involved in reprisal attacks on Catholic civilians.<ref>Farrell, Michael. ''Arming the Protestants: The Formation of the Ulster Special Constabulary and the Royal Ulster Constabulary''. Pluto Press, 1983. p.166</ref> A truce between British forces and the IRA was established on 11 July 1921, ending the fighting in most of Ireland. However, communal violence continued in Belfast, and in 1922 the IRA launched a guerrilla offensive along the new [[Irish border]].<ref>Lawlor, Pearse. ''The Outrages: The IRA and the Ulster Special Constabulary in the Border Campaign''. Mercier Press, 2011. pp.265–266</ref>

The [[Anglo-Irish Treaty]] was signed between representatives of the governments of the UK and the [[Irish Republic]] on 6 December 1921, laying out the process for the creation of the [[Irish Free State]]. Under the terms of the treaty, Northern Ireland would become part of the Free State unless its government opted out by presenting an address to the king, although in practice partition remained in place.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Ged |editor1-last=Anderson |editor1-first=Malcolm |editor2-last=Bort |editor2-first=Eberhard |title=The Irish Border: History, Politics, Culture |date=1999 |publisher=Liverpool University Press |isbn=978-0853239512 |page=68 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=59OPsS6a4j4C&pg=PA68 |access-date=19 October 2015 |chapter=The Origins of Partition |archive-date=29 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129062001/https://books.google.com/books?id=59OPsS6a4j4C&pg=PA68 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Coat of Arms of Northern Ireland.svg|thumb|The [[Coat of arms of Northern Ireland|Coat of arms of the Government of Northern Ireland]] used between 1924 and 1973]]

The Irish Free State came into existence on 6 December 1922, and on the following day, the [[Parliament of Northern Ireland]] resolved to exercise its right to opt out of the Free State by making an address to King [[George V]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gibbons |first1=Ivan |title=The British Labour Party and the Establishment of the Irish Free State, 1918–1924 |date=2015 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1137444080 |page=107 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pO6_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA107 |access-date=19 October 2015 |archive-date=29 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129061632/https://books.google.com/books?id=pO6_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA107 |url-status=live}}</ref> The text of the address was: {{Blockquote|Most Gracious Sovereign, We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Senators and Commons of Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, having learnt of the passing of the [[Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922]], being the Act of Parliament for the ratification of the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland, do, by this humble Address, pray your Majesty that the powers of the Parliament and Government of the Irish Free State shall no longer extend to Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stormontpapers.ahds.ac.uk/stormontpapers/pageview.html?volumeno=2&pageno=1145#bak-2-1149 |title=The Stormont Papers – View Volumes |access-date=28 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415143605/http://stormontpapers.ahds.ac.uk/stormontpapers/pageview.html?volumeno=2&pageno=1145#bak-2-1149 |archive-date=15 April 2016}}; {{cite web |url=http://www.nationalarchives.ie/topics/anglo_irish/dfaexhib2.html |title=Anglo-Irish Treaty, sections 11, 12 |publisher=Nationalarchives.ie |date=6 December 1921 |access-date=7 August 2013 |archive-date=8 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108213900/http://www.nationalarchives.ie/topics/anglo_irish/dfaexhib2.html |url-status=live}}</ref>}} Shortly afterwards, the [[Irish Boundary Commission]] was established to decide on the border between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. Owing to the outbreak of the [[Irish Civil War]], the work of the commission was delayed until 1925. The Free State government and Irish nationalists hoped for a large transfer of territory to the Free State, as many border areas had nationalist majorities. Many believed this would leave the remaining Northern Ireland territory too small to be viable.<ref>Knirck, Jason. ''Imagining Ireland's Independence: The Debates Over the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. p.104</ref> However, the commission's final report recommended only small transfers of territory, and in both directions. The Free State, Northern Ireland, and UK governments agreed to suppress the report and accept the ''status quo'', while the UK government agreed that the Free State would no longer have to pay a share of the UK national debt.<ref>Lee, Joseph. ''Ireland, 1912–1985: Politics and Society''. Cambridge University Press, 1989. p.145</ref>

===Established government and boundaries===
[[File:Northern Ireland Cabinet 1921.jpg|thumb|James Craig (centre) with members of the first government of Northern Ireland]]

Northern Ireland's border was drawn to give it "a decisive Protestant majority". At the time of its creation, Northern Ireland's population was two-thirds Protestant and one-third Catholic.<ref name="McKittrick-McVea p5"/> Most Protestants were unionists/loyalists who sought to maintain Northern Ireland as a part of the United Kingdom, while most Catholics were Irish nationalists/republicans who sought an independent [[United Ireland]]. There was mutual self-imposed [[segregation in Northern Ireland]] between Protestants and Catholics such as in education, housing, and often employment.<ref name="Making Sense 17-19">McKittrick & McVea, pp.17–19</ref>

For its first fifty years, Northern Ireland had an unbroken series of [[Government of Northern Ireland (1921–1972)|Ulster Unionist Party governments]].<ref>McKittrick & McVea, p.6</ref> Every prime minister and almost every minister of these governments were members of the [[Orange Order]], as were all but 11 of the 149 [[Ulster Unionist Party]] (UUP) MPs elected during this time.<ref>McKittrick & McVea, p.14</ref> Almost all judges and magistrates were Protestant, many of them closely associated with the UUP. Northern Ireland's new police force was the [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] (RUC), which succeeded the [[Royal Irish Constabulary]] (RIC). It too was almost wholly Protestant and lacked operational independence, responding to directions from government ministers. The RUC and the reserve [[Ulster Special Constabulary]] (USC) were militarized police forces due to the perceived threat of militant republicanism. In 1936 the British advocacy group - the [[Liberty (advocacy group)|National Council for Civil Liberties]] characterised the USC as "nothing but the organised army of the Unionist party".<ref>Boyd, Andrew (1984), ''Northern Ireland: Who is to Blame?'', The Mercier Press Limited, Dublin, p. 57, {{ISBN|0853427089}}</ref> They "had at their disposal the [[Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922|Special Powers Act]], a sweeping piece of legislation which allowed arrests without warrant, internment without trial, unlimited search powers, and bans on meetings and publications".<ref>McKittrick & McVea, p. 11</ref> This 1922 Act was made permanent in 1933 and was not repealed until 1973.<ref>McGuffin, John (1973), ''Internment!'', Anvil Books Ltd, Tralee, Ireland, p. 23.</ref>

The [[Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)|Nationalist Party]] was the main political party in opposition to the UUP governments. However, its elected members often protested by [[Abstentionism|abstaining]] from the Northern Ireland parliament, and many nationalists did not vote in parliamentary elections.<ref name="Making Sense 17-19"/> Other early nationalist groups which campaigned against partition included the [[National League of the North]] (formed in 1928), the [[Northern Council for Unity]] (formed in 1937) and the [[Irish Anti-Partition League]] (formed in 1945).<ref>Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley (editors). ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations''. A&C Black, 2000. pp.236–237</ref>

The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) of 1922 allowed for the altering of municipal and rural boundaries. This Act led to the [[gerrymandering]] of local election boundaries in the Nationalists majority cities of Derry City, Enniskillen, Omagh, Armagh and many other towns and rural districts. That action ensured Unionist control over local councils in areas where they were a minority.<ref>Boyd, Andrew (1969), ''Holy War in Belfast'', Anvil Books Ltd, Tralee, pg 176.</ref> The UUP governments, and some UUP-dominated local authorities, discriminated against the Catholic and Irish nationalist minority; especially by the gerrymandering of local electoral boundaries, the allocation of public housing, public sector employment, and policing, showing "a consistent and irrefutable pattern of deliberate discrimination against Catholics".<ref>Whyte, John. "How much discrimination was there under the unionist regime, 1921–68?", in ''Contemporary Irish Studies''. Edited by Tom Gallagher and James O'Connell. Manchester University Press, 1983. pp.29–32</ref> Many Catholics/Nationalists saw the gerrymandered local electoral boundaries and the abolishing of [[proportional representation]] as proof of government-sponsored discrimination. Until 1969 a system was in place called [[plural voting]] which was a practice whereby one person might be able to vote multiple times in an election. Property and business owners could vote both in the constituency where their property lay and that in which they lived, if the two were different. This system often resulted in one person being able to cast multiple votes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1968/20/introduction |title=Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 |website=www.legislation.gov.uk |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=6 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806071119/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1968/20/introduction |url-status=live }}</ref> Decades later, UUP [[First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland|First Minister of Northern Ireland]], [[David Trimble]], said that Northern Ireland under the UUP had been a "cold house" for Catholics.<ref>{{cite web |last1=David |first1=Trimble |title=Nobel Lecture |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1998/trimble/lecture/ |website=The Nobel Prize |access-date=8 August 2020 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815173053/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1998/trimble/lecture/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Offer of Irish unity===

[[File:Opening of the new Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings.jpg|thumb|left|Opening of the Northern Ireland parliament buildings ([[Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)|Stormont]]) in 1932]]

During [[World War II]], recruitment to the British military was noticeably lower than the high levels reached during World War I. In June 1940, to encourage the [[Irish neutrality|neutral Irish state]] to join with the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]], British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] indicated to Taoiseach [[Éamon de Valera]] that the British government would encourage Irish unity, but believing that Churchill could not deliver, de Valera declined the offer.<ref>"Anglo-Irish Relations, 1939–41: A Study in Multilateral Diplomacy and Military Restraint" in ''Twentieth Century British History'' (Oxford Journals, 2005), {{ISSN|1477-4674}}</ref> The British did not inform the government of Northern Ireland that they had made the offer to the Dublin government, and de Valera's rejection was not publicised until 1970. Belfast was a key industrial city in the UK's war effort, producing ships, tanks, aircraft, and munitions. The unemployment that had been so persistent in the 1930s disappeared, and labour shortages appeared, prompting migration from the Free State. The city was thinly defended, and had only 24 anti-aircraft guns. Richard [[Dawson Bates]], the Minister for Home Affairs, had prepared too late, assuming that Belfast was far enough away to be safe. The city's fire brigade was inadequate, and as the Northern Ireland government had been reluctant to spend money on air raid shelters, it only started to build them after [[the Blitz]] in London during the autumn of 1940. There were no searchlights in the city, which made shooting down enemy bombers more difficult. In April–May 1941, the [[Belfast Blitz]] began when the ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' launched a series of raids that were the most deadly seen outside London. Working-class areas in the north and east of the city were particularly hard hit, and over 1,000 people were killed and hundreds were seriously injured. Tens of thousands of people fled the city in fear of future attacks. In the final raid, ''Luftwaffe'' bombs inflicted extensive damage to the docks and the [[Harland & Wolff]] shipyard, closing it for six months. Half of the city's houses had been destroyed, highlighting the terrible slum conditions in Belfast, and about £20 million worth of damage was caused. The Northern Ireland government was criticised heavily for its lack of preparation, and Northern Ireland Prime Minister [[J. M. Andrews]] resigned. There was a major munitions strike in 1944.<ref>Boyd Black, "A Triumph of Voluntarism? Industrial Relations and Strikes in Northern Ireland in World War Two," ''Labour History Review'' (2005) 70#1 pp 5–25</ref>

The [[Ireland Act 1949]] gave the first legal guarantee that the region would not cease to be part of the United Kingdom without the consent of the [[Parliament of Northern Ireland]]. From 1956 to 1962, the [[Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)|Irish Republican Army]] (IRA) carried out a limited guerrilla campaign in border areas of Northern Ireland, called the [[Border campaign (Irish Republican Army)|Border Campaign]]. It aimed to destabilize Northern Ireland and bring about an end to partition but failed.<ref>English, Richard. ''Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA''. Pan Macmillan, 2008. pp.72–74</ref> In 1965, Northern Ireland's Prime Minister [[Terence O'Neill]] met the Taoiseach, [[Seán Lemass]]. It was the first meeting between the two heads of government since partition.<ref>[https://www.irishtimes.com/news/lemass-o-neill-talks-focused-on-purely-practical-matters-1.120295 "Lemass-O'Neill talks focused on `purely practical matters'"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925161655/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/lemass-o-neill-talks-focused-on-purely-practical-matters-1.120295 |date=25 September 2021 }}. ''The Irish Times'', 2 January 1998.</ref>

===The Troubles===
{{Main|The Troubles}}
[[File:Troubles deaths by perpetrator.png|thumb|upright=2|Responsibility for Troubles-related deaths between 1969 and 2001]]

The Troubles, which started in the late 1960s, consisted of about 30 years of recurring acts of intense violence during which 3,254 people were killed<ref>Malcolm Sutton's book, "Bear in Mind These Dead: An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland 1969–1993.</ref> with over 50,000 casualties.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/topics/troubles_violence |title=BBC – History – The Troubles – Violence |website=BBC |access-date=24 December 2019 |archive-date=5 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605010515/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/topics/troubles_violence |url-status=live}}</ref> From 1969 to 2003 there were over 36,900 shooting incidents and over 16,200 bombings or attempted bombings associated with The Troubles.<ref name="auto2"/> The conflict was caused by escalating tensions between the [[Irish nationalist]] minority and the dominant [[Unionism in Ireland|unionist majority]]; Irish nationalists object to Northern Ireland staying within the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/cameron2.htm#chap16 |title=The Cameron Report – Disturbances in Northern Ireland (1969) |website=cain.ulst.ac.uk |access-date=29 October 2011 |archive-date=1 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601151429/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/cameron2.htm#chap16 |url-status=live}}</ref> From 1967 to 1972 the [[Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association]] (NICRA), which modelled itself on the US civil rights movement, led a campaign of [[civil resistance]] to anti-Catholic discrimination in housing, employment, policing, and electoral procedures. The franchise for local government elections included only rate-payers and their spouses, and so excluded over a quarter of the electorate. While the majority of disenfranchised electors were Protestant, Catholics were over-represented since they were poorer and had more adults still living in the family home.<ref>[http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/whitepapers/gdc/Sectarianism.pdf History of sectarianism in NI] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201224942/http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/whitepapers/gdc/Sectarianism.pdf |date= 1 February 2014 }}, gale.cengage.com; accessed 27 May 2015.</ref>

NICRA's campaign, seen by many unionists as an [[Irish republican]] front, and the violent reaction to it proved to be a precursor to a more violent period.<ref>Richard English, "The Interplay of Non-violent and Violent Action in Northern Ireland, 1967–72", in [[Adam Roberts (scholar)|Adam Roberts]] and [[Timothy Garton Ash]] (eds.), ''Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present'', Oxford University Press, 2009; {{ISBN|978-0-19-955201-6}}, pp. 75–90. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BxOQKrCe7UUC&q=Civil+resistance+and+power+politics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320185749/https://books.google.com/books?id=BxOQKrCe7UUC&dq=Civil+resistance+and+power+politics&source=gbs_navlinks_s|date=20 March 2017}}</ref> As early as 1969, armed campaigns of paramilitary groups began, including the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army campaign|Provisional IRA campaign of 1969–1997]] which was aimed at the end of British rule in Northern Ireland and the creation of a [[United Ireland]], and the [[Ulster Volunteer Force]], formed in 1966 in response to the perceived erosion of both the British character and unionist domination of Northern Ireland. The state security forces – the [[British Army]] and the police (the [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]]) – were also involved in the violence. The UK Government's position is that its forces were neutral in the conflict, trying to uphold law and order in Northern Ireland and the right of the people of Northern Ireland to democratic self-determination. Republicans regarded the state forces as [[combatant]]s in the conflict, pointing to the [[The Troubles#Collusion between security forces and paramilitaries|collusion between the state forces and the loyalist paramilitaries]] as proof of this. The "Ballast" investigation by the [[Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland]] has confirmed that British forces, and in particular the RUC, did collude with loyalist paramilitaries, were involved in murder, and did obstruct the course of justice when such claims had been investigated,<ref name="Ballast">[http://www.policeombudsman.org//Publicationsuploads/BALLAST%20PUBLIC%20STATEMENT%2022-01-07%20FINAL%20VERSION.pdf The Ballast report] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625041216/http://www.policeombudsman.org//Publicationsuploads/BALLAST%20PUBLIC%20STATEMENT%2022-01-07%20FINAL%20VERSION.pdf |date=25 June 2008 }}: "...the Police Ombudsman has concluded that this was collusion by certain police officers with identified UVF informants."</ref> although the extent to which such collusion occurred is still disputed.

