Way of Life

People

NORTHERN IRELAND

NORTHERN IRELAND is the smallest of the four major political divisions that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. England, Scotland, and Wales are the other divisions of the United Kingdom, which is often simply called Great Britain or Britain. Belfast is Northern Ireland's capital and largest city.

Northern Ireland occupies the northeastern corner of the island of Ireland. It takes up about a sixth of the island. The independent Republic of Ireland occupies the rest of the island. Northern Ireland is often called Ulster. Ulster was the name of a large province of Ireland until 1920, when Northern Ireland was separated from the rest of Ireland.

Religion has long divided the people of Northern Ireland into rival political, social, and cultural groups. The majority of Northern Ireland's people are Protestants, and they have traditional ties to the rest of the United Kingdom. Nearly all the rest of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics, as are most of the people in the Republic of Ireland to the south. In general, Protestants want Northern Ireland to remain in the United Kingdom, and Catholics want it to become part of the Irish Republic. The continuing dispute between the two groups has sometimes led to riots, bombings, and other outbreaks of violence and terrorism, often called the troubles.

Population. More than 1 1/2 million people live in Northern Ireland. About two-thirds of them live in urban areas. The largest cities are Belfast and Londonderry.

Ancestry. A majority of the people who live in Northern Ireland are descended from English and Scottish settlers who arrived there since the 1600's. Most of the rest trace their ancestry to the earlier Celtic, Viking, and Norman settlers of the island of Ireland.

Language. English is the official language of Northern Ireland, and all the people there speak it. The Irish language, a form of Gaelic once used throughout Ireland, is taught to children in Roman Catholic schools and in some Protestant schools.

 

Most people in Northern Ireland have a way of life similar to that of people in the rest of the United Kingdom. Many people in Northern Ireland relax in the evening by watching television. Motion pictures are also popular. As in the rest of the United Kingdom, pubs (public houses) are an important part of the social lives of many people in Northern Ireland. People gather in pubs to drink beer and other beverages, eat sandwiches, talk with friends, and listen to music.

Many Protestant men belong to an organization called the Orange Order and are known as Orangemen. The Orangemen hold parades every July 12. The parades celebrate the victory of King William III, a Protestant, over King James II, a Roman Catholic, in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The "Twelfth" is a public holiday in Northern Ireland. A similar association of Roman Catholics, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, holds parades on August 15 and sometimes on March 17. August 15 is the Roman Catholic Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

City Life and Rural Life. More than half the people of Northern Ireland live in or near the cities of Belfast and Londonderry, which is also called Derry. Bloody rioting and numerous acts of terrorism have disrupted life in Belfast and Londonderry since the 1960's. However, British government aid has helped make the cities modern--and more peaceful--urban centers. In Belfast, for example, new hotels, offices, and shopping malls have been built, and extensive home-building projects have eased the worst of the city's housing problems.

About a third of the people of Northern Ireland live in rural areas. Most of these people earn their living by farming.

Food and Drink. The people of Northern Ireland enjoy simple meals of meat, potatoes, vegetables, and bread. They also eat large amounts of poultry, eggs, dairy products, and fish. Tea is the most popular drink in Northern Ireland. A favorite alcoholic beverage is beer.

Recreation. Northern Ireland's most popular organized sport is football, the game that Americans call soccer. Other popular sports in Northern Ireland include cricket, which is played with a bat and a ball; Gaelic football, which resembles soccer; handball; hurling and camogie, which are somewhat similar to field hockey; and rugby, a form of football. Many people in Northern Ireland enjoy boating, fishing, golf, and swimming.

The Arts. The most famous cultural event in Northern Ireland is the international arts festival hosted each November by the Queen's University of Belfast. This festival features musical performances, dramatic productions, art exhibits, motion pictures, lectures, and other events.

The Ulster Orchestra and Opera Northern Ireland, both of which perform in Belfast, are well known. In addition, several individuals from Northern Ireland have established international reputations in music. They include the flutist James Galway and the pianist Barry Douglas.

Northern Ireland is also known for talented writers. The poetry of Seamus Heaney and John Hewitt, the novels of Brian Moore, and the plays of Brian Friel have attracted many readers.