Éirinn go Brách

...or, in English: "Ireland Forever". Would you like to know how to pronounce it? Click here.

Well, today, in class, one of my students in 1ºB, Rafa, asked about ULSTER. He wanted to know what it was. And then I promised to look for some information. Well, here it is.

Historically, Ireland was divided in FIVE provinces, namely: LEINSTER, MUNSTER, ULSTER, CONNACHT & MEATH. Meath, the smallest one, was eventually absorbed by Leinster. These provinces were suplanted by the present system of counties.

Some people identify the ULSTER with Northern Ireland. This is not exact. The province of Ulster consists of nine counties: Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Monaghan & Tyrone. Six of these counties, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry & Tyrone form present-day NORTHERN IRELAND.

And when was Ireland divided?

The Partition of Ireland took place on May 3, 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The entire island of Ireland provisionally became the Irish Free State on December 6, 1922. However, the Parliament of Northern Ireland exercised its right to opt out of the new Dominion the following day. Partition created two territories on the island of Ireland: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Today the former is still known as Northern Ireland and while the latter is known simply as Ireland (or as the Republic of Ireland). (source: Wikipedia)

If you have not seen it, I recommend you to watch the film "Michael Collins", starring Liam Neeson, Aidan Queen & Alan Rickman. It's the story of one of the men that actually contributed to the independence of what would be the Republic of Ireland and the man who negotiated the partition. It not totally exact historically, but it helps to understand the present situation in Ireland. Here is a fragment.