As a consequence of the worsening security situation, the autonomous regional government for Northern Ireland was suspended in 1972. Alongside the violence, there was a political deadlock between the major political parties in Northern Ireland, including those who condemned the violence, over the future status of Northern Ireland and the form of government there should be within Northern Ireland. In 1973, [[1973 Northern Ireland border poll|Northern Ireland held a referendum]] to determine if it should remain in the United Kingdom, or be part of a united Ireland. The vote went heavily in favour (98.9%) of maintaining the status quo. Approximately 57.5% of the total electorate voted in support, but only 1% of Catholics voted following a boycott organised by the [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]] (SDLP).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/9/newsid_2516000/2516477.stm |work=BBC News |title=1973: Northern Ireland votes for union |date=9 March 1973 |access-date=20 May 2010 |archive-date=27 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227020253/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/9/newsid_2516000/2516477.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> The deaths of 10 men during the [[1981 Irish hunger strike]] brought worldwide attention to the Republican prisoners being held in prison ([[HM Prison Maze]]) in Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/hstrike/dead.htm |title=Names of Hunger Strikers (1981) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=14 May 2024 |website= |publisher=Cain Web Service |access-date=30 November 2024 |quote= |archive-date=24 July 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240724164957/https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/hstrike/dead.htm |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

===Peace process===
{{Main|Northern Ireland peace process}}
[[File:Foyle Bridge Derry at Dusk Oblique.jpg|thumb|[[Peace Bridge (Foyle)|Derry Peace Bridge]], over the [[River Foyle]]]]

The Troubles were brought to an uneasy end by a peace process that included the declaration of ceasefires by most paramilitary organisations and the complete decommissioning of their weapons, the reform of the police, and the corresponding withdrawal of army troops from the streets and sensitive border areas such as South Armagh and [[Fermanagh]], as agreed by the signatories to the [[Good Friday Agreement]] (also known as the "Belfast Agreement"). This reiterated the long-held British position, which had never before been fully acknowledged by successive Irish governments, that Northern Ireland will remain within the United Kingdom until a majority of voters in Northern Ireland decides otherwise. The [[Constitution of Ireland]] was amended in 1999 to remove a claim of the "Irish nation" to sovereignty over the entire island (in Article 2).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/546146.stm |title=BBC News {{!}} NORTHERN IRELAND {{!}} Republic drops claim to NI |website=BBC News |access-date=23 July 2018 |archive-date=6 April 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030406224757/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/546146.stm |url-status=live}}</ref>

The new [[Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland|Articles 2 and 3]], added to the Constitution to replace the earlier articles, implicitly acknowledge that the status of Northern Ireland, and its relationships within the rest of the United Kingdom and with the Republic of Ireland, would only be changed with the agreement of a majority of voters in each jurisdiction. This aspect was also central to the Belfast Agreement which was signed in 1998 and ratified by referendums held simultaneously in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. At the same time, the UK Government recognised for the first time, as part of the prospective, the so-called "Irish dimension": the principle that the people of the island of Ireland as a whole have the right, without any outside interference, to solve the issues between North and South by mutual consent.<ref name="Parliament">[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199394/cmhansrd/1993-12-15/Debate-1.html Parliamentary debate] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010094440/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199394/cmhansrd/1993-12-15/Debate-1.html |date=10 October 2010 }}: "The British government agree that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts respectively, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given, North and South, to bring about a united Ireland, if that is their wish."</ref> The latter statement was key to winning support for the agreement from nationalists. It established a devolved power-sharing government, the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], located on the [[Stormont Estate]], which must consist of both unionist and nationalist parties. These institutions were suspended by the [[Government of the United Kingdom|UK 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/14561 |title=Securocrat sabotage exposed &#124; An Phoblacht |website=www.anphoblacht.com |access-date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=30 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130201326/https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/14561 |url-status=live}}; {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v3SFzfha7VYC&q=collapse+stormontgate+donaldson&pg=PA306 |title=Bear in Mind These Dead |isbn=978-0571252183 |last1=McKay |first1=Susan |date=2009 |publisher=Faber & Faber |access-date=19 October 2020 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413214647/https://books.google.com/books?id=v3SFzfha7VYC&q=collapse+stormontgate+donaldson&pg=PA306 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Scottish and Northern Ireland Ministers.jpg|thumb|left|[[First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland|First Minister]] [[Ian Paisley]] and deputy First Minister [[Martin McGuinness]], signs the Joint Agreement with [[First Minister of Scotland]], [[Alex Salmond]], May 2008]]

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 under the watch of the [[Independent International Commission on Decommissioning]] (IICD) and two external church witnesses. Many unionists, however, remained sceptical. The IICD later confirmed that the main loyalist paramilitary groups, the [[Ulster Defence Association]], UVF, and the [[Red Hand Commando]], had decommissioned what is thought to be all of their arsenals, witnessed by former archbishop [[Robin Eames]] and a former top civil servant.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8442683.stm "UDA confirm guns decommissioned"]  BBC news; retrieved 29 January 2014</ref>

Politicians elected to the Assembly at the [[2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2003 Assembly election]] were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/ukpga_20060017_en_1 |title=Northern Ireland Act 2006 (c. 17) |publisher=Opsi.gov.uk |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=8 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208064049/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/ukpga_20060017_en_1 |url-status=live}}</ref> to elect a [[First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland]] and choose the members of an Executive (before 25 November 2006) as a preliminary step to the restoration of devolved government.

Following the [[2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election|election on 7 March 2007]], the devolved government returned on 8 May 2007 with [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP) leader [[Ian Paisley]] and Sinn Féin deputy leader [[Martin McGuinness]] taking office as First Minister and deputy First Minister, respectively.<ref>(BBC)</ref> In its [[white paper]] on [[Brexit]] the United Kingdom government reiterated its commitment to the Belfast Agreement. Concerning Northern Ireland's status, it said that the UK Government's "clearly-stated preference is to retain Northern Ireland's current constitutional position: as part of the UK, but with strong links to Ireland".<ref>HM Government ''The United Kingdom's exit from and new partnership with the European Union''; Cm 9417, February 2017</ref>

===Executive crisis 2022–2024===
{{further|2024 Northern Ireland Executive formation}} 
[[File:First Minister Humza Yousaf meets with First Minister of Northern Ireland designate Michelle O'Neill, 2023.jpg|thumb|right|O'Neill, as First Minister–designate, meets with [[First Minister of Scotland]], [[Humza Yousaf]], 2022]] 
On 3 February 2022, [[Paul Givan]] resigned as first minister, which automatically resigned [[Michelle O'Neill]] as deputy first minister and collapsed the executive of Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 February 2022 |title=DUP's Paul Givan resigns as Northern Ireland first minister, as Taoiseach brands it 'very damaging move' |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dups-paul-givan-resigns-as-northern-ireland-first-minister-as-taoiseach-brands-it-very-damaging-move/41307670.html |access-date=30 January 2024 |website=Independent.ie |language=en}}</ref> Following the [[2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2022 Assembly election]], [[Sinn Féin]] won the largest number of seats with 27 seats, becoming the largest political party in the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Northern Ireland: Sinn Fein secures historic election win |url=https://www.dw.com/en/northern-ireland-sinn-fein-secures-historic-election-win/a-61719108 |access-date=9 May 2022 |work=DW |date=7 May 2022 |archive-date=9 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509203938/https://www.dw.com/en/northern-ireland-sinn-fein-secures-historic-election-win/a-61719108 |url-status=live}}</ref> Their unionist counterparts, the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP) came second with 25 seats.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2022/northern-ireland/results |title=Northern Ireland Assembly Election Results 2022 |access-date=9 October 2022 |archive-date=20 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720102719/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2022/northern-ireland/results |url-status=live}}</ref> As a result of being the largest party, this put O'Neill in line to become the First Minister of Northern Ireland and the DUP leader to become the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite news |last=Neville |first=Steve |title=Michelle O'Neill: Her path from Fermoy to Northern Ireland's first minister |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-40867625.html |access-date=9 May 2022 |work=Irish Examiner |date=8 May 2022 |archive-date=9 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509203834/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-40867625.html |url-status=live}}</ref> However, O'Neill did not take up the position until February 2024 because, as part of its opposition to the [[Northern Ireland Protocol]], the DUP refused to nominate a deputy First minister and there was therefore no functioning executive of Northern Ireland.<ref name="O'Neill, Michelle">{{cite news |title=Michelle O'Neill elected first nationalist First Minister in 'new dawn' for Northern Ireland politics |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/02/03/michelle-oneill-elected-first-nationalist-first-minister-in-new-dawn-for-northern-ireland-politics/ |access-date=2024-02-04 |newspaper=The Irish Times |archive-date=3 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203215722/https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/02/03/michelle-oneill-elected-first-nationalist-first-minister-in-new-dawn-for-northern-ireland-politics/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 30 January 2024, leader of the DUP [[Jeffrey Donaldson]] announced that the DUP would restore an executive government on the condition that new legislation was passed by the UK House of Commons.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 January 2024 |title=DUP executive endorses deal to restore devolution at Stormont |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-68136950 |access-date=30 January 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> This paved the way for O'Neill, as nationalist leader to be sworn in as [[First Minister of Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{cite news |date=2024-01-30 |title=NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris says 'all conditions in place' for return to power-sharing at Stormont after DUP deal |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/all-conditions-in-place-for-return-to-power-sharing-secretary-of-state-says-reaction/a1032325299.html |access-date=2024-01-30 |work=Belfast Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130141036/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/all-conditions-in-place-for-return-to-power-sharing-secretary-of-state-says-reaction/a1032325299.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2024-01-31 |title=Northern Ireland: A new dawn ushered in by a republican first minister |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-68146217 |access-date=2024-01-31 |publisher=BBC News |language=en-GB |archive-date=31 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131204921/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-68146217 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Northern Ireland has sworn in its first Irish Nationalist leader, Michelle O'Neill {{!}} ABC News |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SK2m9b94is |access-date=2024-02-05 |archive-date=5 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205124637/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SK2m9b94is |url-status=live}}</ref> O'Neill assumed office on 3 February 2024, becoming the first ever Irish nationalist, republican or Catholic to hold that position. In her [[Stormont Estate|Stormont]] acceptance speech, she again broke with republican tradition, by using the term, Northern Ireland. She pledged in her speech to represent all and to show respect to the [[British royal family|royal family]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name="O'Neill, Michelle" /><ref>{{cite news |title=As it happened: Michelle O'Neill becomes First Minister of NI |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0203/1430248-stormont-live-tracker/ |access-date=4 February 2024 |publisher=RTÉ News |archive-date=3 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203192907/https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0203/1430248-stormont-live-tracker/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Ireland's new first minister Michelle O'Neill 'contests' claim Irish unity is 'decades' away |url=https://news.sky.com/story/northern-irelands-new-first-minister-michelle-oneill-contests-claim-irish-unity-is-decades-away-13063691 |access-date=2024-02-04 |publisher=Sky News |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204054549/https://news.sky.com/story/northern-irelands-new-first-minister-michelle-oneill-contests-claim-irish-unity-is-decades-away-13063691 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 5 February, O'Neill held meetings with [[Rishi Sunak]], [[Chris Heaton-Harris]], [[Leo Varadkar]] and ministers of the [[Northern Ireland Executive]]. High on the agenda is the request for additional financial support for the Northern Ireland government in excess of the £3.3 billion package already pledged from the [[HM Treasury]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2024-02-05 |title=PM and Taoiseach make flying visits to Belfast |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68200655 |access-date=2024-02-05 |publisher=BBC News |language=en-GB |archive-date=5 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205181520/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68200655 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/hamas-a-partner-of-peace-northern-ireland-pm-stuns-u-s-led-west-watch-101707555981097.html |title='Hamas A Partner Of Peace': Northern Ireland PM Stuns U.S.-Led West {{!}} Watch|date=10 February 2024 |publisher=Hindustan times|access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>

In November 2024, O'Neill became the first senior Sinn Féin figure to take part in an official [[Remembrance Sunday]] ceremony, laying a laurel wreath at the [[Belfast Cenotaph]] at [[Belfast City Hall|City Hall]].<ref>{{cite web |title=O'Neill attends Remembrance Sunday event for first time |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qdl95l0n1o |publisher=BBC News |access-date=21 November 2024 |date=10 November 2024}}</ref> A banner was subsequently hung outside her office brandishing O'Neill a "traitor"; police investigated the incident as "hate-motivated".<ref>{{cite web |title='Traitors' banner put up at Michelle O'Neill's office |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjr40ypzyl7o |publisher=BBC News |access-date=21 November 2024 |date=11 November 2024}}</ref>

==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Northern Ireland}}

===Background===
[[File:Political Parties of Northern Ireland.png|thumb|upright=2|center|A flowchart illustrating all the political parties that have existed throughout the history of Northern Ireland and leading up to its formation (covering 1889 to 2020)]]The main political divide in Northern Ireland is between unionists, who wish to see Northern Ireland continue as part of the United Kingdom, and nationalists, who wish to see Northern Ireland unified with the Republic of Ireland, independent from the United Kingdom. These two opposing views are linked to deeper cultural divisions. Unionists are predominantly [[Ulster Protestant]], descendants of mainly [[Scottish people|Scottish]], English, and [[Huguenot]] settlers as well as [[Gaels]] who converted to one of the Protestant denominations. Nationalists are overwhelmingly Catholic and descend from the population predating the settlement, with a minority from the [[Scottish Highlands]] as well as some converts from Protestantism. Discrimination against nationalists under the [[Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)|Stormont]] government (1921–1972) gave rise to the [[Northern Ireland civil rights movement|civil rights movement]] in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/discrimination/whyte.htm |title=Professor John H. Whyte paper on discrimination in Northern Ireland |publisher=Cain.ulst.ac.uk |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=14 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514131114/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/discrimination/whyte.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

While some unionists argue that discrimination was not just due to religious or political bigotry, but also the result of more complex socio-economic, socio-political and geographical factors,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/discrimination/sum.htm |title=CAIN website key issues discrimination summary |publisher=Cain.ulst.ac.uk |date=5 October 1968 |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=29 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729075842/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/discrimination/sum.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> its existence, and the manner in which nationalist anger at it was handled, were a major contributing factor to the Troubles. The political unrest went through its most violent phase between 1968 and 1994.<ref>Lord Scarman, "Violence and Civil Disturbances in Northern Ireland in 1969: Report of Tribunal of Inquiry" Belfast: HMSO, Cmd&nbsp;566 (known as the ''Scarman Report'').</ref>

In 2007, 36% of the population defined themselves as unionist, 24% as nationalist, and 40% defined themselves as neither.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2007/Political_Attitudes/UNINATID.html |title=Ark survey, 2007. Answer to the question "Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a unionist, a nationalist or neither?" |website=Ark.ac.uk |date=17 May 2007 |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=10 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610044337/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2007/Political_Attitudes/UNINATID.html |url-status=live}}</ref> According to a 2015 opinion poll, 70% express a long-term preference of the maintenance of Northern Ireland's membership of the United Kingdom (either [[Direct rule over Northern Ireland|directly ruled]] or with [[Devolution|devolved government]]), while 14% express a preference for membership of a united Ireland.<ref name="NILT2015">[http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2015/Political_Attitudes/NIRELND2.html Answers to the question "Do you think the long-term policy for Northern Ireland should be for it (one of the following)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703003751/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2015/Political_Attitudes/NIRELND2.html |date=3 July 2016 }}"</ref> This discrepancy can be explained by the overwhelming preference among Protestants to remain a part of the UK (93%), while Catholic preferences are spread across several solutions to the constitutional question including remaining a part of the UK (47%), a united Ireland (32%), Northern Ireland becoming an independent state (4%), and those who "don't know" (16%).<ref name="NILT2015" />

Official voting figures, which reflect views on the "national question" along with issues of the candidate, geography, personal loyalty, and historic voting patterns, show 54% of Northern Ireland voters vote for unionist parties, 42% vote for 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 is at least nominally Christian, mostly Roman Catholic and Protestant denominations. Many voters (regardless of religious affiliation) are attracted to unionism's [[National conservatism|conservative]] policies, while other voters are instead attracted to the traditionally leftist Sinn Féin and SDLP and their respective party platforms for [[democratic socialism]] and [[social democracy]].<ref name="autogenerated2009">{{cite web |url=http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2009/Political_Attitudes/NIRELND2.html |title=NI Life and Times Survey – 2009: NIRELND2 |website=Ark.ac.uk |year=2009 |access-date=13 July 2010 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010085431/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2009/Political_Attitudes/NIRELND2.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

For the most part, Protestants feel a strong connection with Great Britain and wish for Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. Many Catholics however, generally aspire to a United Ireland or are less certain about how to solve the constitutional question. Catholics have a slight majority in Northern Ireland, according to the latest Northern Ireland census. The make-up of the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] reflects the appeals of the various parties within the population. Of the 90&nbsp;[[Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)|Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)]], 37 are unionists and 35 are nationalists (the remaining 18 are classified as "other").<ref name="results maps charts">{{Cite news |date=8 May 2022 |title=NI election results 2022: The assembly poll in maps and charts |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-61363246 |access-date=9 May 2022 |archive-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508172246/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-61363246 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The 1998 [[Good Friday Agreement]] acts as a ''de facto'' [[constitution]] for Northern Ireland. [[Local government in Northern Ireland]] since 2015 has been divided between 11 councils with limited responsibilities.<ref name="Devenport">{{Cite news |last=Devenport |first=Mark |date=18 November 2005 |title=NI local government set for shake-up |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4449092.stm |access-date=15 November 2008}}</ref> The [[First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland]] are the joint heads of government of Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Stormont: Why were NI leaders given unequal job titles? |work=BBC News |date=15 May 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61393736 | access-date=2 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240202190001/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-61393736 |archive-date=2 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Northern Ireland Executive: Ministerial Code |date=28 September 2015 |url=https://www.northernireland.gov.uk/topics/your-executive/ministerial-code | access-date=2 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240202191115/https://www.northernireland.gov.uk/topics/your-executive/ministerial-code |archive-date=2 February 2024}}</ref>

