From the late middle ages it was a kingdom, under the same monarch as England, but a separate country. [26] They then took possession of central Ulaid spanning the modern counties of Armagh, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Monaghan and Tyrone founding the over-kingdom of Airgíalla.[26]. 8.1 - Why is Ireland divided? [2] In the 12th century Lebor na Cert (Book of Rights), the term means province, seemingly having lost its fractional meaning with seven cúigeadh listed. [15] After Henry II, king of England, landed in Ireland in 1171, the Mac Cárthaigh submitted to him to prevent an Uí Briain invasion. Early historical and genealogical records note the existence of major groups such as the Cruthin, Corcu Loígde, Dál Riata, Dáirine, Deirgtine, Delbhna, Érainn, Laigin, Ulaid. Geographically, the area is divided by the Sliabh Luachra Mountains into Today the island of Ireland is divided into two countries: (1) the Republic of Ireland, also known as Éire and (2) Northern Ireland, one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (together with England, Scotland, and Wales). Officially, Henry’s justification for invading Ireland was religious: the ‘reformation’ of the Irish church (although historians remain divided on whether Pope Adrian IV really issued the bull Laudabiliter authorising the annexation of Ireland). [6] It was during the 9th century that Osraige, ruled by Cerball mac Dúnlainge, became a major political player. After this they claimed for the first time the title of rí Ulad, "king of Ulster", amalgamating their territory into one united province. The island of Ireland is divided into the Republic of Ireland and Nothern Ireland. Leinster, the eastern kingdom, is the seat of prosperity, hospitality, the importing of rich foreign wares like silk or wine; the men of Leinster are noble in speech and their women are exceptionally beautiful. Ulster in the north is the seat of battle valour, of haughtiness, strife, boasting; the men of Ulster are the fiercest warriors of all Ireland, and the queens and goddesses of Ulster are associated with battle and death. The Protestant majority and Catholic minority in Northern Ireland were in conflict almost from the beginning. [16], Sir Henry Sidney during his three tenures as Lord Deputy created two presidencies headed by a Lord President to administer Connaught and Munster. Carlow is a county in the South East of Ireland, within the borders of Leinster province. People have lived in Ireland for over 9,000 years. The exact boundaries of the provinces of Ireland during the Tudor period changed several times, usually as a result of the creation of new counties: It would not be until the reign of Elizabeth's successor, James I, that Meath by 1610 would cease to be considered a province and that the provincial borders would be permanently set. The partition of the island of Ireland took place in 1921, after Ireland won its war of independence Britain, at that time, the majority in Northern Ireland were British settlers who wished to remain part of the U.K. A year later, the South became the Irish Free State comprised of 26 counties, an entity independent from the United Kingdom. Update 16 to GEC is dated 2014-06-30. The euro is divided into 100 cents. Facing civil war in Ireland, Britain partitioned the island in 1920, with separate parliaments in the predominantly Protestant northeast and predominantly Catholic south and northwest. The provinces of Ireland … This map shows you more. Carlow. [10][11][12][13], After a period of dynastic infighting in the early 12th century, Osraige fragmented and after a heavy defeat at the hands of High-King Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn became part of Laigin. [15] Ua Conchobair would then conquer the heartland of the Uí Briain situated around modern County Clare and make it part of Connacht. But the Protestants who lived in the northern part of the island wanted to stay with Great Britain. Éire Nua envisaged a united Ireland that would be created when the British withdrew from Northern Ireland, and the creation of a federal state with assemblies for each of its four historic provinces. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; however, in the medieval period there were more. Ireland (all or part of it, at various times) was a colony of the English (originally the Anglo-Normans) from the 12th century. [15] In 1168, the king of Connacht, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, ensured Mumu remained divided. The language most widely spoken is English. Each over-kingdom was divided into smaller territorial units, the definition of which, whilst not consistent in Irish law tracts, followed a pattern of different grades. The official division of the country of Ireland into two separate regions – Northern and Southern Ireland – took place in May 1921, through an act passed by the British Parliament. The smaller Northern Ireland was duly created … In 1169, the king of Osraige, Domnall Mac Gilla Pátraic, hired the Norman knight Maurice de Prendergast to resist the Laigin king, Diarmait Mac Murchada, who had also recruited Norman