Emergency phone numbers to call in Ireland | Ireland.com ROI Tel: 112 or 999 NI Tel: 999 The fire, ambulance and police services in Ireland and Northern Ireland are all contactable via the above numbers. When calling emergency services you will be asked to provide: The exact address of the incident or emergency and/or any noticeable landmarks nearby Directions to the scene of the emergency The telephone number you are calling from Details on the incident itself, the number of persons involved, the description of any visible injuries and knowledge of any pre-existing medical conditions Try and stay calm and listen to the call taker’s instructions. It is also important to keep your own phone on as the emergency service may need to contact you for further information. Vehicle Breakdown: Republic of Ireland Should you wish to avail of the services of the Automobile Association in Ireland, you will need to register for a minimum of a year’s membership with them. This will cost approximately €220. Automobile Association (AA) Breakdown Service Tel: 1800 66 77 88; Northern Ireland When seeking roadside assistance in Northern Ireland contact the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), which is the equivalent of the AA.

The RAC website lists prices for short-term cover and roadside assistance. Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Breakdown Help Tel +44 (0) 844 891 3111 Tourist Victim Support Republic of Ireland Tourists who become victims of a crime while in Ireland can contact the Irish Tourist Assistance Service ( ITAS ). ITAS staff speak a number of foreign languages will be able to provide assistance to any problems facing a tourist in the aftermath of a crime. Trained staff and volunteers, who speak a variety of languages, will provide assistance so that the victim can get back to enjoying their holiday. Brochures are available in all tourist offices.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm; Sundays and public holidays from 12pm-6pm 6-7 Hanover Street East, Dublin 2 (Monday to Friday); tel: 1890 365 700 (local number; from outside Ireland tel: +353 1 661 0562); email: info@itas.ie Store Street Garda Station, Store Street, Dublin 1 (Sat, Sun and public holidays); tel: 1 890 365 700 (local number; outside Ireland tel: +353 1 661 0562 Northern Ireland For those who are victims of a crime in Northern Ireland, the body to contact is Victim Support Northern Ireland . Their staff and volunteers will speak to and help victims, family members and witnesses involved in the crime.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm; Tel: +44 (0) 28 90 244039; email: info@victimsupportni.org.uk Save this page to a Scrapbook: Ireland, Republic of - International Codes - The Phone Book from BT To call Ireland, Republic of, the following dial code is required. +353 to dial in(00 353 from UK) International access code To call from Ireland, Republic of, the following dial code is required. 00 code to dial out(00 44 for UK) Country direct The country direct access numbers provide phone access in more than 140 countries, the access numbers for Ireland, Republic of are: 4 Ways to Call Ireland From the United States - wikiHow Calling Ireland Using Your Phone 1 Dial 011 from your cell phone or land line to make an international call. This is the exit code used to leave the United States calling region and signals that you are going to make an international call. [2] 2 Enter the country code to reach the area in Ireland you will be calling.

Dial 353 if you're calling the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is still part of the UK and has a different country code. To call Northern Ireland, enter their country code, which is 44. 3 Include the mobile code when you are calling someone in Ireland on their cell phone. There are several mobile network providers in Ireland and you will need to know the mobile code of the cell phone you are calling. All mobile codes begin with the number 8, followed by another number. The following is a list of providers and mobile codes for Ireland. [3] Three: 83 Communicating Via Skype 1 Download the Skype application to your device. Skype is available for use on a variety of devices, including computers, cell phones, tablets, Xbox, smart watches and televisions. Choose which device you would like to use and download Skype from your app store. [8] Skype is available for Mac computers with an operating system of OS X 10.6 or above. Windows 10 comes with a preview of the Skype app, which allows you to test its features without downloading the app. If you have an earlier version of Windows, you will need to download the app.

[9] Skype is available for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and Amazon Fire Phone. Tablets which support Skype include: iPad, Kindle Fire HD, Android and Windows tablets. 2 Decide how you would like to pay for your calls to Ireland. Calling another Skype user from your computer to theirs is free, but calling cell phones and land lines incurs a fee. Skype offers options of paying for Skype credit for calls or joining in a monthly plan. Depending on how much you intend to call Ireland, you may want to pay as you go or sign up monthly. [10] With Skype credit, the rate for calling mobile phones in Ireland is 10 cents/minute. Calling land lines will cost you 2.3 cents/minute. You have two options for monthly Skype plans. For $6.99/month, you will receive 400 minutes allowing you to call both mobile phones and land lines in Ireland. The 13.99/month plan gives you unlimited calling around the world, allowing you to call other countries as well. Be aware, though, that this plan only allows for land line calls to Ireland. 3 Register for a Skype account. Open the application and register for an account.