===Governance===
{{Main|Elections in Northern Ireland|Law of Northern Ireland}}{{More citations needed|date=December 2025}}[[File:Parliament Buildings, Stormont Estate.png|thumb|[[Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)|Parliament Buildings]] at [[Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)|Stormont]], [[Belfast]], seat of the assembly]] [[File:O’Neill and Little-Pengelly, March 2024.jpg|thumb|right|[[Michelle O'Neill]] (left) and [[Emma Little-Pengelly]] (right), the incumbent [[First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland]] respectively (since 2024)]]
Since 1998, Northern Ireland has had [[devolution|devolved]] government within the United Kingdom, presided over by the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] and a cross-community government (the [[Northern Ireland Executive]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devolution |url=https://education.niassembly.gov.uk/post-16/snapshots-devolution/belfastgood-friday-agreement/devolution |access-date=23 December 2025 |website=[[Northern Ireland Assembly]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite report |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8439/CBP-8439.pdf |title=Devolution in Northern Ireland |last=Torrance |first=David |author-link=David Torrance (journalist) |date=28 July 2025 |publisher=[[House of Commons Library]] |pages=5, 8-9, 12-15, 22, 25, 29-30 |id=CBP-8439 |access-date=23 December 2025}}</ref> The UK Government and UK Parliament are responsible for [[reserved and excepted matters]]. Reserved matters comprise listed policy areas (such as [[civil aviation]], [[units of measurement]], and [[human genetics]]) that Parliament may devolve to the Assembly some time in the future. Excepted matters (such as [[international relations]], taxation and elections) are never expected to be considered for devolution. On all other governmental matters, the Executive together with the 90-member Assembly may legislate for and govern Northern Ireland. Devolution in Northern Ireland is dependent upon participation by members of the Northern Ireland executive in the [[North/South Ministerial Council]], which coordinates areas of cooperation (such as agriculture, education, and health) between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Additionally, "in recognition of the Irish Government's special interest in Northern Ireland", the [[Government of Ireland]] and [[Government of the United Kingdom]] co-operate closely on non-devolved matters through the [[British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference]].

Elections to the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] are by [[single transferable vote]] with five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) elected from each of 18 [[List of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland|parliamentary constituencies]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 April 2022 |title=NI election 2022: An essential guide to voting and the assembly |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-60862273 |access-date=23 December 2025 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> In addition, eighteen representatives (Members of Parliament, MPs) are elected to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|lower house of the UK parliament]] from the same constituencies using the [[First-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] system.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Robinson |first=Mark |date=2 July 2024 |title=How do I vote in the Westminster Election? First Past the Post voting system explained |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/how-do-i-vote-in-the-westminster-election-first-past-the-post-voting-system-explained-SMVDURZ6V5FFJPKTWADYUQC6VA/ |access-date=23 December 2025 |work=[[The Irish News]]}}</ref> However, not all of those elected take their seats. Sinn Féin MPs, currently seven,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Preston |first=Allan |date=29 November 2024 |title=How Northern Ireland’s MPs voted as Assisted Dying Bill passes |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/how-northern-irelands-eight-mps-voted-as-assisted-dying-bill-passes-75YNLJBICRABNOVHWTCVY74YWE/ |access-date=23 December 2025 |work=[[The Irish News]]}}</ref> refuse to take the oath to serve the King that is required before MPs are allowed to take their seats.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murray |first=Sean |date=18 July 2018 |title=The row over Sinn Féin's abstentionism (and why its MPs won't be taking their seats anytime soon) |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/sinn-fein-abstentionism-explainer-4132042-Jul2018/ |access-date=23 December 2025 |work=[[TheJournal.ie|The Journal]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Crozier |first=Raymona |date=9 July 2024 |title=Allister won't rule out taking Reform UK party whip |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2j30xy8preo |access-date=23 December 2025 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> In addition, the upper house of the UK parliament, the [[House of Lords]], currently has some 25 appointed [[List of Northern Ireland members of the House of Lords|members from Northern Ireland]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}

The [[Northern Ireland Office]] represents the UK Government in Northern Ireland on reserved matters and represents Northern Ireland's interests within the UK Government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About us - Northern Ireland Office |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/northern-ireland-office/about |access-date=23 December 2025 |website=[[gov.uk]]}}</ref> Additionally, the Republic's government also has the right to "put forward views and proposals" on non-devolved matters about Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 November 1985 |others=Signed by [[Margaret Thatcher]] and [[Garret FitzGerald|Gearoid MacGearailt]]. |title=Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Ireland |url=https://treaties.fcdo.gov.uk/data/Library2/pdf/1985-TS0062.pdf |access-date=23 December 2025 |series=Treaty Series No. 62 (1985) |page=3 |publication-place=Hillsborough |isbn=0-10-196900-7 |quote=The United Kingdom Government accept that the Irish Government will put forward views and proposals on matters relating to Northern Ireland within the field of activity of the Conference in so far as those matters are not the responsibility of a devolved administration in Northern Ireland.}}</ref> The Northern Ireland Office is led by the [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]], who sits in the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Secretary of State for Northern Ireland |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/secretary-of-state-for-northern-ireland |access-date=23 December 2025 |website=[[gov.uk]]}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

<!-- Commented out: [[File:StormontChamber.JPG|thumb|right|[[Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)|Assembly Chamber]] at [[Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)|Stormont]].]] -->
Northern Ireland is a distinct legal [[jurisdiction]], separate from the two other jurisdictions in the United Kingdom ([[English law|England and Wales]], and [[Scots law|Scotland]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The justice system and the constitution |url=https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/our-justice-system/jud-acc-ind/justice-sys-and-constitution/ |access-date=23 December 2025 |website=[[HM Courts and Tribunals Service|Courts and Tribunals Judiciary]] |quote=The United Kingdom has three separate legal systems; one each for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.}}</ref> Northern Ireland law developed from Irish law that existed before the [[partition of Ireland]] in 1921. Northern Ireland is a [[common law]] jurisdiction and its common law is similar to that in England and Wales. However, there are important differences in law and procedure between Northern Ireland and England and Wales.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://ico.org.uk/media2/amolderu/ic-353506-d8z6-information-disclosure.pdf |title=Legal Concept Paper: UK Legal Jurisdictions |date=1 September 2023 |publisher=[[Information Commissioner's Office]] |pages=27 |chapter=4. Northern Irish Law |access-date=23 December 2025}}</ref> The body of [[Statutory law|statute law]] affecting Northern Ireland reflects the history of Northern Ireland, including Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], the former [[Parliament of Northern Ireland]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 June 2025 |title=How to find Northern Ireland Law |url=https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us/law-society-library/research-guides/how-to-find-northern-ireland-law |access-date=23 December 2025 |website=[[Law Society of England and Wales|The Law Society]]}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> and the [[Parliament of Ireland]],<ref>{{Cite legislation Northern Ireland|type=aip|year_url=40|chapter=38|title=Act of Union (Ireland) 1800|year=1800|number=|legislature=ip|regnal=Regnal. 40 Geo. 3|regnal_url=Geo3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite legislation Northern Ireland|type=ukpga|chapter=52|title=Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1971|year=1971|number=52}}</ref> along with some Acts of the [[Parliament of England]] and of the [[Parliament of Great Britain]] that were extended to Ireland under [[Poynings' Law (confirmation of English statutes)|Poynings' Law]] between 1494 and 1782.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poynings' law |url=https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/legislativescrutiny/parliamentandireland/overview/poynings-law/ |access-date=23 December 2025 |website=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]]}}</ref>

===Descriptions===
[[File:Downhill Northern Ireland.jpg|thumb|Northern Ireland coast]]
There is no generally accepted term to describe what Northern Ireland is. It has been described as a country, province, region, and other terms officially, by the press, and in common speech. The choice of term can be controversial and can reveal one's political preferences.<ref name="interpretingNI"/> This has been noted as a problem by several writers on Northern Ireland, with no generally recommended solution.<ref name="alphabeticalNI"/><ref name="interpretingNI"/><ref name="placeApart"/>

[[ISO 3166-2:GB]] defines Northern Ireland as a province.<ref name="ISO"/> The UK's submission to the 2007 [[United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names]] defines the UK as being made up of two countries (England and Scotland), one [[principality]] (Wales) and one province (Northern Ireland).<ref>{{citation |author=United Kingdom |title=Report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |year=2007 |work=Report by Governments on the Situation in their Countries on the Progress Made in the Standardization of Geographical Names Since the Eight Conferences |publisher=United Nations |location=New York |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/9th-UNCSGN-Docs/E-CONF-98-48-Add1.pdf |access-date=29 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327044249/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/9th-UNCSGN-Docs/E-CONF-98-48-Add1.pdf |archive-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> However, this term can be controversial, particularly for nationalists for whom the title province is properly reserved for the traditional province of Ulster, of which Northern Ireland comprises six out of nine counties.<ref name="Guardian style guide">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-n |title=The Guardian and Observer style guide |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=17 March 2021 |website=The Guardian |publisher= |access-date=15 April 2024 |quote=Northern Ireland: Can be referred to as a country or region, but avoid referring to it as a province or as Ulster.}}</ref><ref name="interpretingNI"/><ref name="dictPolSci"/> Some authors have described the meaning of this term as being equivocal: referring to Northern Ireland as being a province both of the United Kingdom and the traditional country of Ireland.<ref name="unionistPolitics"/>

The UK [[Office for National Statistics]] and the website of the Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom describe the United Kingdom as being made up of four countries, one of these being Northern Ireland.<ref name="ONS Geography Guide" /><ref name=Number10CountriesWithinACountry/> Some newspaper style guides also consider country as an acceptable term for Northern Ireland.<ref name="Guardian style guide"/> However, some authors reject the term.<ref name="dictPolSci">{{Citation |title=Global Encyclopedia of Political Geography |year=2009}}</ref><ref name="alphabeticalNI"/><ref name="placeApart"/><ref name="unionistPolitics">{{Citation |first=F. |last=Cochrane |title=Unionist Politics and the Politics of Unionism Since the Anglo-Irish Agreement |year=2001 |publisher=Cork University Press |place=Cork}}</ref>

"Region" has also been used by UK government agencies<ref>{{Citation |author=David Varney December |title=Review of Tax Policy in Northern Ireland |year=2007 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |place=London}}</ref> and newspapers.<ref name="Guardian style guide" /> Some authors choose this word but note that it is "unsatisfactory".<ref name="interpretingNI"/><ref name="placeApart"/> Northern Ireland can also be simply described as "part of the UK", including by the UK government offices.<ref name=Number10CountriesWithinACountry>{{cite web |url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page823 |title=countries within a country |year=2003 |publisher=The official site of the Prime Minister's Office |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080909013512/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page823 |archive-date=9 September 2008}}</ref>

===Alternative names===
{{Main|Alternative names for Northern Ireland}}

[[File:JAFFE FOUNTAIN OUTSIDE VICTORIA SQUARE SHOPPING CENTRE -A FAVOURITE OF MINE- REF-104998 (17841282323).jpg|thumb|[[Victoria Square Shopping Centre]] in Belfast]]
Many people inside and outside Northern Ireland use other names for Northern Ireland, depending on their point of view. 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 notable example is whether Northern Ireland's second-largest city should be called [[Derry-Londonderry name dispute|"Derry" or "Londonderry"]].

Choice of language and [[nomenclature]] in Northern Ireland often reveals the cultural, ethnic, and religious identity of the speaker. 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".<ref>{{cite news |last=Peterkin |first=Tom |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509280/IRA-fuel-smuggling-drove-oil-giants-to-abandon-Ulster.html |title=Example of Daily Telegraph use of "Ulster" in text of an article, having used "Northern Ireland" in the opening paragraph |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK |date=31 January 2006 |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=1 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501041920/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509280/IRA-fuel-smuggling-drove-oil-giants-to-abandon-Ulster.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Many media outlets in the Republic use "North of Ireland" (or simply "the North"),<ref name=Abortion-in-the-North-of-Ireland/><ref name=Calls-for-More-Supports-in_Norths-Schools/><ref name=RTE-does-not-stop-people-in-the-North/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30741054.html |title='Abortion drone' delivers pills to the North from Ireland |work=[[Irish Examiner]] |date=21 June 2016 |access-date=21 June 2016 |archive-date=13 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913225532/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30741054.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Ryan |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/varadkar-considers-travel-ban-but-wont-stop-northsouth-travel-39048435.html |title=Varadkar considers travel ban but won't stop North/South travel |work=Irish Independent |date=21 June 2016 |access-date=21 June 2016 |archive-date=17 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317171705/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/varadkar-considers-travel-ban-but-wont-stop-northsouth-travel-39048435.html |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as the "Six Counties".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.todayfm.com/uncategorized/gaa-confirm-500-allow-allianz-league-matches-six-counties-1200507 |title=GAA confirm 500 allowed into Allianz League matches in six counties |publisher=[[Today FM]] |first=Stephen |last=Doyle |date=25 May 2021 |access-date=4 June 2021 |archive-date=4 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604004353/https://www.todayfm.com/uncategorized/gaa-confirm-500-allow-allianz-league-matches-six-counties-1200507 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' has also used "the North".<ref>{{cite news |first1=Andrew |last1=Testa |first2=Megan |last2=Specia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/world/europe/northern-ireland-brexit-border.html |title=Example of New York Times use of "the North" in text of an article (fifth paragraph), having used "Northern Ireland" earlier |work=The New York Times |date=15 October 2018 |access-date=15 October 2018 |archive-date=15 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015181509/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/world/europe/northern-ireland-brexit-border.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Government and cultural organisations in Northern Ireland often use the word "Ulster" in their title; for example, the [[University of Ulster]], the [[Ulster Museum]], the [[Ulster Orchestra]], and [[BBC Radio Ulster]].

