which areas of northern ireland are catholic? which areas of northern ireland are catholic?

The centrepiece of Northern Ireland's geography is Lough Neagh, at 151 square miles (391km2) the largest freshwater lake both on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. Northern Ireland law developed from Irish law that existed before the partition of Ireland in 1921. 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. Perhaps Northern Ireland's most notable successes in professional sport have come in golf. [220] All Northern Ireland viewers must obtain a UK TV licence to watch live television transmissions or use BBC iPlayer. 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. 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. [108] Some writers describe the United Kingdom as being made up of three countries and one province[109] or point out the difficulties with calling Northern Ireland a country. [113], "Region" is used by several UK government agencies and the European Union. 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 Rich, former king of Ulster. These two opposing views are linked to deeper cultural divisions. For 30 years, Northern Ireland was scarred by a period of deadly sectarian violence known as the Troubles. This explosive era was fraught with car bombings, riots and revenge killings that ran from the late 1960s through the late 1990s. 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. While bloodied protestors fled into the freezing river for protection, the RUC officers stood aside and did nothing to protect them, says Smyth. The first British troops arrived on the 15th August. There were no searchlights in the city, which made shooting down enemy bombers more difficult. The Troubles were precipitated by years upon years of friction between Catholics and Protestants. In the words of one unionist politician Graham Gudgin, 'The allegations [of discrimination] are widely believed, even by unionists, but are hugely exaggerated Catholics live largely in the west and south, apart from a small pocket in the far north-east. We strive for accuracy and fairness. 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. A petrol bomb which was thrown at a police van (left) is pictured burning out in Rossville Street, Derry, Northern Ireland, October 1968. All Rights Reserved. They were met with violent resistance by the Bogsiders, who hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails. The city was thinly defended, and had only 24 anti-aircraft guns. Theres been an unfortunate sort of heroic regard for the gunman-martyr throughout Irish history in the 20th century, certainly throughout the Northern Ireland conflict from the 1960s to the late 1990s: the rebel revolutionary who either dies, or is martyred at the hands of the state, or is executed. The Battle of the Bogside, as its known, raged for three days, but some of the worst damage was inflicted in Belfast, where loyalist mobs aided by the B-Specials swarmed Catholic neighborhoods and burned 1,500 homes to the ground. 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. How do other sports in the island cope with the situation? It was the beginning of a decades-long deployment in Northern Ireland by the British military. [137] Today, only 8% of Northern Ireland is woodland, and most of this is non-native conifer plantations.[138]. Also in north Antrim are the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Mussenden Temple and the Glens of Antrim. The team's roster has featured Northern Irish-born players such as Mark Morrison, Graeme Walton and Gareth Roberts among others. A mural in Belfast. The biggest employer in Belfast was the shipyard, but it had a 95 percent Protestant workforce. The expectation at the time was that Northern Ireland would be left with the Protestant majority parts of Ulster, which only would have been four of the nine traditional counties. NISL takes a large component from the British family of sign language (which also includes Auslan) with many borrowings from ASL. 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) being ruled from Dublin. The Catholic Protestant Divide Religious Differences Around seventy-five per cent of the population of Northern Ireland was protestant, and twenty-five per cent was Catholic. Across the nine counties, according to the aggregate UK 2011 Census for Northern Ireland, and the ROI 2011 Census for counties Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan, there is a Roman Catholic majority over Protestant of 50.8% to 42.7%. [148] In 2021 the largest non-white ethnic groups were black (0.6%), Indian (0.5%), and Chinese (0.5%). The six counties of Northern Ireland are among the nine governed by the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union, the governing body of rugby union in Ireland. Following the Williamite victory, and contrary to the Treaty of Limerick (1691), a series of Penal Laws were passed by the Anglican Protestant ruling class in 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. Historically, the island of Ireland was known simply as Ireland. This cult exists on both sides of the confessional and political divide in Ireland. 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. The local economy has seen contraction during the Great Recession. 