aid. Six of the nine Ulster counties form modern-day Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. cóiceda) which literally meant "a fifth". The proposal was particularly associated with the Dublin-based leadership group centred on Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and Dáithí Ó Conaill, who were the authors of the policy. When Great Britain announced plans to leave the European Union following a close 2016 referendum, the impact of the initiative on Northern Ireland became a major issue of debate. Almost immediately, the northeast—Northern Ireland—withdrew and accepted self-governance within the United Kingdom. Both have their own names they like to go by. in 1922 the island was divided. [6] By the 7th century Osraige had lost their dependence on the Corcu Loígde,[6] with the restoration of the local Dál Birn dynasty. The partition left bitter divisions and led to a civil war (from June 1922 – May 1923) that pitted communities and families within the Republic against each other. Ireland was divided into four different provinces, or territorial divisions. There are notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros. The island of Ireland comprises the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign country, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. It took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Munster in the south is the kingdom of music and the arts, of harpers, of skilled ficheall players and of skilled horsemen. Northern Ireland is a province of the United Kingdom, and is sometimes referred to by this term. The Republic of Ireland has 26 counties, and Northern Ireland has 6 - a total of 32 counties in the whole island of Ireland. [26] It is from them that the Airgíalla are said to descend, branching off from the rest of the Connachta. The rest of the island , mostly Catholic, became the Irish Free State and an independent republic in 1949. The Republic of Ireland endured a hard-fought birth. Historically, Ireland was divided into four ancient provinces, namely Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster, however these have no administrative significance today. [6], In the years following the invasion, the kingdoms of Connacht, Desmumu, Laigin, Mide, Tuadmumu, and Ulaid formed the basis for the Norman liberties of Connacht, Desmond, Leinster, Meath, Thomond and Ulster respectively. Upon the partition of Ireland in 1921, the county became one of the basic land divisions employed, along with county boroughs. The Annals of Tigernach state that Ireland was divided into the five upon the slaying of Conaire Mór, however it is suggested alternatively that it happened upon the death of Conaire's father, Eterscél Mór, the 84th king of Ireland. These counties are Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick. They began as Norman structures, and as the powers exercised by the Cambro-Norman barons and the Old English nobility waned over time, new offices of political control came to be established at a county level. The four provinces are: Province Population (2006) Area (km²) Number of Counties† They are today seen mainly in a sporting context. The dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland) poetically describes the five kingdoms of Ireland. The island of Ireland is divided into the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Ireland, which remains part of the United Kingdom. [5], The kingdom of Osraige, which had its genealogy traced back by early Irish genealogists to the Laigin, was part of Mumu from the 6th to 8th century and ruled by the Corcu Loígde dynasty. The boundaries given by Keating himself for the five provinces however meant that this would have been highly unlikely, with the boundary between his Munster fifths nowhere near this area. [15], Osraige would be amongst the first Irish kingdoms to fall following the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1170, and was soon afterwards split from Leinster and made part of the royal demesne lands of Waterford. The kings of Tara and Dinn Riogh were said to derive from the same lineage, which ruled all the Laigin. Sir Henry Sidney, about 1565, formed the county Longford from the ancient district of Annaly. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. [3][4] At the start of the 9th century the following are listed: Airgíalla, Connachta, Laigin, Northern Uí Néill (Ailech), Southern Uí Néill (Mide), Mumu, and Ulaid. In modern Irish the word for province is cúige (pl. King's County and Queen's County were formed in the time of Queen Mary. [16] His administrative reign in Ireland however was cut short and even with his reappointment by Elizabeth I (1558–1603) this plan was never implemented. It ultimately set the stage f… Note 1: † "Number of Counties" is traditional counties, not administrative ones.Note 2: ‡ Population for Ulster is the sum of the 2016 census results for counties of Ulster in Republic of Ireland and the 2016 mid-year population estimates for Northern Ireland. Ulster is made up of counties from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. For many years Ireland was