Although some news bulletins since the 1990s have opted to avoid all contentious terms and use the official name, Northern Ireland, the term "the North" remains commonly used by broadcast media in the Republic.<ref name=Abortion-in-the-North-of-Ireland>{{cite news |url=https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-moncrieff/abortion-north-ireland |title=Abortion in the North of Ireland: Grainne Teggart campaigns manager for Amnesty International NI joins Sean to discuss the problems around abortion in the North of Ireland |publisher=[[Newstalk]] |date=3 June 2020 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-date=28 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828040106/https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-moncrieff/abortion-north-ireland |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Calls-for-More-Supports-in_Norths-Schools>{{cite news |url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/09/10/calls-for-more-supports-in-norths-schools-after-covid-cases/ |title=Calls for more supports in North's schools after Covid cases |publisher=Highland Radio |date=10 September 2020 |access-date=10 September 2020 |archive-date=13 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913230345/https://www.highlandradio.com/2020/09/10/calls-for-more-supports-in-norths-schools-after-covid-cases/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=RTE-does-not-stop-people-in-the-North>{{cite news |first=John |last=Monaghan |url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2018/07/14/news/rte-head-of-sport-says-broadcaster-does-not-stop-people-in-the-north-watching-gaelic-games-1382277/ |title=RTÉ head of sport says broadcaster does not stop people in the north watching gaelic games |work=The Irish News |date=14 July 2018 |access-date=14 July 2018 |quote=RTÉ is a '32-county broadcaster' and 'do not stop people in the north watching gaelic games', its new head of sport has said... Last weekend RTÉ said it dealt with 'dozens' of complaints from frustrated GAA fans across the north who were left unable to watch a live broadcast of the All-Ireland qualifier between Armagh and Roscommon. |archive-date=13 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913233641/http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2018/07/14/news/rte-head-of-sport-says-broadcaster-does-not-stop-people-in-the-north-watching-gaelic-games-1382277/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Unionist====
* '''Ulster''', strictly speaking, refers to the province of [[Ulster]], of which six of nine historical counties are in Northern Ireland. The term "Ulster" is widely used by unionists and the British press as shorthand for Northern Ireland, and is also favoured by [[Ulster nationalism|Ulster nationalists]].{{efn|Examples of usage of this term include [[Radio Ulster]], [[Ulster Orchestra]] and [[Royal Ulster Constabulary|RUC]]; political parties such as the [[Ulster Unionist Party]]'; paramilitary organisations including the [[Ulster Defence Association]] and [[Ulster Volunteer Force]]; and political campaigns such as "[[Ulster Says No]]" and "[[Save Ulster from Sodomy]]".}} In the past, calls have been made for Northern Ireland's name to be changed to Ulster. This proposal was formally considered by the Government of Northern Ireland in 1937 and by the UK Government in 1949 but no change was made.<ref>Parliamentary Reports of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, Volume 20 (1937) and ''The Times'', 6 January 1949; C.M. 1(49) – UK Cabinet meeting held on 12 January 1949. C.M. 1(49). – See also [[Alternative names for Northern Ireland]]</ref>
* '''The Province''' refers to the historic Irish province of Ulster but today is used by some as shorthand for Northern Ireland. The [[BBC]], in its editorial guidance for ''Reporting the United Kingdom'', states that "the Province" is an appropriate secondary synonym for Northern Ireland, while "Ulster" is not. It also suggests that "people of Northern Ireland" is preferred to "British" or "Irish", and the term "mainland" should be avoided in reporting about Great Britain and Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Editorial Policy, Guidance Note |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/page/guidance-uk-full#style-and-language |access-date=20 April 2012 |date=n.d. |archive-date=3 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303233555/http://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/page/guidance-uk-full#style-and-language |url-status=dead}} "The term "province" is often used synonymously with Northern Ireland and it is normally appropriate to make secondary references to "the province"."</ref>

====Nationalist====
* '''North of Ireland''' – used to avoid using the name given by the British-enacted Government of Ireland Act 1920.
* '''The Six Counties''' ({{lang|ga|na Sé Chontae}}) – the Republic of Ireland is similarly described as the Twenty-Six Counties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sinnfein.ie/history |title=Sinn Féin usage of "Six Counties" |publisher=[[Sinn Féin]] |date=14 August 1969 |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614042448/http://www.sinnfein.ie/history |url-status=live}}</ref> 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''' – used by some republicans.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Io085Nl0CJQC&pg=PA166 |title=The Long War: The IRA and Sinn Féin |author=Brendan O'Brien |publisher=Syracuse University Press |page=167 |date=1999 |isbn=978-0-815-60597-3 |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806232810/https://books.google.com/books?id=Io085Nl0CJQC&pg=PA166 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Republic, whose legitimacy is similarly not recognised by republicans opposed to the Belfast Agreement, is described as the "Free State", referring to the [[Irish Free State]], which gained independence (as a [[Dominion]]) in 1922.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/FAQs.htm |title=FAQs – The Irish Freedom Committee™ |publisher=Irish Freedom Committee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051222180049/http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/FAQs.htm |date=6 May 2007 |archive-date=22 December 2005 |access-date=16 June 2010}}</ref>
* '''British-Occupied Ireland''' – Similar in tone to the Occupied Six Counties,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PcdvAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA114 |title=Inside the IRA: Dissident Republicans and the War for Legitimacy |author=Andrew Sanders |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |page=114 |date=2011 |isbn=978-0-748-68812-8 |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806214948/https://books.google.com/books?id=PcdvAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA114 |url-status=live}}</ref> this term is used by more dogmatic republicans, such as [[Republican Sinn Féin]],<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ukzbp2i3TvgC&pg=PA163 |title=Ruairí Ó Brádaigh: The Life and Politics of an Irish Revolutionary |author=Robert William White |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |page=163 |date=2006 |isbn=978-0-253-34708-4 |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806204507/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ukzbp2i3TvgC&pg=PA163 |url-status=live}}</ref> who still hold that the [[Second Dáil]] was the last legitimate government of Ireland and that all governments since have been foreign-imposed usurpations of Irish national self-determination.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ekm2dmSDF_cC&pg=PA174 |title=Terrorism Studies: A Reader |author=John Horgan |publisher=Routledge |page=174 |date=2011 |isbn=978-0-415-45504-6 |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806225033/https://books.google.com/books?id=ekm2dmSDF_cC&pg=PA174 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Other====
* '''Norn Iron''' or "Norniron" – is an informal and affectionate<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/how-much-do-you-know-about-norn-iron How much do you know about 'Norn Iron'?] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101002648/https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/how-much-do-you-know-about-norn-iron |date=1 November 2015 }},
 British Embassy Ashgabat</ref> local nickname used to refer to Northern Ireland, derived from the pronunciation of the words "Northern Ireland" in an exaggerated Belfast accent. The phrase is seen as a lighthearted way to refer to Northern Ireland, based as it is on regional pronunciation. It often refers to the [[Northern Ireland national football team]].<ref>{{cite news |title=World Cup qualifiers: 10 talking points from the weekend's action |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/09/world-cup-qualifiers-talking-points |date=9 September 2013 |access-date=9 September 2013 |first1=Daniel |last1=Taylor |first2=Ewan |last2=Murray |first3=David |last3=Hytner |first4=Simon |last4=Burnton |first5=Barry |last5=Glendenning |work=The Guardian |location=UK |archive-date=10 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910074603/http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/09/world-cup-qualifiers-talking-points |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Geography and climate==
{{See also|Geography of Ireland|Geography of the United Kingdom}}
[[File:Causeway-code poet-4.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Giant's Causeway]], [[County Antrim]]]]
The volcanic activity which created the Antrim Plateau also formed the 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]]. Northern Ireland was covered by an [[ice sheet]] for most of the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]] and on numerous previous occasions, the legacy of which can be seen in the extensive coverage of [[drumlin]]s in Counties Fermanagh, Armagh, Antrim and particularly Down. The centrepiece of Northern Ireland's geography is [[Lough Neagh]], at {{convert|151|sqmi|km2|0}} 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 Island|Rathlin]], off the north Antrim coast. [[Strangford Lough]] is the largest inlet in the British Isles, covering {{cvt|150|km2|sqmi|0}}.

There are substantial uplands in the [[Sperrin Mountains]] (an extension of the [[Caledonian orogeny|Caledonian mountain belt]]) with extensive gold deposits, the [[granite]] [[Mourne Mountains]] and the [[basalt]] [[Antrim Plateau]], as well as smaller ranges in [[County Armagh|South Armagh]] and along the Fermanagh–Tyrone border. None of the hills are especially high, with [[Slieve Donard]] in the dramatic Mournes reaching {{convert|850|m|ft|0}}, Northern Ireland's highest point. Belfast's most prominent peak is [[Cavehill]]. The Lower and Upper [[River Bann]], [[River Foyle]] and [[River Blackwater (Northern Ireland)|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]].

===Climate===
[[File:Northern Ireland Köppen.png|right|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen-Geiger climate classification]] map of Northern Ireland]]
The vast majority of Northern Ireland has a [[maritime climate|temperate maritime climate]], (''Cfb'' in the [[Köppen climate classification]]) rather wetter in the west than the east, although cloud cover is very common 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 {{convert|6.5|°C|°F}} in January and {{convert|17.5|°C|°F}} in July. The highest maximum temperature recorded was {{convert|31.4|°C|°F}}, registered in July 2021 at [[Armagh Observatory]]'s weather station.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-57932848 |title=NI temperature record broken for third time in a week |work=BBC News |date=22 July 2021 |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=22 July 2021 |archive-date=22 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722160920/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-57932848 |url-status=live}}</ref> The lowest minimum temperature recorded was {{convert|-18.7|°C|°F|1}} at [[Castlederg]], [[County Tyrone]] on 23 December 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=MetO2010-12: December 2010 |publisher=[[Met Office]] |date=January 2011 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2010/december.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405132857/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2010/december.html |archive-date=5 April 2011}}</ref>

===Flora and fauna===

Until the end of the [[Middle Ages]], the land was heavily forested. Native species include [[deciduous]] trees such as [[oak]], [[Fraxinus excelsior|ash]], [[Corylus avellana|hazel]], [[birch]], [[Alnus glutinosa|alder]], [[willow]], [[Populus tremula|aspen]], [[Wych elm|elm]], [[Sorbus aucuparia|rowan]] and [[Crataegus monogyna|hawthorn]], as well as [[evergreen]] trees such [[Scots pine]], [[Taxus baccata|yew]] and [[Ilex aquifolium|holly]].<ref>[https://www.treecouncil.ie/native-irish-trees Native Species] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409023345/https://www.treecouncil.ie/native-irish-trees |date=9 April 2022 }}. [[Tree Council of Ireland]].</ref> Today, only 8% of Northern Ireland is woodland, and most of this is non-native [[conifer]] [[plantation]]s.<ref>[https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/documents/5189/WAPR2018_sUui5YW.pdf "Woodland Area, Planting and Publicly Funded Restocking – 2018 Edition"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053721/https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/documents/5189/WAPR2018_sUui5YW.pdf |date=30 January 2019 }}. [[Forestry Commission]].</ref>

As of the 21st century, Northern Ireland is the least forested part of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and one of the least forested countries in Europe.<ref>[https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/mediafile/100821804/10664-ni-welcome-leaflet-update-final-dec-2017.pdf Welcome to the Woodland Trust in Northern Ireland] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053159/https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/mediafile/100821804/10664-ni-welcome-leaflet-update-final-dec-2017.pdf |date=30 January 2019 }}. [[Woodland Trust]], December 2017.; [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14381277 "Trust's fears for Northern Ireland tree cover"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201180746/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14381277 |date=1 February 2019 }}. [[BBC News]], 2 August 2011.</ref>

The only native reptile in Northern Ireland is the [[viviparous lizard]], or common lizard, which is widely distributed, particularly in heaths, bogs and sand dunes. The [[common frog]] is a very widespread species.&nbsp;Some lakes support internationally important bird populations, [[Lough Neagh]] and [[Lough Beg]] hold up to 80,000 wintering waterfowl of some 20 species, including [[duck]]s, [[geese]], [[swan]]s and [[gull]]s. The [[Eurasian otter|otter]] is the fourth largest land mammal in Northern Ireland. It can be found along the river systems, although it is seldom seen and will avoid contact with humans.<ref name="Trust">{{Cite web |title=Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) |url=https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/species-northern-ireland |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs |date=21 August 2015 |archive-date=23 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723105103/https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/species-northern-ireland |url-status=live }}</ref> 356 species of marine [[algae]] have been recorded in the northeast of Ireland; 77 species are considered rare.<ref>Morton, O. 1994. ''Marine Algae of Northern Ireland''. Ulster Museum. {{ISBN|0-900761-28-8}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Northern Ireland|People of Northern Ireland}}

===Counties===
{{Main|Counties of Northern Ireland}}

[[File:Northern Ireland - Counties.png|thumb|The six counties of Northern Ireland]]
Northern Ireland consists of six historic [[Counties of Ireland|counties]]: [[County Antrim]], [[County Armagh]], [[County Down]], [[County Fermanagh]], [[County Londonderry]],{{efn|Many Nationalists use the name ''County Derry''.{{Self-reference|Wikipedia policy is to use Londonderry for the county and Derry for the city. The name usage does not indicate an endorsement for either community's opinions.}}}} and [[County Tyrone]].

These counties are no longer used for local government purposes; instead, there are eleven [[districts of Northern Ireland]] which have different geographical extents. These were created in 2015, replacing the twenty-six districts which previously existed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/new-super-councils-begin-work-in-northern-ireland-1.2160407 |title=New 'super councils' begin work in Northern Ireland |date=1 April 2015 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=27 May 2015 |archive-date=26 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626145839/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/new-super-councils-begin-work-in-northern-ireland-1.2160407 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Although counties are no longer used for local governmental purposes, they remain a popular means of describing where places are. They are officially used while applying for an [[Irish passport]], which requires one to state one's county of birth. The name of that county then appears in both Irish and English on the passport's information page, as opposed to the town or city of birth on the United Kingdom passport. The [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] still uses the counties as its primary means of organisation and fields representative teams of each [[GAA county]]. The original system of [[License plates of Northern Ireland|car registration numbers]] largely based on counties remains in use. In 2000, the [[Big Number Change#Northern Ireland|telephone numbering system]] was restructured into an 8-digit scheme with (except for Belfast) the first digit approximately reflecting the county.

The county boundaries still appear on Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Maps and the Philip's Street Atlases, among others. With their decline in official use, there is often confusion surrounding towns and cities which lie near county boundaries, such as Belfast and [[Lisburn]], which are split between counties Down and Antrim (the majorities of both cities, however, are in Antrim).

In March 2018, ''The Sunday Times'' published its list of Best Places to Live in Britain, including the following places in Northern Ireland: [[Ballyhackamore]] near Belfast (overall best for Northern Ireland); Holywood, County Down; Newcastle, County Down; Portrush, County Antrim; Strangford, County Down.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/five-places-in-northern-ireland-included-in-best-places-to-live-in-britain-list-151651 |title=Five places in Northern Ireland included in Best Places to Live in Britain list – The Irish Post |first=Ryan |last=Price |access-date=5 August 2018 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413211215/https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/five-places-in-northern-ireland-included-in-best-places-to-live-in-britain-list-151651 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Cities and major towns===
[[File:Contiguous majority wards - around Belfast (with motorways dcs etc overlaid).png|thumb|According to the 2021 census, just over 50% of Northern Ireland's population lives in the highlighted red and yellow area. This area is concentrated around Belfast and nearby settlements (red), and features the greatest concentration of motorways, dual carriageways, railways and train stations (overlaid).]]
{| class="table" style="text-align:center; margin-right:10px; font-size:90%"
|-
! colspan=6 style="background:#f5f5f5; font-size:130%; padding:0.3em" |[[List of towns and villages in Northern Ireland|Cities and towns by population]]<ref name="2021 populations">{{cite web |title=Settlement 2015 |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=SETTLEMENT15&~SETTLEMENT15=N11000151+N11000243+N11000438+N11000447+N11000218+N11000564+N11000559+N11000099+N11000040+N11000537+N11000153 |website=NISRA |access-date=17 August 2023 |archive-date=20 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820072644/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=SETTLEMENT15&~SETTLEMENT15=N11000151+N11000243+N11000438+N11000447+N11000218+N11000564+N11000559+N11000099+N11000040+N11000537+N11000153 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/demography/publications/urban_rural/ur_gaz.pdf |title=Statistical Classification and Delineation of Settlements |publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency |date=February 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401113858/http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/demography/publications/urban_rural/ur_gaz.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2014}}</ref>
|- style=vertical-align:top
! rowspan=21|[[File:Belfast City Hall, October 2010 (01).JPG|frameless|upright=0.7]]<br />[[Belfast]]<br /><br />[[File:Guildhall, Derry, August 2010.JPG|frameless|upright=0.7]]<br />[[Derry]]<br />
! style="background:#f5f5f5; text-align:center"| #
! style="background:#f5f5f5; text-align:left"| [[List of localities in Northern Ireland by population|Settlement]]
! style="background:#f5f5f5; text-align:center"| Popu&shy;lation (2021)
! style="background:#f5f5f5; text-align:center"| Metro<br />popu&shy;lation
! rowspan=21|[[File:Lisburn Market House.JPG|frameless|upright=0.7]]<br />[[Lisburn]]<br /><br />[[File:Newry Townhall - geograph.org.uk - 1476695.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7]]<br />[[Newry]]
|-
| 1 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Belfast]]'''|| 293,298|| 639,000
|-
| 2 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Derry]]'''|| 85,279 ||
|-
| 3 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Craigavon, County Armagh|Greater Craigavon]]'''|| 72,301
|-
| 4 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Newtownabbey]]'''{{efn|name=BelfastMetro}}|| 67,599
|-
| 5 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Bangor, County Down|Bangor]]'''{{efn|name=BelfastMetro}}|| 64,596
|-
| 6 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Lisburn]]'''{{efn|name=BelfastMetro|Part of [[Belfast metropolitan area]]}} || 51,447 || 84,090
|-
| 7 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Ballymena]]'''|| 31,205
|-
| 8 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Newtownards]]'''|| 29,677
|-
| 9 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Newry]]'''|| 28,530
|-
| 10 ||style=text-align:left |'''[[Carrickfergus]]'''{{efn|name=BelfastMetro}}|| 28,141
|}

===Population===

[[File:Northern Ireland – religion or religion brought up in (Christianity; 2011).png|thumb|2011 census: differences in proportions of those who are, or were brought up, either Catholic or Protestant/Other Christians]]

The population of Northern Ireland has risen yearly since 1978. The population at the time of the 2021 census was 1.9&nbsp;million, having grown 5% over the previous decade.<ref name="2021 census main points">{{cite web |title=Main statistics for Northern Ireland |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-demography-and-households.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922093432/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-demography-and-households.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The population in 2011 was 1.8&nbsp;million, a rise of 7.5% over the previous decade.<ref name="Census 2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/key_stats_bulletin_2011.pdf |title=Census Key Stats bulletin |publisher=[[NISRA]] |year=2012 |access-date=11 December 2012 |archive-date=3 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203000751/http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/key_stats_bulletin_2011.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The current population makes up 2.8% of the UK's population (67&nbsp;million) and 27% of the island of Ireland's population (7.03&nbsp;million). The population density is 135 inhabitants / km<sup>2</sup>.