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. Their subsequent execution and martyrdom intensely complicated the situation. [29] The conflict was caused by the disputed status of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom and the discrimination against the Irish nationalist minority by the dominant unionist majority. 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. In 1169, Ireland was invaded by a coalition of forces under the command of the English crown that quickly overran and occupied most of the island, beginning 800 years of foreign central authority. The Ulster-dominated alliance represented the first Irish united front (prior resistance had always been localized). Unlike most areas of the United Kingdom, in the last year of primary school, many children sit entrance examinations for grammar schools. [28][29] The 1998 Good Friday Agreement was a major step in the peace process, including paramilitary disarmament and security normalisation, although sectarianism and segregation remain major social problems, and sporadic violence has continued. Key tourism attractions include the historic cities of Derry, Belfast, and Armagh and the many castles in Northern Ireland. In addition, eighteen representatives (Members of Parliament, MPs) are elected to the lower house of the UK parliament from the same constituencies using the first-past-the-post system. Belfast's most prominent peak is Cavehill. As in all of the UK, the economy of Northern Ireland was negatively impacted by the lockdowns and travel restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. [13] This has been noted as a problem by several writers on Northern Ireland, with no generally recommended solution. The Catholic population, meanwhile, is growing relative to the Protestant population. In June 1940, to encourage the neutral Irish state to join with the Allies, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill indicated to Taoiseach amon de Valera that the British government would encourage Irish unity, but believing that Churchill could not deliver, de Valera declined the offer. 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. Further Protestant victories in the Williamite-Jacobite War (168891) solidified Anglican Protestant rule in the Kingdom of Ireland. Players play for local clubs with the best being selected for their county teams. [65], For its first fifty years, Northern Ireland had an unbroken series of Ulster Unionist Party governments. ", "CAIN: Northern Ireland Society Security and Defence", Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Investment: Full Economic Overview, 15 October 2014, "UK unemployment rate falls to lowest level since 2008 financial crisis", "Lundy's Day: Thousands attend 'peaceful' Londonderry parade", "Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America", "Lemass-O'Neill talks focused on `purely practical matters'", "BBC History The Troubles Violence", "The Cameron Report Disturbances in Northern Ireland (1969)", "BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | Republic drops claim to NI", "Securocrat sabotage exposed | An Phoblacht", "Professor John H. Whyte paper on discrimination in Northern Ireland", "CAIN website key issues discrimination summary", "Ark survey, 2007. Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, lying in the northeastern quadrant of the island of Ireland, on the western continental periphery often characterized as Atlantic Europe. Excepted matters (such as international relations, taxation and elections) are never expected to be considered for devolution. The highest-ranked Northern Ireland professional on the world circuit presently is Mark Allen from County Antrim. Many unionists, however, remained skeptical. The Irish language (Irish: an Ghaeilge), or Gaelic, is the second most spoken language in Northern Ireland and is a native language of Ireland. These are the Belfast Telegraph, The Irish News and The News Letter. [1] English is a de facto official language. Together they are commonly called Ulster, though the territory does not include the entire ancient province of Ulster. The six counties of Antrim, Down, Armagh, Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh comprised the maximum area unionists believed they could dominate,[48] 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. to capture those who no longer identify with a religion. In a new book, professor of history Stewart Weaver chronicles journeys of discovery from the pre-historic trek of humans across the Bering Strait to the mid-20th century deep sea voyages of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan were combined with the island's remaining 23 counties to form southern Ireland. [41], Unionists were in a minority in Ireland as a whole, but a majority in the province of Ulster, especially the counties Antrim, Down, Armagh and Londonderry. Education in Northern Ireland is heavily segregated. As well as asking the traditional question of "Religion?" When protestors didnt disperse, the troops opened fire with rubber bullets and then live rounds. Northern Ireland had three major champions in the space of just 14 months from the U.S. Open in 2010 to The Open Championship in 2011. Notable golfers include Fred Daly (winner of The Open in 1947), Ryder Cup players Ronan Rafferty and David Feherty, leading European Tour professionals David Jones, 