International relations - great Britain and Northern Ireland

Question

Explain the usage of the following names: Northern Ireland, Ulster, the six counties.

Answer 1

Northern Ireland is the official name given in 1920 to the newly created British province, which was the north part of Ireland. It is also known by the name of Ulster, which was one of the ancient kingdoms of Ireland. Ulster consisted of nine counties, six of which are situated in Northern Ireland, hence the name 'the six counties. That last name is used as an alternative for 'Northern Ireland' by the Irish who do not recognize the British province.

Answer 2

Catholics are also known as republicans and nationalists because they support the idea of a single Irish nation with a republican government. Protestants are known as unionists and loyalists because they are loyal to the union with Britain.

Answer 3

This agreement led to the end of the violence in Northern Ireland. It was signed in 1998. This involved not only all the political parties in the province but also the Irish and British governments. It gave the Republic of Ireland a small degree of power sharing and everybody born in Northern Ireland the right to be a citizen of the Republic. It also stipulated that the six counties would remain part of the UK as long as a majority of its people wanted it that way.

Answer 4

It was an revolt in the Easter week of 1916 by Irish republicans with the aim of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing an independent Irish republic

Answer 5

The Provisional IRA is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuation. It emerged out of the December 1969 split of the Irish Republican Army over differences of ideology and how to respond to violence against the nationalist community. The political wing is called Sinn Féin.