Northern Ireland is much less ethnically diverse than the rest of the UK. As of the 2021 census, the population of Northern Ireland is almost entirely [[White people|white]] (96.6%).<ref name="Ethnic group census 2022">{{cite web |title=Main statistics for Northern Ireland |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-ethnic-group.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922093434/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-ethnic-group.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> 3.4% of the population (65,600 people) in 2025 were from a minority ethnic group  compared to 18.3% in England and Wales and 12.9% in Scotland.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Meredith |first1=Robbie |title=Northern Ireland is 'least diverse' part of the UK |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5gn10z8gwo |website=BBC |date=15 February 2025 |access-date=15 February 2025}}</ref> In 2021, 86.5% of the population were born in Northern Ireland, with 4.8% born in Great Britain, 2.1% born in the Republic of Ireland, and 6.5% born elsewhere (more than half of them in another European country).<ref name="Country of birth census 2022">{{cite web |title=Main statistics for Northern Ireland |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-country-of-birth.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922093436/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-country-of-birth.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021 the largest non-white ethnic groups were [[Black people in Ireland|black]] (0.6%), [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian]] (0.5%), and [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] (0.5%).<ref name="Ethnic group census 2022"/> In 2011, 88.8% of the population were born in Northern Ireland, 4.5% in Great Britain, and 2.9% in the Republic of Ireland. 4.3% were born elsewhere; triple the amount there were in 2001.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-28031873 "NI migrant population triples in decade, says study"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020140657/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-28031873 |date=20 October 2018 }}. BBC News. 26 June 2014.</ref>

As of the 2021 Census 1,165,168 (61.2%) residents lived in an urban environment and 738,007 (38.8%) lived in a non-urban environment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Urban Status |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=URBAN_STATUS |website=NISRA |access-date=29 July 2024}}</ref>

===Identity and citizenship===
{{bar box
|title = National Identity of Northern Ireland residents (2021)<ref>{{cite web |title=National Identity (British) |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=NAT_ID_BRITISH |website=NISRA |access-date=18 August 2023 |archive-date=20 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820073156/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=NAT_ID_BRITISH |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=National Identity (Irish) |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=NAT_ID_IRISH_AGG3 |website=NISRA |access-date=18 August 2023 |archive-date=20 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820073158/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=NAT_ID_IRISH_AGG3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=National Identity (Northern Irish) |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?v=&d=PEOPLE&v=NAT_ID_NORTHERN_IRISH_AGG3 |website=NISRA |access-date=18 August 2023 |archive-date=20 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820073158/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?v=&d=PEOPLE&v=NAT_ID_NORTHERN_IRISH_AGG3 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|titlebar=#ddd |left1=Nationality |right1=Per cent |float=right
|bars =
{{bar percent|British|Blue|42.8}}
{{bar percent|Irish|DarkOrchid|33.3}}
{{bar percent|Northern Irish|grey|31.5}}
}}
{{further|British nationality law|Irish nationality law}}

In Northern Ireland censuses, respondents can choose more than one national identity. In 2021:<ref name="2021 national identity">{{cite web |title=Main statistics for Northern Ireland – Statistical bulletin – National identity |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-national-identity.pdf |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316223405/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-national-identity.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 42.8% identified as British, solely or along with other national identities
* 33.3% identified as Irish, solely or along with other national identities
* 31.5% identified as Northern Irish, solely or along with other national identities

The main national identities given in recent censuses were:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
!colspan=4|National identity of Northern Ireland residents<ref name="2011 Census data"/><ref name="2021 national identity"/>
|-
!rowspan="2"|Identity
!rowspan="2"|2011
!rowspan="2"|2021
|- style="font-size:85%"
|-
|style="text-align:left"| British only || 39.9% || 31.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Irish only || 25.3% ||29.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Northern Irish only || 20.9% || 19.8%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| British & Northern Irish || 6.2% || 8.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Irish & Northern Irish || 1.1%|| 1.8%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| British, Irish & Northern Irish || 1.0% || 1.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| British & Irish || 0.7% || 0.6%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| English, Scottish, or Welsh || 1.6% ||1.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| All other || 3.4%|| 6.0%
|}

As of the 2021 census, regarding national identity, four of the six traditional counties had an Irish plurality and two had a British plurality.<ref>{{cite web |title=National identity (person based) - basic detail (classification 1) |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=NAT_ID_BASIC |website=NISRA |access-date=18 August 2023 |archive-date=18 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818094359/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=NAT_ID_BASIC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=National Identity (Irish) |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=NAT_ID_IRISH_AGG3&~NAT_ID_IRISH_AGG3=1+2 |website=NISRA |access-date=18 August 2023 |archive-date=18 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818094358/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=NAT_ID_IRISH_AGG3&~NAT_ID_IRISH_AGG3=1+2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=National Identity (British) |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=NAT_ID_BRITISH&~NAT_ID_BRITISH=1+2 |website=NISRA |access-date=18 August 2023 |archive-date=18 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818094353/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=NAT_ID_BRITISH&~NAT_ID_BRITISH=1+2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=National Identity (Northern Irish) |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=NAT_ID_NORTHERN_IRISH_AGG3&~NAT_ID_NORTHERN_IRISH_AGG3=1+2 |website=NISRA |access-date=18 August 2023 |archive-date=18 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818094359/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/viewdata?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=NAT_ID_NORTHERN_IRISH_AGG3&~NAT_ID_NORTHERN_IRISH_AGG3=1+2 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
!colspan=7|National identity of Northern Ireland residents by county
|-
!rowspan="2"|National Identity
!rowspan="2"|Antrim
!rowspan="2"|Armagh
!rowspan="2"|Down
!rowspan="2"|Fermanagh
!rowspan="2"|Londonderry
!rowspan="2"|Tyrone
|- style="font-size:85%"
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Irish only || 25.7% || 39.0% || 18.5% || 38.3% || 42.2% || 41.6%
|-
!style="text-align:left"| All Irish identities || 29.7% || 42.2% || 23.7% || 41.9% || 46.0% || 44.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| British only || 35.5% || 24.7%|| 37.7% || 26.2% || 24.8% || 21.0%
|-
!style="text-align:left"| All British identities || 47.4% || 32.3% || 52.5% || 32.9% || 32.2% || 27.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Northern Irish only || 18.7% || 16.8%|| 21.7% || 21.3% || 19.7% || 20.5%
|-
!style="text-align:left"| All Northern Irish identities || 31.1% || 25.4% || 36.9% || 29.1% || 28.3% || 28.0%
|}

===Religion===
{{main|Religion in Northern Ireland}}

At the 2021 census, 42.3% of the population identified as [[Roman Catholicism in Ireland|Roman Catholic]], 37.3% as Protestant/other Christian, 1.3% as other religions, while 17.4% identified with no religion or did not state one.<ref name="2021 religion"/> The biggest of the Protestant/other Christian denominations were the [[Presbyterian Church in Ireland|Presbyterian Church]] (16.6%), the [[Church of Ireland]] (11.5%) and the [[Methodist Church in Ireland|Methodist Church]] (2.3%).<ref name="2021 religion"/> At the [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]], 41.5% of the population identified as Protestant/other Christian, 41% as Roman Catholic, 0.8% as other religions, while 17% identified with no religion or did not state one.<ref name="ReferenceA">Census 2011</ref> In terms of background (i.e. religion or religion brought up in), at the 2021 census 45.7% of the population came from a Catholic background, 43.5% from a Protestant background, 1.5% from other religious backgrounds, and 5.6% from non-religious backgrounds.<ref name="2021 religion"/> This was the first time since Northern Ireland's creation that there were more people from a Catholic background than Protestant.<ref name="first catholic majority">{{cite news |title=Census 2021: More from Catholic background in NI than Protestant |work=BBC News |date=22 September 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-62980394 |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922001732/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-62980394 |url-status=live }}</ref> At the 2011 census, 48% came from a Protestant background, 45% from a Catholic background, 0.9% from other religious backgrounds, and 5.6% from non-religious backgrounds.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

{{bar box
|title= Religion in Northern Ireland – 2021<ref name="2021 religion">{{cite web |title=Main statistics for Northern Ireland Statistical bulletin – Religion |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-religion.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326045543/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-religion.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Religion
|right1=Per cent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Roman Catholic]]|DarkOrchid|42.3}}
{{bar percent|[[Protestant]]/other Christian|DodgerBlue|37.3}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|No religion]]/Not stated|SlateGray|17.4}}
{{bar percent|Other religions|LimeGreen|1.3}}
}}

In recent censuses, respondents gave their religious identity or religious upbringing as follows:<ref name="2001 key statistics">{{cite web |title=Key Statistics Table |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/2001-census-results-key-statistics-report-tables.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922220304/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/2001-census-results-key-statistics-report-tables.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="2011 Census data"/><ref name="2021 religion"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
!colspan=5|Religion or religious background of Northern Ireland residents
|-
!rowspan="2"|Religion / religion of upbringing
!rowspan="2"|2001
!rowspan="2"|2011
!rowspan="2"|2021
|- style="font-size:85%"
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Catholic || 43.8% || 45.1% || 45.7%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Protestant and other Christian || 53.1% || 48.4% || 43.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Other religions || 0.4% || 0.9%|| 1.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| No religion nor religious upbringing || 2.7% || 5.6% || 9.3%
|}
As of the 2021 census, regarding religious background, four of the six traditional counties had a Catholic majority, one had a Protestant plurality, and one had a Protestant majority.<ref name="religion brought up in">{{cite web |title=Religion or religion brought up in |url=https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=RELIGION_BELONG_TO_OR_BROUGHT_UP_IN_DVO&%7ECOUNTY_NI=6 |website=NISRA |access-date=17 August 2023 |archive-date=20 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820072645/https://build.nisra.gov.uk/en/custom/data?d=PEOPLE&v=COUNTY_NI&v=RELIGION_BELONG_TO_OR_BROUGHT_UP_IN_DVO&%7ECOUNTY_NI=6 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
!colspan=7|Religion or religious background of Northern Ireland residents by county
|-
!rowspan="2"|Religion / religion of upbringing
!rowspan="2"|Antrim
!rowspan="2"|Armagh
!rowspan="2"|Down
!rowspan="2"|Fermanagh
!rowspan="2"|Londonderry
!rowspan="2"|Tyrone
|- style="font-size:85%"
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Catholic || 40.1% || 58.2% || 32.3% || 58.8% || 61.3% || 66.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Protestant and other Christian || 47.0% || 34.0% || 53.5% || 35.5% || 32.5% || 28.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Other religions || 2.1% || 1.2%|| 1.5% || 1.1% || 0.9% || 0.6%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| No religion nor religious upbringing || 10.8% || 6.7% || 12.7% || 4.6% || 5.3% || 4.0%
|}

Several studies and surveys carried out between 1971 and 2006 have indicated that, in general, most Protestants in Northern Ireland see themselves primarily as British, whereas most Catholics see themselves primarily as Irish.<ref>Breen, R., Devine, P. and Dowds, L. (editors), 1996: {{ISBN|0-86281-593-2}}. Chapter 2 [http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/research/nisas/rep5c2.htm 'Who Wants a United Ireland? Constitutional Preferences among Catholics and Protestants' by Richard Breen (1996), in, Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland: The Fifth Report] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226220013/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/research/nisas/rep5c2.htm |date=26 December 2018 }} Retrieved 24 August 2006; Summary: In 1989—1994, 79% Protestants replied "British" or "Ulster", 60% of Catholics replied "Irish."</ref><ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1999/Community_Relations/NINATID.html Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1999; Module:Community Relations, Variable:NINATID] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510203944/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1999/Community_Relations/NINATID.html |date=10 May 2011 }} Summary:72% of Protestants replied "British". 68% of Catholics replied "Irish".</ref><ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1999/Community_Relations/BRITISH.html Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey. Module:Community Relations. Variable:BRITISH.] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610101029/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1999/Community_Relations/BRITISH.html |date=10 June 2011 }} Summary: 78% of Protestants replied "Strongly British."</ref><ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1999/Community_Relations/IRISH.html Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1999; Module:Community Relations, Variable:IRISH] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610101003/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1999/Community_Relations/IRISH.html |date=10 June 2011 }} Summary: 77% of Catholics replied "Strongly Irish."</ref><ref>Institute of Governance, 2006 ''"National identities in the UK: do they matter?"''
Briefing No. 16, January 2006; Retrieved from {{cite web |url=http://www.institute-of-governance.org/forum/Leverhulme/briefing_pdfs/IoG_Briefing_16.pdf |title=IoG_Briefing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822152404/http://www.institute-of-governance.org/forum/Leverhulme/briefing_pdfs/IoG_Briefing_16.pdf |archive-date=22 August 2006}}&nbsp;{{small|(211&nbsp;KB)}} on 24 August 2006. Extract: "Three-quarters of Northern Ireland's Protestants regard themselves as British, but only 12 percent 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]].''</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Plain_English_Summaries/governance_and_citizenship/structure/index32.aspx?ComponentId=17242&SourcePageId=11746 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927051820/http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Plain_English_Summaries/governance_and_citizenship/structure/index32.aspx?ComponentId=17242&SourcePageId=11746 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |title=L219252024 – Public Attitudes to Devolution and National Identity in Northern Ireland |website=University of York Research Project 2002–2003}}</ref><ref>Northern Ireland: Constitutional Proposals and the Problem of Identity, by J. R. Archer The Review of Politics, 1978</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ucd.ie/spire/text%20files/todd-achangedirishnationalism.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510015756/http://www.ucd.ie/spire/text%20files/todd-achangedirishnationalism.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2007 |title=Chapter 7 > A changed Irish nationalism? The significance of the Belfast Agreement of 1998 |author=Joseph Ruane and Jennifer Todd}}</ref> This does not, however, account for the [[People of Northern Ireland|complex identities within Northern Ireland]], given that many of the population regard themselves as "Ulster" or "Northern Irish", either as a primary or secondary identity.

A 2008 survey found that 57% of Protestants described themselves as British, while 32% identified as Northern Irish, 6% as Ulster, and 4% as Irish. Compared to a similar survey in 1998, this shows a fall in the percentage of Protestants identifying as British and Ulster and a rise in those identifying as Northern Irish. The 2008 survey found that 61% of Catholics described themselves as Irish, with 25% identifying as Northern Irish, 8% as British, and 1% as Ulster. These figures were largely unchanged from the 1998 results.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2008/Community_Relations/NINATID.html |title=Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 2008; Module:Community Relations, Variable:IRISH |website=Ark.ac.uk |date=17 May 2007 |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=10 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610101049/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2008/Community_Relations/NINATID.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1998/Community_Relations/NINATID.html |title=Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 1998; Module:Community Relations, Variable:IRISH |website=Ark.ac.uk |date=9 May 2003 |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=10 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610044347/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1998/Community_Relations/NINATID.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

People born in Northern Ireland are, with some exceptions, deemed by UK law to be [[British nationality law|citizens of the United Kingdom]]. They are also, with similar exceptions, entitled to be [[Irish nationality law|citizens of Ireland]]. This entitlement was reaffirmed in the 1998 [[Good Friday Agreement]] between the British and Irish governments, which provides that:

<blockquote>...it is 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 [the two governments] 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.</blockquote>

[[File:Predominant passport held northern ireland.png|thumb|2011: Map of most commonly held passport]]
As a result of the Agreement, the [[Constitution of Ireland|Constitution of the Republic of Ireland]] was amended. The current wording provides that people born in Northern Ireland are entitled to be Irish citizens on the same basis as people from any other part of the island.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/?docID=243 |title=Department of the Taoiseach |publisher=Taoiseach.gov.ie |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-date=1 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701034610/http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/?docID=243 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Neither government, however, extends its citizenship to all persons born in Northern Ireland. Both governments exclude some people born in Northern Ireland, in particular persons born without one parent who is a British or Irish citizen. The Irish restriction was given effect by the [[Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|twenty-seventh amendment to the Irish Constitution]] in 2004. The position in UK nationality law is that most of those born in Northern Ireland are UK nationals, whether or not they so choose. Renunciation of British citizenship requires the payment of a fee, currently £372.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/697987/Gov_uk_fees_revision_2018.pdf |title=Home Office Immigration & Nationality Charges 2018 |publisher=[[Home Office]] |date=6 April 2018 |access-date=12 September 2018 |archive-date=30 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530035148/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/697987/Gov_uk_fees_revision_2018.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

In recent censuses, residents said they held the following passports:<ref name="2011 Census data">{{cite web |title=Northern Ireland Census 2011 Key Statistics Summary Report |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/2011-census-results-key-statistics-summary-report.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922201937/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/2011-census-results-key-statistics-summary-report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="passport held 2021">{{cite web |title=Main statistics for Northern Ireland Statistical bulletin – Passports held |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-passports-held.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922093444/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-passports-held.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
!colspan=4|Passports held by Northern Ireland residents
|-
!rowspan="2"|Passport
!rowspan="2"|2011
!rowspan="2"|2021
|- style="font-size:85%"
|-
|style="text-align:left"| United Kingdom || 59.1% || 52.6%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Ireland || 20.8% || 32.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| European countries || 2.2% || 3.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| Other countries in world || 1.1% || 1.6%
|-
|style="text-align:left"| No passport || 18.9% || 15.9%
|}

===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of Northern Ireland}}
Irish is an official language of Northern Ireland as of 6 December 2022 when the Irish Language Act ([[Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022]]) became law. The Irish Language Act officially repealed legislation from 1737 that banned the use of Irish in courts.<ref name=":0"/> English is a ''de facto'' official language. English is spoken as a first language by 95.4% of the Northern Ireland population.<ref name="2022 Language" /> [[File:English dialects in Ulster contrast.png|thumb|right|Approximate boundaries of the current and historical English/[[Scots language|Scots]] dialects in [[Ulster]]. South to north, the colour bands represent [[Hiberno-English]], South-[[Ulster English]], Mid-Ulster English, and the three traditional [[Ulster Scots dialect|Ulster Scots]] areas. The Irish-speaking [[Gaeltacht]] is not shown.]]