You will need to input some basic information, including your name, email address, country, state and city. Create a Skype name and password for the purpose of personal conversations. You can skip entering your birthday if you are concerned about security. Once you set up your account, you will be given the option to add a minimum of $10 credit or skip that step and just get started. 4 Log in to your Skype account. From the log in screen, enter your user name and password to access your Skype account. You can check the box beneath this text box to save your user name and password to your personal device for future use. Click “Sign In” to log into your account. [11] Do not save your user name and password to a public computer. 5 Find the contact information for the person you would like to call. Type the name of the person in the search bar at the top right of the screen. This will search your address book. If Skype does not find the person in your contact list, it will give you the option to search Skype. Enter the name in the Skype search engine to find everyone by that name who is registered with Skype.

[12] If you know the Skype user name of the the person you are trying to contact, you can find them by that name, which is in bold at the top of each listing. 6 Add the person you are calling to your friend list. Press the green circle next to your contact’s name. It has the image of a person’s head and shoulders with a plus sign. This will open the screen inviting you to add the person as your friend. [13] A default message will appear, asking to add the contact as your friend. You can write a personal message instead by typing over the default message. Press send to send the invitation to your contact in Ireland. 7 Connect a phone call to your contact in Ireland. Once the person you are calling has accepted your friend request, they will appear in your contact list. A green check will appear at the top of their profile picture to alert you that they are online and available for calls. The default option is a video call, but you can choose a voice call if you prefer. To make a video call, click the option on their profile picture for a video call.

If you would prefer to make a voice call, you can select the arrow on the right of the video call command to reveal a drop down menu. Select the voice call option from this menu. Method Using the FaceTime Audio App to Make Free Calls to Another Apple Device 1 Find out if the person you are calling is using an Apple device. Apple has the built-in FaceTime application which allows for free international phone calls between their devices. FaceTime is pre-installed on all iOS7 devices as well as some earlier iOS versions, so there is no need to download an app. [14] iPhone 4 was the first to have FaceTime and all iPhones made after that also have the app. Other Apple devices with FaceTime are iPad 2 and later, all iPad minis, and iPod Touch 5th generation. [15] If you used or purchased your device in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, or Pakistan, it may not have the FaceTime App pre-installed. You can purchase FaceTime from the App Store on your device. You may need to update your FaceTime app to enable the voice call feature. 2 Sign in to FaceTime using your Apple ID.

When you are using an iPhone, open the FaceTime app by selecting Settings > FaceTime > Use your Apple ID. Enter your Apple ID to sign in to FaceTime. [16] 3 Add your email address to allow you to communicate using email instead of your phone number. If you are using an iPhone, it will already have registered your phone number and the email associated with your Apple ID should appear when you log in. To check the email address listed or add others, choose Settings > FaceTime > Add Another Email. [17] You can add several email addresses to your account, allowing you to contact people using various email addresses. You can call someone in Ireland using their email address associated with FaceTime. You do not need to have their phone number. 4 Connect to wifi to avoid using your data. FaceTime calls are made using the internet instead of cellular service. This is why you are not charged like you would be for a regular phone call. On the other hand, that means that the call requires data. If you have limited data, this could eat through your plan rather quickly. When you are connected to wifi, you can use that service and save your data.

[18] Connect to wifi by selecting Settings > wifi > On. Once you have enabled wifi, select the wifi service you would like to join and enter any necessary passwords to gain access. When your phone is connected to wifi, the wifi radar beacon symbol will replace the data carrier on your display. 5 Make a FaceTime call to your contact in Ireland. You can do this in a few ways. If you you have entered this person into your contact list, you can select their name. The screen will show their contact information you have entered. Under the phone number(s), you will find the FaceTime section. Two symbols are listed. One is the video camera for video calls. Select the phone symbol for voice calls. [19] If the person you are calling is not in your contact list, open the FaceTime app and enter their email or phone number in the box at the top of the screen. You can also activate Siri and give the voice command “FaceTime audio…” and the name of the person you are calling from your contact list. [20] 6 End your FaceTime call by touching the red button with the phone symbol at the bottom of the screen.

If another call comes in while you are on your current call, you will have the option to decline the incoming call or end the current call and answer the new call. These two options will appear to replace the red “end” button. [21] iOS 8 models and later also have a call waiting feature, which allows you to place your current call on hold while answering the other call. Method Placing a Free International Call Using WhatsApp 1 Download WhatsApp from the app store on your phone. WhatsApp is a free application which allows you to text and call internationally using data as opposed to expensive cellular voice minutes. [22] WhatsApp with the calling feature is available for iPhones, Androids, Windows Phone, and Blackberry 10. 2 Open a chat with the person you wish to call in Ireland. Within the app, begin a new chat by selecting the “Chats” icon on the bottom of the screen. On the top of the chat screen, you will see the message icon, which looks like a pencil and paper. Select this icon to move to your contact list. Touch the name of the person you wish to call from the contact list to open a chat page.

