Northern Ireland
noun
a political division of the United Kingdom, in the NE part of the island of Ireland. 5238 sq. mi. (13,565 sq. km). Capital: Belfast.
British Dictionary definitions for northern ireland
Northern Ireland
noun
that part of the United Kingdom occupying the NE part of Ireland: separated from the rest of Ireland, which became independent in law in 1920; remained part of the United Kingdom, with a separate Parliament (Stormont), inaugurated in 1921, and limited self-government; scene of severe conflict between Catholics and Protestants, including terrorist bombing from 1969; direct administration from Westminster from 1972; assembly and powersharing executive established in 1998–99 following the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, suspended in 2002, and reinstated 2007. Capital: Belfast. Pop: 1 702 628 (2003 est). Area: 14 121 sq km (5452 sq miles)
Cultural definitions for northern ireland
Northern Ireland
Political division of the United Kingdom, located in northeastern Ireland. (See Ulster.)
notes for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland was created in 1920, when
Britain established separate
parliaments for the parts of Ireland dominated by
Protestants and by
Roman Catholics. The Protestant portion remained in union with Britain.
notes for Northern Ireland
Demands for equal civil and economic rights by the Catholic minority, beginning in the late 1960s, led to a renewal of violence between Catholics and Protestants.
notes for Northern Ireland
The
Irish Republican Army (IRA), a nationalist organization dedicated to the unification of Ireland, has staged terrorist attacks on British troops in Northern Ireland, as well as other random terrorist attacks in Britain.
notes for Northern Ireland
A peace accord reached on Good Friday, 1998, provided for the restoration of home rule, which Britain had suspended in 1972 when it assumed direct control of Northern Ireland. By the terms of this accord, both Britain and the Republic of
Ireland agreed to give up their constitutional claims on Northern Ireland. Voters in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland approved the accord later in 1998. The failure of the IRA to disarm threw this accord into jeopardy until recently. There is now reasonable hope for a settlement.