part of Britain, but, in 1922, the island of Ireland was formerly divided into the southern, larger part, called Eire (an independent republic), and a smaller division (6 counties) called Northern Ireland. The partition of Ireland (Irish: críochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (now Republic of Ireland). The epic poem, An Táin Bó Cúailnge (the Cattle Raid of Cooley) describes a war between Connacht and Ulster, and is perhaps best known for Cú Chulainn's single handed defence of Ulster against the champions of Connacht in turn, while his comrades were disabled by a spell. He also divided Connaught into six counties:—Galway, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Leitrim, and Clare (but Clare was subsequently annexed to Munster, to which it had anciently belonged). The island of Ireland comprises the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign country, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. [21][22], The five provinces that made up the Pentarchy where:[21][22][23], Historians Geoffrey Keating and T. F. O'Rahilly differ suggesting that it is Munster, not Leinster, that formed two of the fifths. [26] According to the story the Collas were told by Fiacha's son, Muiredach Tirech, the High King of Ireland, to conquer land of their own to pass on to their descendants, directing them to wage war on the Ulaid to avenge a slight against their great-grandfather Cormac mac Airt. His work has appeared in an eclectic array of publications, including. It shows Ireland divided into administrative counties rather than traditional ones, as listed in a supplementary table below. The Republic of Ireland endured a hard-fought birth. Wicklow. Southern Republicans felt they should control the whole island. [21] He also cites that the Táin makes mention of the four fifths of Ireland that waged war on Ulster, which made reference to only one Munster. [24], MacNeill claims that this division of Ireland into five is pre-historic and pre-Gaelic, describing the Pentarchy as "the oldest certain fact in the political history of Ireland". [27] Population for other provinces is all 2016 census results. [26] The host from Connacht fought the first six battles, and the Collas fought the seventh. [21][1][23][24] Pseudo-historians called this era Aimser na Coicedach, which has been translated as: "Time of the Pentarchs";[21] "Time of the Five Fifths";[23] and "Time of the provincial kings". Smaller groups included the aithechthúatha (see Attacotti), Cálraighe, Cíarraige, Conmaicne, Dartraighe, Déisi, Éile, Fir Bolg, Fortuatha, Gailenga, Gamanraige, Mairtine, Múscraige, Partraige, Soghain, Uaithni, Uí Maine, Uí Liatháin. [15] Despite Ua Conchobair's aid, Mac Carthaig and the Uí Briain would form an alliance to campaign against Connacht's hegemony, and by 1138 ended the threat from that kingdom. Ireland has been used as the battleground between catholic and protestant factions in Britain time and … These provinces were dynamic and their borders changed all the time. The Republic of Ireland, which makes up the southern portion of the country, is independent from the United Kingdom, while Northern Ireland is Each region has a directly elected Council which is responsible for many of the issues of local government. Ma… The number of provinces and their delimitation fluctuated until 1610, when they were permanently set by the English administration of James I. [1], The origins of the provinces of Ireland can be traced to the medieval cóiceda (literally "fifths") or "over-kingdoms" of Ireland. Since the early 17th century, there have been four Provinces of Ireland: Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Ulster. [15] This was to force them to accept Cormac Mac Carthaig, king of Desmumu, as the king of Mumu. The island of Ireland is divided into two separate jurisdictions: the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Carlow has an area of 897 square kilometers and has a population of … [15] This resulted in the division of Mumu into two: Tuadmumu (Thomond, meaning "north Munster") to the north under the Uí Briain; and Desmumu (Desmond, meaning "south Munster") to the south under the Mac Cárthaigh. Today, when Irish talk about the provinces of Ireland, they mean Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connaught. The Republic of Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average population of 28,700 and average area of 423.3 square kilometres (163.4 sq mi). [21][22] The Táin is set during the reign of Conchobar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster, and is believed to have happened in the 1st century. The island of Ireland is divided into four provinces: Ulster, Connacht, Leinster and Munster. [16][17] These liberties were later subdivided into smaller ones that became the basis for the counties of Ireland.