Northern Ireland

Quick Facts

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Local name

Tuaisceart Éireann (Irish), Norlin Airlann (Ulster Scots)

Capital

Belfast

Government

Part of the United Kingdom

Nationality

Population

1 741 600 ^[1]

Languages

English, Irish Gaelic

Religions

Christianity (Protestant, Catholic)

Currency

Pound sterling (GBP)

Calling Code

+44

Time Zone

GMT (UTC)

Daylight Saving

BST (UTC+1)

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Introduction

Belfast City Hall

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Northern Ireland, the site of overwhelming political struggle over the last fifty years (and still quite unsettled, despite positive moves toward peace), shares many common elements with the Republic of Ireland. Pubs are still a great way to be enveloped with Irish culture, as there is mostly a genuine warmth among the people. In Derry,(or Londonderry) the worst of Northern Ireland's problems are plain to see, as the area of Bogside bears the signs of an angry lower-class desperately trying to have its voice heard. Interestingly, Derry has become a popular attraction for visitors over the years, providing some hope that change may be on its way.

Northern Ireland is now having a huge economic boom which is seeing new houses, apartments, offices and entertainment centres spring up across the city. With peace has come investment and Belfast is changing forever and also attracting tourists. The City is well on its way to becoming hip and cool while the rest of the country is jumping on the bandwagon of success as the country enters a new era.

Brief History

Geography

Counties

Northern Ireland consists of six counties:

• County Antrim
• County Armagh
• County Down
• County Fermanagh
• County Londonderry
• County Tyrone

Cities

There are 5 settlements with city status in Northern Ireland:

• Armagh
• Belfast - the capital of Northern Ireland
• Derry
• Lisburn
• Newry

Sights and Activities

The Giant's Causeway

The scenery around the Giant's Causeway and on the North Antrim coast can indeed be classed as some of the most majestic that you are likely to find anywhere in the world. There are not just awe inspiring cliffs sweeping down to coves and bays but also the relics of ruins such as that of Dunluce Castle (which is indeed another sight to be visited in its own right). Tiny harbour and fishing villages show that the area was indeed reliant on the coast as a form of income and food - Port Ballintray and Ballintoy being two fine examples. The Causeway and the Causeway Coast are on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Enniskillen

Enniskillen is a nice town in the County Fermanagh and makes for a good base exploring the nearby lakes around Lough Erne, which is probably the best known attraction around the town. One of the other highlights in town is the Enniskillen Castle and Museum. Florence Court, Marble Arch Caves, Crom Estate and the Belleek Pottery Factory are other destinations to keep you busy for a day or so.

Mourne Mountains

The Mourne Mountains are one of the natural highlights of the country and great for walking and exploring things on foot. There are lakes, rivers and woodland to explore and the Mourne Wall is great as well. Rock climbing is a more adventurous activity to undertake. Slieve Donnard is the highest mountain in the Mournes range and Northern Irelandin fact at 852 meters above sea level and offers spectacular views from the summit towards England and even Scotland.

Other sights and activities

• Omagh
• Rathlin Island
• Coleraine

Events and Festivals

• Tennent's Vital - this "festival" has become an annual event in the Belfast events calendar - held over 2 days in August in the Botanic Gardens area of the city (close to Queens University) over the past few years acts such as Scissor Sisters, Kaiser Chiefs, Maroon 5, and Snow Patrol - to name a few have head lined the stage. More about this in the Belfast Article

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

The two main airports in Northern Ireland are Belfast International Airport (BFS) and Belfast City Airport (BHD). Destinations from this airport are mainly regional and European, while BFS also serves North America, including New York, Toronto and Orlando. Major airlines in flying into Northern Ireland include Aer Lingus, Continental Airlines, easyJet, Flybe, Jet2.com, Ryanair, Flyglobespan and Air Transat.

By Train

The cross-border intercity train service between Belfast and Dublin is called the Enterprise. The journey takes just over two hours and is jointly operated by the Irish Rail and NI Railways.

By Car

The drive from Ireland to Northern Ireland usually starts from Dublin city centre at Ireland's M1 motorway toward Belfast. There is neither border control nor signpost in between the journey to tell you that you have crossed the border. However, one may noticed that the road signs in Northern Ireland are only in English unlike Ireland's bilingual signs (English and Irish).

When driving from Ireland into Northern Ireland, it is important to know that the United Kingdom has not changed their traffic laws to the metric system. All speed limits are in miles per hour while distances are measured in miles or yards.

By Bus

Translink operates an hourly service direct from Dublin Airport (IATA: DUB, ICAO: EIDW) and Dublin city centre as well as bus links from both NI airports to Belfast city centre.

By Boat

• Stenaline between the Port of Belfast to Stanraer in Scotland and between Larne and Fleetwood near Liverpool, England.
• Norfolk Line to Birkenhead near Liverpool.
• P&O Ferries between Larne and Scotland (Troon and Cairnryan).

Getting Around

By Plane

There are no scheduled domestic flights in Northern Ireland.

By Train

Northern Ireland Railways has a few domestic train links. Destinations from Belfast include Bangor, Portadown, Larne, Coleraine, Londonderry and Portrush.

By Car

The road network in Northern Ireland is mostly paved and of good quality. There are many international and local (like Northern Ireland Carhire firms offering rental cars at the airports in Belfast or downtown and in some other cities. Traffic drives on the left. Be sure to have your national driving licence with you an sufficient insurance when you bring your own car.

By Bus

Translink operates the public transport system in Northern Ireland. They operate Metro and Ulsterbus services throughout the Belfast area and the rest of Northern Ireland.

By Boat

Caledonian MacBrayne operates ferries between Ballycastle and the island of Rathlin.

Red Tape

Main article: United Kingdom

There is no border control if you are travelling between Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Money

See also: Money Matters
Further information: United Kingdom

Being part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland uses the pound sterling as its currency with the international currency code GBP (Great Britain Pound). The currency sign for pound is £ (the symbol is derived from the letter L). It is also known to the locals as quid (both singular and plural), which a slang term, so you might hear people say "two quid" instead of two pounds. One pound is divided into 100 pence (singular: penny).

The Bank of England (BoE), the central bank of the UK, issues pound sterling banknotes and coins for the whole of the United Kingdom. At the same time, four private banks in Northern Ireland (Bank of Ireland, First Trust Bank, Northern Bank, Ulster Bank) also issue sterling banknotes of their own designs. These banknotes have the same value as the ones issued by BoE and are usually found only in Scotland. The notes can also be used outside Northern Ireland within the UK although some merchants may be reluctant to accept them. Outside the UK, usually only BoE-issued sterling banknotes are recognised as the country's legal tender.

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