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Welcome to Northern Ireland

  • East Belfast 2013

    © Peter Morrison/AP Photo/NTB scanpix

    Photo of the Protestant Cluan Place in East Belfast which is divided by a massive wall and fence that separates the Protestant Cluan Place from the Catholic Short Strand area

  • Giant’s Causeway

    © impr2003/iStockphotos

    Photo of the Giant’s Causeway which is a popular tourist attraction

  • Belfast

    © NigelAndrews/iStockphotos

    Photo of Belfast City Centre

  • Titanic monument

    © Wilhelmina van Rijn e/v Andeweg/Getty Images

    Photo of the Titanic monument

  • Londonderry 1975

    © Alain Le Garsmeur/Getty Images

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Welcome to Northern Ireland

Welcome to Northern Ireland

What is the relationship between the Irish, the Northern Irish and the English? That’s a more difficult question than you might imagine. Did you know that the whole of Ireland was once ruled by the English?

After centuries of conflict, Ireland was eventually divided into two parts in 1921. Northern Ireland stayed a part of the UK and became a self-governing region. The largest part of Ireland became a republic, known as Eire. Most of the Catholics in Northern Ireland wanted to be part of the republic, however. They are known as nationalists. The Protestants in the North are known as unionists, and they wanted to stay part of the UK.

This disagreement led to a great deal of hatred and violence. A particularly violent thirty-year conflict in the late 20th century is referred to as the Troubles. It involved bombings and shootings on both sides. At that time it was almost impossible for Catholics and Protestants to live in the same area or even go to the same schools. However, things have changed for the better. The unionists and nationalists have finally agreed to discuss their differences using democratic and peaceful means. Since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 there has been real peace.

So what kind of place is Northern Ireland today? It has a small population compared with the rest of the UK, with only 122 people per km2. Before, people often worked in agriculture, shipbuilding or the textile industry, but these days there are many high-tech industries here. More and more tourists are coming to Northern Ireland, too. The Giant’s Causeway is a popular tourist attraction, Belfast is another. In fact, the city is becoming a very popular place for short breaks. According to Lonely Planet, Belfast is “one of the top ten cities in the world on the rise”.

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