Under the [[Belfast Agreement|Good Friday Agreement]], Irish and [[Ulster Scots dialect|Ulster Scots]] (an Ulster dialect of the [[Scots language]], sometimes known as ''Ullans''), are recognised as "part of the cultural wealth of Northern Ireland".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nio.gov.uk/agreement.pdf |title=The Agreement |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003065655/http://www.nio.gov.uk/agreement.pdf |archive-date=3 October 2011}}&nbsp;{{small|(204&nbsp;KB)}}</ref> The Irish Language Act of 2022 also legislated commissioners for both Irish and Ulster Scots.<ref name=":0" />

Two all-island bodies for the promotion of these were created under the Agreement: ''[[Foras na Gaeilge]]'', which promotes the Irish language, and the [[Ulster Scots Agency]], which promotes the Ulster-Scots dialect and culture. These operate separately under the aegis of [[the North/South Language Body]], which reports to the [[North/South Ministerial Council]].

The [[Government of the United Kingdom|UK Government]] in 2001 ratified the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]]. Irish (in Northern Ireland) was specified under Part III of the Charter, with a range of specific undertakings about education, translation of statutes, interaction with public authorities, the use of placenames, media access, support for cultural activities, and other matters. A lower level of recognition was accorded to Ulster-Scots, under Part II of the Charter.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/minlang/report/EvaluationReports/UKECRML3_en.pdf |title=Council of Europe Charter monitoring report, 2010 |access-date=7 August 2013 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010150121/https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/minlang/report/EvaluationReports/UKECRML3_en.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

====English====
{{Main|Ulster English}}

According to the 2021 census, in 94.74% of households, all people aged 16 and above spoke English as their main language.<ref name="Census 2021 Phase 2 Bulletin">{{cite web |title=Census 2021 Main statistics for Northern Ireland Phase 2 December 2022 |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-2-report.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=5 January 2023 |archive-date=2 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102173056/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-2-report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The dialect of English spoken in Northern Ireland shows influence from the lowland [[Scots language]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aPPexF5hyIkC&q=DIALECT+OF+NORTHERN+IRELAND+COMES+FROM+SCOTLAND&pg=PA90 |title=Dialects across borders |author=Markku Filppula |publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Co, Amsterdam |year=2005 |page=90 |access-date=2 January 2011 |isbn=978-9027247872 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413214714/https://books.google.com/books?id=aPPexF5hyIkC&q=DIALECT+OF+NORTHERN+IRELAND+COMES+FROM+SCOTLAND&pg=PA90 |url-status=live}}</ref> There are supposedly some minute differences in pronunciation between Protestants and Catholics, for instance; 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]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Donnan |first1=Hastings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V0UHEAAAQBAJ&dq=Northern+Ireland++differences+in+pronunciation+between+Protestants+and+Catholics&pg=PT111 |title=The Anthropology of Ireland |last2=Wilson |first2=Thomas M. |date= 2020 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-18999-5 |language=en |access-date=29 November 2022 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404132331/https://books.google.com/books?id=V0UHEAAAQBAJ&dq=Northern+Ireland++differences+in+pronunciation+between+Protestants+and+Catholics&pg=PT111 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, geography is a much more important determinant of dialect than religious background.

====Irish====

[[File:Map of those with some ability in Irish in the 2011 census in Northern Ireland.png|thumb|Percentage of people aged 3+ claiming to have some ability in Irish in the [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]]]]

{{Main|Irish language in Northern Ireland|Ulster Irish}}

The Irish language ({{langx|ga|an Ghaeilge}}), or ''Gaelic'', is the second most spoken language in Northern Ireland and is a native language of Ireland.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ryan |first=James G. |title=Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History |publisher=Flyleaf Press |year=1997 |page=[https://archive.org/details/irishrecordssour0000ryan_s8k7/page/40 40] |isbn=978-0-916489-76-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/irishrecordssour0000ryan_s8k7/page/40}}</ref> It was spoken predominantly throughout what is now Northern Ireland before the [[Ulster Plantations]] in the 17th century and most place names in Northern Ireland are [[anglicised]] versions of a Gaelic name. Today, the language is often associated with Irish nationalism (and thus with Catholics). However, in the 19th century, the language was seen as a common heritage, with Ulster Protestants playing a leading role in the [[Gaelic revival]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 January 2013 |title=Presbyterians and the Irish Language Roger Blaney (Ulster Historical Foundation/The Ultach Trust, £6.50) ISBN 0-901905-75-5 |url=https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/presbyterians-and-the-irish-language-roger-blaney-ulster-historical-foundationthe-ultach-trust-6-50-isbn-0-901905-75-5/ |access-date=12 June 2020 |website=History Ireland |archive-date=12 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612171721/https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/presbyterians-and-the-irish-language-roger-blaney-ulster-historical-foundationthe-ultach-trust-6-50-isbn-0-901905-75-5/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In the 2021 census, 12.4% (compared with 10.7% in 2011) of the population of Northern Ireland claimed "some knowledge of Irish" and 3.9% (compared with 3.7% in 2011) reported being able to "speak, read, write and understand" Irish.<ref name="Census 2011"/><ref name="2022 Language">{{cite web |title=Main statistics for Northern Ireland Statistical bulletin – Language |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-language.pdf |website=NISRA |access-date=22 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922093432/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-language.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In another survey, from 1999, 1% of respondents said they spoke it as their main language at home.<ref name = "Survey-NorthernIreland">Northern Ireland LIFE & TIMES Survey: [http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1999/Community_Relations/MAINLANG.html What is the main language spoken in your own home?] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610101441/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/1999/Community_Relations/MAINLANG.html |date=10 June 2011 }}</ref>

The dialect spoken in Northern Ireland, Ulster Irish, has two main types, East Ulster Irish and Donegal Irish (or West Ulster Irish),<ref name="pipex1">{{cite web |url=http://www.ultach.dsl.pipex.com/english/faqs.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416045904/http://www.ultach.dsl.pipex.com/english/faqs.htm |archive-date=16 April 2009 |title=Frequently-Asked Questions about the Irish Language |publisher=Ultach |access-date=7 February 2012}}</ref> is the one closest to [[Scottish Gaelic]] (which developed into a separate language from Irish Gaelic in the 17th century). Some words and phrases are shared with Scots Gaelic, and the dialects of east Ulster – those of [[Rathlin Island]] and the [[Glens of Antrim]] – were very similar to the dialect of [[Argyll]], the part of Scotland nearest to Ireland. The dialects of Armagh and Down were also very similar to the dialects of Galloway.

The use of the Irish language in Northern Ireland today is politically sensitive. The erection by some [[Local government in Northern Ireland|district councils]] of bilingual street names in both English and Irish,<ref>The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (No. 759 (N.I. 5))[http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Primary&PageNumber=25&NavFrom=2&parentActiveTextDocId=1011237&activetextdocid=1011254] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409203049/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1995/759/part/crossheading/street-names-and-numbering-of-buildings|date=9 April 2020}}</ref> invariably in predominantly nationalist districts, is resisted by unionists who claim that it creates a "chill factor" and thus harms community relationships. Efforts by members of the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] to legislate for some official uses of the language have failed to achieve the required cross-community support. In May 2022, the UK Government proposed a bill in the House of Lords to make Irish an official language (and support Ulster Scots) in Northern Ireland and to create an Irish Language Commissioner.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 May 2022 |title=UK to make Irish an official language in Northern Ireland |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-moves-to-make-irish-language-official-in-northern-ireland/ |access-date=28 May 2022 |website=POLITICO |language=en-US |archive-date=27 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527151739/https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-moves-to-make-irish-language-official-in-northern-ireland/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Parliament3168"/> The bill has since been passed, and received royal assent in December 2022.<ref name=":0"/> There has recently been an increase in interest in the language among unionists in East Belfast.<ref>{{cite news |last=Keenan |first=Dan |title=Loyalists line up to learn cúpla focail at language classes in heart of east Belfast |work=Irish Times |date=9 January 2014 |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/loyalists-line-up-to-learn-c%C3%BApla-focail-at-language-classes-in-heart-of-east-belfast-1.1650239 |access-date=27 January 2016 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202020125/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/loyalists-line-up-to-learn-c%C3%BApla-focail-at-language-classes-in-heart-of-east-belfast-1.1650239 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Ulster Scots====
[[File:Map showing the percentage of people aged 3+ claiming to have some ability in Ulster Scots in the 2011 census.png|thumb|Percentage of people aged 3+ claiming to have some ability in Ulster Scots in the 2011 census]]
{{Main|Ulster Scots dialect}}

Ulster Scots comprises varieties of the [[Scots language]] spoken in Northern Ireland. For a native English speaker, "[Ulster Scots] is comparatively accessible, and even at its most intense can be understood fairly easily with the help of a glossary."<ref name = "Poilin-BBC">Aodan Mac Poilin, 1999, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/learning/history/stateapart/agreement/culture/support/cul2_c011.shtml "Language, Identity and Politics in Northern Ireland"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821033808/http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/learning/history/stateapart/agreement/culture/support/cul2_c011.shtml |date=21 August 2020 }} in Ulster Folk Life Vol. 45, 1999</ref>

Along with the Irish language, the Good Friday Agreement recognised the dialect as part of Northern Ireland's unique culture and the [[St Andrews Agreement]] recognised the need to "enhance and develop the Ulster Scots language, heritage and culture".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nio.gov.uk/st_andrews_agreement.pdf |title=St Andrews Agreement |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104144328/http://www.nio.gov.uk/st_andrews_agreement.pdf |archive-date=4 November 2006}}&nbsp;{{small|(131&nbsp;KB)}}</ref>

At the time of the 2021 census, approximately 1.1% (compared to 0.9% in 2011) of the population claimed to be able to speak, read, write and understand Ulster-Scots, while 10.4% (compared to 8.1% in 2011) professed to have "some ability".<ref name="Census 2011"/><ref name="2022 Language"/><ref name = "Survey-NorthernIreland"/>

====Sign languages====

{{Main|Northern Ireland Sign Language|Irish Sign Language|British Sign Language}}

The most common [[sign language]] in Northern Ireland is [[Northern Ireland Sign Language]] (NISL). However, because in the past Catholic families tended to send their deaf children to schools in Dublin{{citation needed|date=January 2016}} where [[Irish Sign Language]] (ISL) is commonly used, ISL is still common among many older deaf people from Catholic families.

Irish Sign Language (ISL) has some influence from the French family of sign language, which includes [[American Sign Language]] (ASL). NISL takes a large component from the British family of sign language (which also includes [[Auslan]]) with many borrowings from ASL. It is described as being related to Irish Sign Language at the [[syntactic]] level while much of the [[lexicon]] is based on [[British Sign Language]] (BSL).<ref name="Janzen">{{cite book |last=Janzen |first=Terry |title=Topics in Signed Language Interpreting: Theory And Practice |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ylfJtF3vQUwC |access-date=22 June 2008 |year=2005 |publisher=[[John Benjamins Publishing Company]] |location=Amsterdam |isbn=978-90-272-1669-4 |oclc=60742155 |pages=256, 265 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413214608/https://books.google.com/books?id=ylfJtF3vQUwC |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{As of|2004|03}} the [[British Government|UK Government]] recognises only British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language as the official sign languages used in Northern Ireland.<ref name="dcal">{{cite web |url=http://www.dcalni.gov.uk/index/languages/sign_language.htm |title=Sign Language |access-date=22 June 2008 |publisher=[[Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109104308/http://www.dcalni.gov.uk/index/languages/sign_language.htm |archive-date=9 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nio.gov.uk/paul-murphy-announces-recognition-for-sign-language/media-detail.htm?newsID=8540 |title=Paul Murphy announces recognition for sign language |access-date=22 June 2008 |date=30 March 2004 |publisher=[[Northern Ireland Office]] |quote=I am pleased to announce formal recognition for both British and Irish Sign Languages in Northern Ireland. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520115301/http://www.nio.gov.uk/paul-murphy-announces-recognition-for-sign-language/media-detail.htm?newsID=8540 |archive-date=20 May 2011}}</ref>

===Education===
{{Main|Education in Northern Ireland}}

[[File:QueensBelfast.jpg|thumb|right|[[Queen's University Belfast|Queen's University]], [[Belfast]]]]

Unlike most areas of the United Kingdom, in the last year of primary school, many children sit entrance examinations for [[Grammar schools in the United Kingdom|grammar schools]]. [[Integrated Education|Integrated schools]], which attempt to ensure a balance in enrolment between pupils of Protestant, Roman Catholic, and other faiths (or none), are becoming increasingly popular, although Northern Ireland still has a primarily ''de facto'' religiously segregated education system. In the primary school sector, 40 schools (8.9% of the total number) are integrated schools and 32 (7.2% of the total number) are [[Gaelscoileanna]] (Irish language-medium schools).

As with the island of Ireland as a whole, Northern Ireland has one of the youngest populations in Europe and, among the four UK nations, it has the highest proportion of children aged under 16 years (21% in mid-2019).<ref>{{cite web |title=Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2019 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2019estimates#ageing |website=ons.gov.uk |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref> Statistics on education in Northern Ireland are published by the [[Department of Education (Northern Ireland)|Department of Education]] and the [[Department for the Economy]].

The main universities in Northern Ireland are [[Queen's University Belfast]] and [[Ulster University]], and the distance learning [[Open University]] which has a regional office in Belfast.