[16]. Its capital city, Dublin, has a metro population of 1,024,027 residents. [16] In an attempt to reduce the importance of the province of Munster, Sydney, using the River Shannon as a natural boundary took Thomond and made it into the county of Clare as part of the presidency of Connaught in 1569. County Clare upon its creation in 1569 was transferred from Munster to Connacht, and was only restored to Munster after 1660. There were theoretically five such over-kingdoms, however in reality during the historical period there were always more. [12] Airgíalla would eventually no longer be reckoned an over-kingdom however it survived in present-day County Monaghan for as long as the Gaelic order survived,[18] with the last king of Airgíalla being Hugh Roe McMahon, who reigned from 1589 until his execution in September/October 1590. [23] In this period Ireland is said to have been divided into five independent over-kingdoms, or cuigeadh whose rí (kings) were of equal rank, not subject to a central monarchy. Eoin MacNeill discounts this suggestion citing the Táin Bó Cúailnge, which makes mention of Eochaidh as king of all Munster, with Cu Roi simply a "great Munster hero". The modern Irish term derives from the Old Irish cóiced (pl. [1] MacNeill enumerates the five earliest fifths mentioned, these comprising the kingdoms of Ulster, Connacht, Munster, Tara (North Leinster) and Dinn Riogh (South Leinster), located on the Barrow. The latter remains part of the United Kingdom. [15] The following decades would see Mumu united and repartitioned several times as the Uí Briain and Mac Cárthaigh vied for complete control. [21] Another reason given by MacNeill was a problem made by Keating himself. [6][7] After this situation ended it became an independent kingdom which gradually moved towards the Laigin sphere of influence as they sought to claim the Laigin kingship. [24] It was also described as "the Pentarchy". The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; however, in the medieval period there were more. Ruled from Great Britain since the 13th century, its citizens, many of them suppressed Catholics, struggled to remove themselves from British domination for the next several hundred years. It was historically one of the “Five Fifths” (ancient provinces, or kingdoms) of Ireland. Internationally, the best known of these of course is Ulster, since it is used as an umbrella term to describe Northern Ireland , although three of its nine counties are within the Republic of Ireland. According to Keating, when the province of Míde was being founded, it was created from portions of each province which all met at the hill of Uisnech. In 1949 it became a republic and left the British Commonwealth. Up to 1972 Northern Ireland was allowed to rule itself . With the collapse of English control in Ireland following the Bruce campaign in Ireland in 1315, and the subsequent collapse of the Earldom of Ulster, the Gaelic order had a resurgence and the Clandeboye O'Neills of the Northern Uí Néill stepped into the power vacuum in Ulster bringing it under the sovereignty of the O'Neills of Tyrone. The ancient earthwork of Tara is called Rath na Ríthe ('Ringfort of the Kings'). "Four Provinces" redirects here. [3] In theory in the early medieval period: This pyramid structure however by the later medieval period had little validity. The provinces of Ireland no longer serve administrative or political purposes but function as historical and cultural entities. [8], Airgíalla had come under the dominance of the Ulaid,[9] however Niall Caille, the son of Áed Oirdnide, brought it under the hegemony of the Northern Uí Néill after defeating the combined forces of the Airgíalla and Ulaid at the battle of Leth Cam in 827. [26], In it the Three Collas—Colla Menn, Colla Da Crioch, and Colla Uais—were the sons of Eocaidh Doimlén. Osraige remained part of Mumu until 859 when Máel Sechnaill I, king of the Uí Néill, forced Mumu to surrender it to his overlordship. [26], The Collas with their army along with a host from Connacht marched to Achaidh Leithdeircc in Fernmagh, southern Ulaid, and fought the Ulaid in seven battles over the course of seven days. In 1969 growing violence between the groups led to the installation of the British Army to maintain the peace, and three years later terrorist attacks in Ireland and Great Britain led to the direct rule of Northern Ireland by the U.K. parliament. [26] The Northern and Southern Uí Néill dynasties are claimed to descend from Eocaidh's brother, Fiacha Sraibhtine. [24][25] These two fifths were called by Keating: Cuigeadh Eochaidh (eastern Munster) and Cuigeadh Con Raoi (western Munster),[25] both named after their respective king. [3][4] These seven over-kingdoms are again listed in the 12th-century Lebor na Cert.[1]. The South would become the Republic of Ireland, the North part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland… Search Catalog Data Catalog Data & text in Documents Search By Date Range; Advanced Search The number of provinces and their delimitation fluctuated until 1610, when they were permanently set by the English administration of James I. Later major groups included the Connachta, Ciannachta, Eóganachta. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Republic of Ireland is divided into 30 administrative regions, mostly tied to the 26 constituent counties (county Tipperary is divided in two and county Dublin in four).