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Article: Northern Irish
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of World Cultures
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Northern Irish
ETHNONYMS: British, Scots Irish, Ulster Irish, Ulster Scots. Historical: Anglo-Irish, Celts, West Britons
Orientation
Identification.
Historically, the Northern Irish inhabit the nine-county province of Ulster. In 1920 British sovereignty was retained over six of these counties (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone) by the Government of Ireland Act. The other three counties (Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan) became part of the Irish Free State. A Protestant minority within Ireland was guaranteed political and economic viability within the six counties.
For most of the population, Irishness and Britishness are not mutually exclusive categories but ...