===Health care===
{{see also|Health and Social Care (Northern Ireland)}}

Since 1948 Northern Ireland has a health care system similar to England, Scotland and Wales, though it provides not only health care, but also social care. Health care performance has been decreasing since the mid-2010s and reached crisis levels since 2022.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Baraniuk |first=Chris |date=31 January 2024 |title=Northern Ireland's doctors are relieved as Stormont is set to return—but will funds go far enough? |url=https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj.q270 |access-date=11 February 2024 |journal=BMJ |page=q270 |language=en |volume=384 |doi=10.1136/bmj.q270 |pmid=38296346 | issn = 1756-1833|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Economy===
{{Main|Economy of Northern Ireland}}

[[File:Belfast Titanic.jpg|thumb|right|[[Titanic Belfast]], in the [[Titanic Quarter]]]]

Northern Ireland traditionally had an industrial economy, most notably featuring shipbuilding, rope manufacture, and textiles. In 2019, 53% of GVA was generated by services, 22% by the public sector, 15% by production, 8% by construction and 2% by agriculture.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/NI-Composite-Economic-Index-Q1-2021.pdf |access-date=9 August 2023 |title=Economic Activity in Northern Ireland Q1 2021 |archive-date=9 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230809212348/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/NI-Composite-Economic-Index-Q1-2021.pdf}}</ref>

In the coal industry, [[John Kelly Limited]] was the largest coal firm in Northern Ireland, spanning 150 years.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Middlemiss |first1=Norman |title=John Kelly of Belfast |url=https://shippingtandy.com/features/john-kelly-belfast/ |website=Shipping Today and Yesterday |access-date=21 November 2024 |date=14 October 2014}}</ref> It started in [[Queen's Quay, Belfast]], by [[Samuel Kelly (coal merchant)|Samuel Kelly]] as a coal commissions and grocer. After his death, son [[John Kelly (coal merchant)|John Kelly]] took over and expanded the fleet of coasters. The business saw the most growth under John Kelly's son, [[Sir Samuel Kelly]], who incorporated the business as a [[limited company]] in 1911. John Kelly Limited expanded along the docks, likewise with their offices, expansion to Ballymena and Carrickfergus took place, and coal boats would travel to Larne Harbour. The company was renamed to Kelly's Fuels in the 1990s, and quickly became one of the biggest oil distributors in the Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Kelly Limited, Belfast. Coal merchant and former shipowner |url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/1031 |website=[[Geograph Britain and Ireland]] |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Grattan |first1=Gary |title=Fuel firm in hunt for calendars |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/fuel-firm-in-hunt-for-calendars/28358680.html |website=[[Belfast Telegraph]] |access-date=9 January 2025 |date=8 July 2000}}</ref>

Belfast is the United Kingdom's second largest tech hub outside of London with more than 25% of their jobs being technology related. Many established multinational tech companies such as Fujitsu, SAP, IBM and Microsoft have a presence here. It is regarded an appealing place to live for tech professionals and has a low cost of living compared to other cities.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://growthbusiness.co.uk/a-guide-to-the-belfast-tech-hub-2560721/ |access-date=13 August 2023 |title=A guide to the Belfast tech hub |date=27 October 2022 |archive-date=18 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218132806/https://growthbusiness.co.uk/a-guide-to-the-belfast-tech-hub-2560721/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-than-100-investors-confirmed-for-summit-in-northern-ireland |access-date=13 August 2023 |title=More than 100 investors confirmed for summit in Northern Ireland |archive-date=13 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813094249/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-than-100-investors-confirmed-for-summit-in-northern-ireland}}</ref>

In 2019 Northern Ireland welcomed 5.3m visitors, who spent over £1billion. A total of 167 cruise ships docked at Northern Ireland ports in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tourismni.com/research-insights/tourism-performance-statistics/ |access-date=7 August 2023 |title=Tourism Performance Statistics |archive-date=7 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807194309/https://www.tourismni.com/research-insights/tourism-performance-statistics/}}</ref> Tourism in recent years has been a major growth area with key attractions including the Giants Causeway and the many castles in the region with the historic towns and cities of Belfast, Derry, Armagh and Enniskillen being popular with tourists. Entertainment venues include the SSE Arena, Waterfront Hall, the Grand Opera House and Custom House Square. Tourists use various means of transport around Northern Ireland such as vehicle hire, guided tours, taxi tours, electric bikes, electric cars and public transport.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://discovernorthernireland.com/blog/read/2020/06/getting-around-northern-ireland-b89 |access-date=7 August 2023 |title=Getting around Northern Ireland |date=25 June 2020 |archive-date=7 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807194955/https://discovernorthernireland.com/blog/read/2020/06/getting-around-northern-ireland-b89}}</ref>

[[File:Harlandandwolffcranes.JPG|thumb|left|[[Harland & Wolff]] shipyard cranes named Samson and Goliath]]

Belfast currently has an 81-acre shipyard which was purposely developed to be able to take some of the world's largest vessels. It has the largest dry dock for ships in Europe measuring 556m x 93m and has 106m high cranes, it is ideally situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.harland-wolff.com/facilities/belfast/ |access-date=4 August 2023 |title=Harland & Wolff Facilities |archive-date=4 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804195613/https://www.harland-wolff.com/facilities/belfast/}}</ref> The shipyard can build ships and complete maintenance contracts such as the contracts awarded by P&O and Cunard cruise ships in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/harland-and-wolff-secures-contract-to-carry-out-work-on-cruise-liners-queen-victoria-and-aurora/41547352.html |access-date=4 August 2023 |title=Harland and Wolff secures contract to carry out work on cruise liners Queen Victoria and Aurora |newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk |date=12 April 2022 |archive-date=4 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804200932/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/harland-and-wolff-secures-contract-to-carry-out-work-on-cruise-liners-queen-victoria-and-aurora/41547352.html}}</ref>

Northern Ireland feeds around 10 million people when their population is only 1.8 million.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/minister-poots-serves-100-years-food-history |access-date=3 August 2023 |title=Minister Poots serves up 100 years of food history |date=15 October 2021 |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803194209/https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/minister-poots-serves-100-years-food-history}}</ref> The predominant activity on Northern Ireland farms in 2022 was cattle and sheep. 79 per cent of farms in Northern Ireland have some cattle, 38 per cent have some sheep. Over three-quarters of farms in Northern Ireland are very small, in 2022 there were 26,089 farms in Northern Ireland with approximately one million hectares of land farmed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/daera/Agricultural%20Census%202022%20Publication_1.pdf |access-date=3 August 2023 |title=Agricultural Census in Northern Ireland 2022 |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803193646/https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/daera/Agricultural%20Census%202022%20Publication_1.pdf}}</ref> Northern Ireland is in a unique position where it can sell goods to the rest of the United Kingdom and the European Union tariff-free, free from customs declarations, rules of origin certificates and non-tariff barriers on the sale of goods to both regions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.investni.com/media-centre/features/northern-ireland-market-access-great-britain-and-european-union |access-date=10 August 2023 |title=Northern Ireland: Market Access to Great Britain and the European Union |date=15 February 2021 |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810193423/https://www.investni.com/media-centre/features/northern-ireland-market-access-great-britain-and-european-union}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/2374801 |title=Northern Ireland puts itself on the global map |date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=17 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230917092412/https://www.arabnews.com/node/2374801}}</ref>

Below is a comparison of the goods being sold and purchased between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, compared with the goods being exported and imported between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland:

<div style=display:inline-table>
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: centre; margin-right:2em;"
|+ Northern Ireland Sales/Exports<ref name="nitrade">{{Cite web |url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/Overview-of-NI-Trade-April-2023.pdf |access-date=25 July 2023 |title=Overview of Northern Ireland Trade |archive-date=25 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725144232/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/Overview-of-NI-Trade-April-2023.pdf}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width: 50px;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 150px;"| United Kingdom
! scope="col" style="width: 150px;"| Republic of Ireland

|-
! 2020
| £11.3 billion || £4.2 billion
|-
! 2021
| £12.8 billion
| £5.2 billion
|}
</div>
<div style=display:inline-table>
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center; "
|+ Northern Ireland Purchases/Imports<ref name="nitrade" />
! scope="col" style="width: 50px;" |
! scope="col" style="width: 150px;"| United Kingdom
! scope="col" style="width: 150px;"| Republic of Ireland

|-
! 2020
| £13.4 billion || £2.5 billion
|-
! 2021
| £14.4 billion
| £3.1 billion
|}
</div>

===Infrastructure and transportation===
{{main|Transport in Ireland}}

[[File:Approaching Seahill station - geograph.org.uk - 243422.jpg|thumb|An [[Northern Ireland Railways|NIR]] [[NIR Class 3000|C3K]] [[railcar]]]]
[[File:Entrance to George Best Belfast City Airport - geograph.org.uk - 3145806.jpg|thumb|right|The terminal building of [[Belfast City Airport]]]]

Northern Ireland has underdeveloped transport infrastructure, with most infrastructure concentrated around Greater Belfast, Greater Derry, and Craigavon. Northern Ireland is served by three airports—[[Belfast International Airport|Belfast International]] near [[Antrim, County Antrim|Antrim]], [[George Best Belfast City Airport|George Best Belfast City]] integrated into the railway network at [[Sydenham railway station, Northern Ireland|Sydenham]] in East Belfast, and [[City of Derry Airport|City of Derry]] in County Londonderry. There are upgrade plans to transform the railway network in Northern Ireland including new lines from Derry to Portadown and Belfast to Newry, though it will take the best part of 25 years to deliver.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66297150 |access-date=26 July 2023 |title=All-Island Rail Review: Londonderry to Portadown line recommended |work=BBC News |date=25 July 2023 |archive-date=26 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726083037/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66297150 |url-status=live }}</ref> There are major seaports at [[Larne]] and [[Port of Belfast|Belfast]] which carry passengers and freight between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Passenger railways are operated by [[NI Railways]]. With [[Iarnród Éireann]] (Irish Rail), [[NI Railways]] co-operates in providing the joint [[Enterprise (train)|Enterprise]] service between [[Dublin Connolly]] and [[Belfast Grand Central station|Belfast Grand Central]]. The whole of Ireland has a mainline railway network with a [[Track gauge in Ireland|gauge of {{cvt|5|ft|3|in|mm}}]], which is unique in Europe and has resulted in distinct rolling stock designs. The only preserved line of this gauge on the island is the [[Downpatrick and County Down Railway]], which operates heritage steam and diesel locomotives. Main railway lines linking to and from [[Belfast Grand Central station|Belfast Grand Central Station]] and Lanyon Place railway station are:
* The [[Belfast–Derry railway line|Derry Line]] and the Portrush Branch.
* The [[Larne Town railway station|Larne]] Line
* The [[Bangor railway station (Northern Ireland)|Bangor]] Line
* The [[Newry railway station|Newry]]/[[Portadown railway station|Portadown]] Line

The Derry line is the busiest single-track railway line in the United Kingdom, carrying 3 million passengers per annum, the Derry-Londonderry Line has also been described by Michael Palin as "one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/michael-palins-favourite-railway-line-between-coleraine-and-derry-in-northern-ireland-set-to-re-open-following-upgrade/35227689.html |access-date=26 July 2023 |title=Michael Palin's favourite railway line - between Coleraine and Derry in Northern Ireland |newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk |date=18 November 2016 |archive-date=26 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726073856/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/michael-palins-favourite-railway-line-between-coleraine-and-derry-in-northern-ireland-set-to-re-open-following-upgrade/35227689.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Main motorways are:
* [[M1 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M1]] connecting Belfast to the south and west, ending in [[Dungannon]]
* [[M2 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M2]] connecting Belfast to the north. An unconnected section of the [[M2 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M2]] also by-passes [[Ballymena]]

Additional short motorway spurs include:
* [[M12 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M12]] connecting the [[M1 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M1]] to [[Portadown]]
* [[M22 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M22]] connecting the [[M2 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M2]] to near [[Randalstown]]
* [[M3 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M3]] connecting the M1 (via the [[Westlink (road)|A12]]) and M2 in Belfast with the A2 dual carriageway to [[Bangor, County Down|Bangor]]
* [[M5 motorway (Northern Ireland)|M5]] connecting Belfast to [[Newtownabbey]]

The cross-border road connecting the ports of [[Larne]] in Northern Ireland and [[Rosslare Harbour]] in the Republic of Ireland is being upgraded as part of an EU-funded scheme. [[European route E01]] runs from Larne through the island of Ireland, Spain, and Portugal to [[Seville]].

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Northern Ireland}}

Northern Ireland shares both the [[culture of Ulster]] and the [[culture of the United Kingdom]].

[[File:Belfast waterfront.jpg|thumb|[[Odyssey Place|SSE Arena]] with 11,000 capacity on Belfast waterfront]]
Northern Ireland has witnessed rising numbers of tourists. Attractions include concert venues, cultural festivals, musical and artistic traditions, countryside and geographical sites of interest, public houses, welcoming hospitality, and sports (especially golf and fishing).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186469-Activities-Northern_Ireland.html |access-date=26 July 2023 |title=Things to Do in Northern Ireland |archive-date=26 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726201641/https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186469-Activities-Northern_Ireland.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 1987 public houses have been allowed to open on Sundays, despite some opposition.

[[Parades in Northern Ireland|Parades are a prominent feature]] of Northern Ireland society,<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/parade/summary.htm Parades and Marches – A Summary of the Issue] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150824111620/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/parade/summary.htm |date=24 August 2015 }}. [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] (CAIN).</ref> more so than in the rest of Ireland or the United Kingdom. Most are held by Protestant fraternities such as the [[Orange Order]], and Ulster loyalist marching bands. Each summer, during the "marching season", these groups have hundreds of parades, [[Northern Ireland flags issue|deck streets with British flags]], bunting and specially-made arches, and light large towering bonfires in the [[Eleventh Night|"Eleventh Night" celebrations]].<ref name=bryan130>Bryan, Dominic. ''Orange Parades: The Politics of Ritual, Tradition and Control''. Pluto Press, 2000. p. 130</ref> The biggest parades are held on 12 July ([[The Twelfth]]). There is often tension when these activities take place near Catholic neighbourhoods, which sometimes leads to violence.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25429676 "NI talks issues explained: flags, parades, the past and welfare reform"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420061257/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25429676 |date=20 April 2021 }}. BBC News, 12 December 2014.</ref>

The [[Ulster Cycle]] is a large body of prose and verse centring on 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 on the reign of [[Conchobar mac Nessa]], who is said to have been the king of Ulster around the 1st century. 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]], who features in the [[epic poetry|epic prose/poem]] ''An [[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'' (The Cattle Raid of Cooley, a ''[[casus belli]]'' between Ulster and [[Connaught]]).

===Symbols===
{{See also|Northern Ireland flags issue}}
[[File:NI Assembly.svg|thumb|right|The logo for the [[Northern Ireland Assembly|Northern Ireland assembly]] is based on the flower of the [[flax]] plant.<ref name="NI logo">{{cite web |author=Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office |url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/io/logo.htm |title=Northern Ireland Assembly logo |publisher=Niassembly.gov.uk |access-date=13 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013063735/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/io/logo.htm |archive-date=13 October 2010}}</ref>]]
[[File:Flag of Northern Ireland (1953–1972).svg|thumb|The [[Ulster Banner]] is used to represent Northern Ireland in [[Northern Ireland national football team|association football]] and at the [[Commonwealth Games]].]]

Northern Ireland comprises a patchwork of communities whose national loyalties are represented in some areas by flags flown from flagpoles or lamp posts. The [[Union Jack]] and the former [[flag of Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland flag]] are flown in many loyalist areas, and the Tricolour, adopted by republicans as the [[flag of Ireland]] in 1916,<ref>{{cite book |title=Reactions To Irish Nationalism, 1865–1914 |editor=Alan O'Day |publisher=Hambledon Press |location=London |year=1987 |quote=With the Rising of 1916 a break took place in national symbolism which was most visibly manifested in the national flag and the anthem which the young Irish nation accepted. The demise of the Parliamentary Party stands in direct parallel to the just as rapidly diminishing power of its symbols. The green flag and 'God save Ireland' began to be discredited as symbols of constitutional nationalism and, instead, the symbols of revolutionary nationalism gained popularity as the majority of the Irish people identified themselves with the political aims of the Easter revolutionaries. The use of symbols made apparent that the occurrences of 1916 initiated a new epoch in Irish history much in the same as the Union of 1801 and the Famine of 1845–8 did. Both the national flag and the national anthem of present-day Ireland drive origins directly from the Rising. At first, it still appeared as if the revolutionaries would take over the old symbols because on the roof of their headquarters, the Dublin General Post Office, a green flag with the harp was hoisted next to the republican tricolour although with the inscription 'Irish Republic'. Even 'Got save Ireland' was sung by the revolutionaries during Easter week. But after the failure of the Rising and the subsequent executions of the leading revolutionaries the tricolour and 'The Soldier's Song' became more and more popular as symbols of the rebellion.}}</ref> is flown 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.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7748005.stm Vandals curbed by plastic edging]  BBC News, 25 November 2008.</ref>

The official flag is that of the state having sovereignty over the territory, i.e. the Union Flag.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2000/20000347.htm |title=Statutory Rule 2000 No. 347 |publisher=Opsi.gov.uk |access-date=7 August 2013 |archive-date=9 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209115902/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2000/20000347.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The former Northern Ireland flag, also known as the "[[Ulster Banner]]" or "Red Hand Flag", is a banner derived from the coat of arms of the [[Government of Northern Ireland]] until 1972. Since 1972, it has had no official status. The Union Flag and the Ulster Banner are used exclusively by unionists. The UK flags policy states that in Northern Ireland, "The Ulster flag and the [[Saint Patrick's Saltire|Cross of St Patrick]] have no official status and, under the Flags Regulations, are not permitted to be flown from Government Buildings."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090618161731/http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-04474.pdf The Union Flag and Flags of the United Kingdom] House of Commons Library, 3 June 2008.</ref><ref>[http://flags.net/NOIR.htm Northern Irish flags from the World Flag Database] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913181314/http://www.flags.net/NOIR.htm |date=13 September 2017 }}.</ref>

The [[Irish Rugby Football Union]] and the [[Church of Ireland]] have used the [[Saint Patrick's Saltire]] or "Cross of St&nbsp;Patrick". This red [[saltire]] on a white field was used to represent Ireland in the [[flag of the United Kingdom]]. It is still used by some [[British Army]] regiments. Foreign flags are also found, such as the [[Palestinian territories|Palestinian]] flags in some nationalist areas and [[Israel]]i flags in some unionist areas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dowd |first1=Vincent |title=Israel and the Palestinians: The Irish connection |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10294057 |access-date=25 July 2014 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=17 June 2010 |archive-date=3 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903214406/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10294057 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The United Kingdom national anthem of "[[God Save the King]]" is often played at state events in Northern Ireland. At the [[Commonwealth Games]] and some other sporting events, the Northern Ireland team uses the Ulster Banner as its flag—notwithstanding its lack of official status—and the "[[Londonderry Air]]" (usually set to [[lyrics]] as "[[Danny Boy]]"), which also has no official status, as its [[national anthem]].<ref>''Sport, Nationalism and Globalization: European and North American Perspectives'' by Alan Bairner ({{ISBN|978-0791449127}}), p. 38</ref><ref>''Sport, Sectarianism and Society in a Divided Ireland'' by John Sugden and Alan Bairner ({{ISBN|978-0718500184}}), p. 60</ref> The [[Northern Ireland national football team]] also uses the Ulster Banner as its flag but uses "God Save The King" as its anthem.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/confederations/associationdetails/0%2C1483%2CNIR%2C00.html?countrycode=NIR |title=FIFA.com: Northern Ireland, Latest News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051210203557/http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/confederations/associationdetails/0%2C1483%2CNIR%2C00.html?countrycode=NIR |archive-date=10 December 2005}}</ref> Major [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] matches are opened by the national anthem of the Republic of Ireland, "{{Lang|ga|[[Amhrán na bhFiann]]|italic=no}} (The Soldier's Song)", which is also used by most other all-Ireland sporting organisations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-3.htm |title=Sport and Community Relations in Northern Ireland 3.2 Flags and Anthems |author1=John Sugden |author2=Scott Harvie |name-list-style=amp |year=1995 |access-date=26 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502190044/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/csc/reports/sugdenharvie/sugdenharvie95-3.htm |archive-date=2 May 2014}}</ref> Since 1995, the [[Ireland rugby union team]] has used a specially commissioned song, "[[Ireland's Call]]" as the team's anthem. The Irish national anthem is also played at Dublin home matches, being the anthem of the host country.<ref>{{cite news |quote=the band played ''Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika'' and ''Die Stem'' for the Springboks and "Soldier's Song", the national anthem that is otherwise known as ''Amhran na bhFiann'', and "Ireland's Call", the team's official rugby anthem. |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-103809383.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104100940/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-103809383.html |archive-date=4 November 2012 |author=Peter Berlin |work=International Herald Tribune |date=29 December 2004 |access-date=26 May 2008 |title=Long Unsung Teams Live up to Anthems: Rugby Union}}</ref>

[[Northern Irish murals]] have become well-known features of Northern Ireland, depicting past and present events and documenting peace and cultural diversity. Almost 2,000 murals have been documented in Northern Ireland since the 1970s.

