Ulster

Ulster's airt in Ireland

Ulster (Erse: Ulaidh) is ane o the fower stewartries o Ireland, alang wi Leinster, Munster an Connacht. Ulster haes nine coonties, sax in Northren Ireland as pairt o the Unitit Kinrick an three in the Republic o Ireland. Houaniver, Ulster is aften uised (wrangweys) as a synonym for Northren Ireland.

History

Ulster is cried efter the Ulaid, early fowk o the area. The O'Neill clan wis the maist pouerfu in the stewartry in the early medieval period. Syne the Normans cam an foondit the Earldom o Ulster. That wis cowpit in the 15t century an Ulster becam the ae stewartry that wisna unner the owerins o England. Houaniver, efter the Nine Years War, it was ower haled by England an that led tae England plantin Ulster wi mair leal subjects.

The plantin o Ulster led to a rebellion bi Catholics, that war atween the releegious curns endit wi the stewartry bein occupee'd yi Cromwell's airmy.

The provincial banner o Ulster

Than in 1688 war begoud again wi the Williamite War, wi Catholics uphaudin James an Protestants uphaudin William o Orange. The Jacobites haed owerins ower the hail o Ireland but Derry an Enniskillen, an defeats thare led tae the lave o Ireland bein ower haled by the Williamites.

In the 19t century, Ulster becam the maist weel-aff stewartry in Ireland. The releegious divide becam a poleetical divide an aw, atween Protestant Unionists, an Catholic Nationalists. This divide cam aboot ower Hame Rule. Unionists wis agin this an nationalists upheld it. Durin the Erse War o Unthirldom, thare wis a lock street fechtin atween Catholics an Protestants in Belfast. Whan Ireland becam unthirlt, Northren Ireland, sax coonties o Ulster, chuised tae bide in the Unitit Kinrick.

Ulster wis affectit by the Tribbles, wi mony fowk deid. That wis fechtin again atween nationalists an unionists an the Breetish Airmy.

Nouadays votin in the sax coonties o Nothren Ireland tends tae be on releegious raisons, again aboot nationalism an unionism. Houaniver in the Republic o Ireland's coonties this is less prevalent.

Demographics

Indwallers

Ulster haes a population o aboot 2 million fowk, wi aboot a hauf million folk bidin in Belfast, the mucklest ceety o the stewartry. Aboot hauf the population o Ulster bides in the Coonties o Aintrim an Doun.

Leeds

Maist fowk speaks Ingles. The seicont muckle maist leed is Erse wi Gaeltacht areas in the stewartry. Scots is spoken athort Nothren Ireland an in the east o Coonty Donegal, by members o the Ulster Scots community.

The mucklest incomer language o the stewartry is Cantonese, endue tae the muckle Cheenae community o Belfast.

Releegion

The stewartry, by the wey o the 2001 UK and the 2002 Erse censuses is 49% Catholic an 48% Protestant. Fowk wi nae releegion maks the lave.

See an aw

• Ulster Scots