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 four majors) and Darren Clarke (winner of The Open in 2011). Most state schools in Northern Ireland are predominantly Protestant, while the majority of Catholic children attend schools maintained by the Catholic Church. The Ireland national rugby league team has participated in the 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). Variable:BRITISH. In Derry, the local chapter was known as the Apprentice Boys and they planned a patriotic loyalist parade on August 12 that ran directly past a predominantly Catholic part of town called the Bogside. [80] As early as 1969, armed campaigns of paramilitary groups began, including the Provisional IRA campaign of 19691997 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. People born in Northern Ireland are, with some exceptions, deemed by UK law to be citizens of the United Kingdom. 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. The make-up of the Northern Ireland Assembly reflects the appeals of the various parties within the population. A total of 807 candidates are contesting the 462 seats across the 11 councils in Northern Ireland . Northern Ireland is composed of 26 districts, derived from the boroughs of Belfast and Londonderry and the counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone. 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. Before Brexit, I would have said, yes. There was a kind of momentum and there seemed to be a will for reunification. Unlike in the rest of the country, where Gaelic authority continued only in scattered, remote pockets, the major kingdoms of Ulster would mostly remain intact with English authority in the province contained to areas on the eastern coast closest to Great Britain. And the other near Belfast City Centre by (catholic) career criminals and scumbags who now can seemingly batter and kill on a whim. [13][110] The BBC style guide is to refer to Northern Ireland as a province, and use of the term is common in literature and newspaper reports on Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. The head of Northern Ireland's community relations council has said the police patrols are unsustainable . As Counties Londonderry, Antrim, and Down are the only three counties of Northern Ireland with a shoreline this will apply to all of Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland consists of six historic counties: County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Fermanagh, County Londonderry,[b] and County Tyrone. Battle of the Bogside in Derry, Northern Ireland, August 12, 1969. Credit: Peter Ferraz/Getty Images. 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. A second extensive lake system is centred on Lower and Upper Lough Erne in Fermanagh. The march was banned by the Northern Ireland government, but protestors defied the order and gathered on October 5 with signs reading One man, one vote! and Smash sectarianism!. Wikipedia policy is to use Londonderry for the county and Derry for the city. Some historians peg the real beginning of the Troubles to the events of August 1969, when a loyalist parade in Derry sparked three days of rioting and violent reprisals. The Trustees are the custodians of schools within the Catholic managed sector. 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). Thats when a loyalist mob started raining rocks down on the protestors. While Northern Ireland had a clear Protestant majority when it was established, it also had a substantial Catholic minoritylarger than many students realize, says Weaver. [53] The Act received royal assent that December, becoming the Government of Ireland Act 1920. He was drafted 1st overall in the 1990 NHL Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. [72] 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. In 1921, the Irish successfully fought for independence and Ireland was partitioned into two countries: the Irish Free State, which was almost entirely Catholic, and the smaller Northern Ireland, which was mostly Protestant with a Catholic minority. [226][227] 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. 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. A banner on Belfasts Robinson and Cleaver Department Store reads Ulster Welcomes Her King & Queen. Crowds are gathered as King George V arrives to celebrate the opening of the first parliament of Northern Ireland in 1921, and to address the body. The Protestant population is older and passing away and has dropped to 42%. The erection by some district councils of bilingual street names in both English and Irish,[179] invariably in predominantly nationalist districts, is resisted by unionists who claim that it creates a "chill factor" and thus harms community relationships. The Northern Ireland government had no choice but to call for British troops to be sent in to put down the riots. More importantly, from the 1980s onward, we see a liberalization in the Irish Republic, with a lessening hold of the Catholic Church on Irish culture, education, and the state. Irish nationalist members refused to attend. [62], Shortly afterwards, the Irish Boundary Commission was established to decide on the border between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. European route E01 runs from Larne through the island of Ireland, Spain, and Portugal to Seville.