===Media and communications===
{{Main|Media of Northern Ireland|Mass media in the Republic of Ireland}}

[[File:BBC Broadcasting House, Belfast, October 2010 (01).JPG|thumb|upright|[[Broadcasting House, Belfast]], home of [[BBC Northern Ireland]]]]

The [[BBC]] has a division called [[BBC Northern Ireland]] with headquarters in Belfast and operates [[BBC One Northern Ireland]] and [[BBC Two Northern Ireland]]. As well as broadcasting standard UK-wide programmes, BBC NI produces local content, including a news break-out called [[BBC Newsline]]. The [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] franchise in Northern Ireland is [[UTV (TV channel)|UTV]]. The state-owned [[Channel 4]] and the privately owned [[Channel 5 (British TV channel)|Channel 5]] also broadcast in Northern Ireland. Access is also available to satellite and cable services.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=IJ287750 |title=Freeview on Divis TV transmitter &#124; ukfree.tv – independent free digital TV advice |publisher=ukfree.tv |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914001028/http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=IJ287750 |url-status=live}}</ref> All Northern Ireland viewers must obtain a UK [[Television licensing in the United Kingdom|TV licence]] to watch live television transmissions or use [[BBC iPlayer]].

[[RTÉ]], the national broadcaster of the Republic of Ireland, is available over the air to most parts of Northern Ireland via reception overspill of the Republic's [[Saorview]] service,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irish-tv.com/ccarn.asp |title=Over forty years of Irish TV History |publisher=Irish TV |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927121409/http://www.irish-tv.com/ccarn.asp |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref> or via satellite and cable. Since the digital TV switchover, [[RTÉ One]], [[RTÉ2]] and the Irish-language channel [[TG4]], are now available over the air on the UK's [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]] system from transmitters within Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.advanced-television.com/index.php/2010/12/21/rte-and-tg4-on-freeview-hd-in-northern-ireland/ |title=RTÉ and TG4 on Freeview HD in Northern Ireland |publisher=Advanced Television |date=21 December 2010 |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927035358/http://www.advanced-television.com/index.php/2010/12/21/rte-and-tg4-on-freeview-hd-in-northern-ireland/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Although they are transmitted in standard definition, a Freeview HD box or television is required for reception.

As well as the standard UK-wide radio stations from the BBC, Northern Ireland is home to many local radio stations, such as [[Cool FM]], [[Q Radio Network|Q Radio]], [[Downtown Radio]] and [[U105]]. The BBC has two regional radio stations which broadcast in Northern Ireland, [[BBC Radio Ulster]] and [[BBC Radio Foyle]].

Besides the UK and Irish national newspapers, there are three main regional newspapers published in Northern Ireland. These are the ''[[Belfast Telegraph]]'', ''[[The Irish News]]'' and ''[[The News Letter]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-newspapers.com/northern-ireland.html |title=Northern Ireland Newspapers |publisher=World-newspapers.com |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=20 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520010834/http://www.world-newspapers.com/northern-ireland.html |url-status=live}}</ref> According to the [[Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK)]] the average daily circulation for these three titles in 2018 was:
:{| class="sortable wikitable"
! Title !! Market type !! Print time !! Political alignment !! Format !! Circulation Jan–Jun 2018<ref name="ABC Northern Ireland">{{cite web |title=ABC Northern Ireland |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product?a=abc&search=northern+ireland |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025190010/https://www.abc.org.uk/product?a=abc&search=northern+ireland |url-status=live}}</ref>!!Circulation Jul–Dec 2018<ref name="ABC Northern Ireland"/>
|-
| ''[[Belfast Telegraph]]'' || Regional || Morning || Non-Sectarianism/British Unionism || Compact || 35,931 || 33,951
|-
| ''[[The Irish News]]'' || Regional || Morning || Irish nationalism || Compact || 33,647 || 32,315
|-
| ''[[News Letter]]'' || Regional || Morning || British unionism || Tabloid || 13,374 || 12,499
|}

Northern Ireland uses the same telecommunications and postal services as the rest of the United Kingdom at standard domestic rates and there are no mobile roaming charges between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.royalmail.com/customer-service/service-updates/northern-ireland |title=Royal Mail Customer Service – Offering help and advice |publisher=.royalmail.com |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=2 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502231116/http://www2.royalmail.com/customer-service/service-updates/northern-ireland |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.btnorthernireland.com/ |title=BT in Northern Ireland &#124; At home |publisher=Btnorthernireland.com |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=1 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801051419/http://btnorthernireland.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref> People in Northern Ireland who live close to the border with the Republic of Ireland may inadvertently switch over to the Irish mobile networks, causing international roaming fees to be applied.<ref>{{cite web |author=Southgate Amateur Radio Club |url=http://www.southgatearc.org/news/jan2005/comreg_ofcom.htm |title=Comreg and Ofcom publish first report on cross-border telecoms issues |publisher=Southgatearc.org |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915122648/http://www.southgatearc.org/news/jan2005/comreg_ofcom.htm |archive-date=15 September 2012}}</ref> Calls from landlines in Northern Ireland to numbers in the Republic of Ireland are charged at the same rate as those to numbers in Great Britain, while landline numbers in Northern Ireland can similarly be called from the Republic of Ireland at domestic rates, using the [[Telephone numbers in the Republic of Ireland#Calls to Northern Ireland|048]] prefix.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.askcomreg.ie/tell_us/calling_northern_ireland___use_the_048_code_to_call_fixed_line_numbers.238.LE.asp |title=Calling Northern Ireland – Use the 048 code to call fixed-line numbers |date=1 March 2007 |publisher=[[Commission for Communications Regulation]] |access-date=18 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108022756/http://www.askcomreg.ie/tell_us/calling_northern_ireland___use_the_048_code_to_call_fixed_line_numbers.238.LE.asp |archive-date=8 November 2015}}</ref>

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Northern Ireland}}

====Organisation of sports====

Many sports are organised on an [[all-Ireland]] basis, with a single governing body or team for the whole island.<ref name="theherald1">[http://www.heraldscotland.com/how-do-other-sports-in-the-island-cope-with-the-situation-1.877873 How do other sports in the island cope with the situation?] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610005104/http://www.heraldscotland.com/how-do-other-sports-in-the-island-cope-with-the-situation-1.877873 |date=10 June 2015 }} The Herald, 3 April 2008</ref> The most notable exception is association football (soccer), which has a separate governing body, league and national team for Northern Ireland.<ref name="theherald1"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportni.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1.-List-Of-Recognised-Governing-Bodies.pdf |access-date=22 July 2023 |title=Sporting Activities and Governing Bodies Recognised by the Sports Councils |archive-date=22 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722181712/http://www.sportni.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1.-List-Of-Recognised-Governing-Bodies.pdf}}</ref>

====Football====
[[File:Scotland v n ireland.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland football team]] line up with the [[Scotland national football team|Scotland national team]] in football]]

The [[Irish Football Association]] (IFA) serves as the organising body for men's domestic and national association football in Northern Ireland, it is a member of the [[International Football Association Board]] which sets the rules for association football.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theifab.com/organisation/ |title=The International Football Association Board |archive-date=8 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908152411/https://www.theifab.com/organisation/}}</ref> The [[NIWFA]] are responsible for women's domestic and national association football in Northern Ireland.

The [[NIFL Premiership]] is a professional men's football league which operates at the highest division of the [[Northern Ireland Football League]], the current format has been organised with 12 clubs. The winners will enter the first qualifying round of the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]], if they do not progress they will enter the [[Europa League]] or [[Europa Conference League]] depending on performance. The two runners-up progress to the Europa Conference League with play-offs for another Europa Conference League position.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/what-does-new-uefa-competition-mean-for-the-irish-league-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-europa-conference-league/39568156.html |title=What does new UEFA competition mean for the Irish League? |newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk |date=June 2021 |archive-date=8 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908151614/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/what-does-new-uefa-competition-mean-for-the-irish-league-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-europa-conference-league/39568156.html}}</ref> The [[Women's Premiership (Northern Ireland)|NLFL Women's Premiership]] is a professional women's football league which operates at the highest division in Northern Ireland with 10 clubs. The winner qualifies for a spot in the [[UEFA Women's Champions League]]. The men's [[Northern Ireland national football team]] qualified for the [[1958 FIFA World Cup]], [[1982 FIFA World Cup]] and [[1986 FIFA World Cup]], making it to the quarter-finals in 1958 and 1982 and made it the first knockout round in the [[UEFA European Championship|European Championships]] in 2016.

====Rugby====

The [[Irish Rugby Football Union|IRFU]] is the governing body for the sport of Rugby Union on the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/irfu/about/irfu-committee/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |title=IRFU - About |archive-date=15 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815102150/https://www.irishrugby.ie/irfu/about/irfu-committee/}}</ref> Rugby in Northern Ireland is run within the historic province of [[Ulster]] which includes Northern Ireland plus 3 counties from the Republic of Ireland - Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan.

The [[Ireland national rugby league team]] has participated in the [[Rugby League Emerging Nations Tournament|Emerging Nations Tournament]] (1995), the Super League World Nines (1996), the World Cup (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2021), European Nations Cup (since 2003) and Victory Cup (2004). The Ireland A rugby league team competes annually in the Amateur Four Nations competition (since 2002) and the St Patrick's Day Challenge (since 1995).

====Cricket and golf====
[[File:Rory McIlroy watches drive flight (crowd, landscape orientation).jpg|thumb|Prominent Northern Irish golfer [[Rory McIlroy]]]]

The [[Ireland cricket team]] represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is a full member of the [[International Cricket Council]], having been granted [[Test cricket|Test status]] and full membership by the ICC in June 2017. The side competes in Test cricket, the highest level of competitive cricket in the international arena, and is one of the 12 full-member countries of the ICC. Ireland men's side has played in the [[Ireland at the Cricket World Cup|Cricket World Cup]] and [[ICC Men's T20 World Cup|T20 World Cup]] and has won the [[ICC Intercontinental Cup]] four times. The [[Ireland women's cricket team|women's side]] has played in the [[Women's Cricket World Cup|Women's World Cup]]. One of the men's side's regular international venues is [[Stormont (cricket ground)|Stormont]] in Belfast.

The governing body for golf on the island of Ireland is [[Golf Ireland]], it is the successor to the Golfing Union of Ireland, governing body for men's and boy's amateur golf, and the oldest golfing union in the world, which was founded in Belfast in 1891, and the Irish Ladies Golf Union. Northern Ireland's golf courses include the [[Royal Belfast Golf Club]] (the earliest, formed in 1881), [[Royal Portrush Golf Club]], which is the only course outside Great Britain to have hosted [[The Open Championship]], and [[Royal County Down Golf Club]] (''[[Golf Digest]]'' magazine's top-rated course outside the United States).<ref>{{cite book |last=Redmond |first=John |title=The Book of Irish Golf |page=10 |publisher=Pelican Publishing Company |year=1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/golf-courses/2009-05/100greatestinternational_golfcourses?currentPage=2 |access-date=21 June 2010 |title=The Best of the Rest: A World of Great Golf |year=2009 |publisher=Golf Digest |page=2 |archive-date=4 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604155048/http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/golf-courses/2009-05/100greatestinternational_golfcourses?currentPage=2 |url-status=live}}</ref> Northern Ireland had three major champions in the space of just 14 months from the [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] in [[2010 U.S. Open (golf)|2010]] to [[The Open Championship]] in [[2011 Open Championship|2011]]. Notable golfers include [[Fred Daly (golfer)|Fred Daly]] (winner of The Open in [[1947 Open Championship|1947]]), [[Ryder Cup]] players [[Ronan Rafferty]] and [[David Feherty]], leading [[European Tour]] professionals [[David Jones (golfer)|David Jones]], [[Michael Hoey (golfer)|Michael Hoey]] (a five-time winner on the tour) and [[Gareth Maybin]], as well as three recent major winners [[Graeme McDowell]] (winner of the U.S. Open in 2010, the first European to do so since 1970), [[Rory McIlroy]] (winner of five [[Men's major golf championships|majors]]) and [[Darren Clarke]] (winner of The Open in 2011).<ref>{{cite news |work=Daily News |location=New York |title=Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell wins U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, ends European losing streak |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/06/20/2010-06-20_northern_irelands_graeme_mcdowell_wins_us_open_at_pebble_beach_ends_european_los.html#ixzz0sG74YZKd |last=Gagne |first=Matt |access-date=29 June 2010 |date=20 June 2010 |archive-date=24 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824044014/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/06/20/2010-06-20_northern_irelands_graeme_mcdowell_wins_us_open_at_pebble_beach_ends_european_los.html#ixzz0sG74YZKd}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Lawrence Donegan at Congressional |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jun/20/rory-mcilroy-us-open |title=US Open 2011: Remarkable Rory McIlroy wins by eight shots &#124; Sport |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=23 August 2011 |date=20 June 2011 |archive-date=28 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528134011/http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jun/20/rory-mcilroy-us-open |url-status=live}}</ref> Northern Ireland has also contributed several players to the Great Britain and Ireland [[Walker Cup]] team, including [[Alan Dunbar]] and Paul Cutler who played on the victorious 2011 team in Scotland. Dunbar also won [[The Amateur Championship]] in 2012, at Royal Troon.

==See also==
{{Portal|Northern Ireland|United Kingdom|Ireland}}
* [[List of Ulster-related topics]]
* [[Outline of Northern Ireland]]
* [[Outline of the United Kingdom]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

=== Sources ===
* {{Cite book |last=Lynch |first=Robert |title=The Partition of Ireland: 1918–1925 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/partition-of-ireland/C07E70B9B2C61587088A6C83C47EAC6A |isbn=978-1107007734 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=2019}}

==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)
* {{Cite book |author=Tony Geraghty |title=The Irish War |url=https://archive.org/details/irishwarhiddenco00mrto |url-access=registration |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8018-7117-7 |author-link=Tony Geraghty}}
* [[Robert Kee]], ''The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism'' (Penguin, 1972–2000), {{ISBN|0-14-029165-2}}
* Osborne Morton, ''Marine Algae of Northern Ireland'' (Ulster Museum, Belfast, 1994), {{ISBN|0-900761-28-8}}
* Henry Patterson, ''Ireland Since 1939: The Persistence of Conflict'' (Penguin, 2006), {{ISBN|978-1-84488-104-8}}
* P. Hackney (ed.) ''Stewart's and Corry's Flora of the North-east of Ireland'' 3rd edn. (Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University of Belfast, 1992), {{ISBN|0-85389-446-9}}(HB)

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland}}
* [https://www.northernireland.gov.uk/ Northern Ireland Executive] (Northern Ireland [[Devolution|devolved]] government)
* [http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/ Discover Northern Ireland] ([[Tourism Northern Ireland]])
* {{OSM relation|156393}}

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