[23] If you have already begun a chat with the person you are calling, select their name from your list of chats to open their chat screen. Your contact list will show who is available to be contacted using WhatsApp by listing “Available” under their name. If your contact does not use WhatsApp it will prompt you to send them a message which reads, “Hey there! I am using WhatsApp.” 3 Place a call from the chat screen. Once you have opened the chat screen, you will see the phone icon next to the profile picture at the top of the screen. Select this icon to make a free international call using WhatsApp. [24] The call is free because it uses internet data to place the call rather than cellular services. If you have limited data, it is best to place the call while you are connected to wifi in order to avoid using too much of the data on your cell phone plan. Community Q&A If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know. Tips Both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are in the Western European Time Zone, which is synchronous with GMT or UTC (Greenwich Mean Time or Coordinated Universal Time).

The continental United States spans four time zones, from EST (Eastern Standard Time) which is GMT -5 to PST (Pacific Standard Time) which is GMT -8. Alaska is GMT -9, and Hawaii is GMT -10. Almost everybody in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland speaks English, so your odds of having to worry about a language difference are extremely small. Both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland observe Summer Time, or Daylight Saving Time--but on a slightly different schedule from the United States. In Ireland, the clocks are set forward by one hour on the last Sunday in March, and set back to regular time on the last Sunday in October. In the United States, DST begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. As with any international call, dialing direct from the United States to Ireland can be very expensive. Several options to save money include: contacting your long-distance carrier about a reduced-rate international dialing plan, or whether you get cheaper rates on nights and weekends; using a calling card; or using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service to make your call.

Visit Ireland - About Ireland: History Ireland Today Although the Irish Free State was created in 1922 it was not until 1948 that Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom and declared itself the Republic of Ireland. The new Irish Constitution had words to the effect that the declaration was a move towards the dissolution of the division of Ireland. These were merely words and the separation continues still today. Derry became a flashpoint for what was happening all over the North. The British became so skillful at gerrymandering elections, that although Derry was two-thirds Nationalists, and the vote followed those lines, two thirds of the seats were going to the Loyalists. On January 30, 1972, a peaceful rally was organized in response to the unjust internment of Irish people. The British could jail innocent people, without bringing formal charges, or being given the right to a trial. People could be jailed for an indefinite period of time. The unarmed protesters were first met with British baton charges and then were gunned down by a Parachute Regiment. In the end 13 people were murdered, all unarmed, all Catholic.

The Protestants were so unyielding that for over 20 years, they made no reforms. The voices and the wishes of the Catholic majority, no matter how small, were totally overlooked. That allowed the situation to degrade to its lowest level - street violence. Times had reached an all time low in Northern Ireland, and the international community was watching. The international press and many foreign governments panned the British. Support for the British involvement in Northern Ireland was waning fast even in Britain. Even Paul McCartney was so moved by these events, he wrote the hit single 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish. In order to better understand the 'problems' as they are often called in Northern Ireland, you will have to recognize different sides of the dispute. Although there are many political parties in Ireland, there are basically two different sides; Unionists and Nationalists. The Republic of Ireland is about 95% Catholic and vastly Nationalist. Northern Ireland is about half Protestant and half Catholic. The political leanings follow along those lines. The Loyalists are typically Irish by birth, Protestant by religion, of British/Anglo Ancestry. They favor remaining part of the United Kingdom.

These people are commonly the descendants of English and Scottish people whom were part of the plantation of Ireland (often referred to as planters). The Nationalist are typically Irish by birth, Catholic by religion, and of Irish/Celtic ancestry. They favor a free and united Ireland. These people are generally the indigenous (native) people of Ireland. Although the Unionist and Catholics both oppose the others political views many Loyalists take the dispute one-step further. Religion is unfortunately often used to distinguish ones political leanings in Ireland. However, the Catholics by and large have no animosity toward the Protestant faith. On the other hand many Loyalists have a deeply rooted bigotry toward the Catholic Religion. This is the reason why sectarianism (religion) has become the line of separation in Ireland. Simply put, your religion in Ireland is often indicative of your politics. If you are a Catholic you are thought of as a being a Nationalists who favors a united Ireland. If you are a Protestant you are thought of as a Unionist who wishes for Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Irish Proclamation of Independence IRISH REPUBLIC TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom. Having organised and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that moment, and, supported by her exiled children in America and by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory. We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people.

In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the last three hundred years they have asserted it to arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic as a Sovereign Independent State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades-in-arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the nations. The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and all of its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past. Until our arms have brought the opportune moment for the establishment of a permanent National, representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, the Provisional Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil and military affairs of the Republic in trust for the people.

We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God. Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, in humanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called. Signed on Behalf of the Provisional Government. Thomas J. Clarke, Sean Mac Diarmada, Thomas MacDonagh, P. H. Pearse, Eamonn Ceannt, James Connolly, Joseph Plunkett The seven signatories of the Irish Proclamation (from left): Padraig Pearse, James Connolly, Thomas Clarke, Thomas MacDonagh, Sean MacDermott, Joseph Plunkett & Eamonn Ceannt All of the above men were executed by the British Government for their efforts in trying to secure a free Ireland!

How to call Ireland: country code, area codes, phone books The time in Ireland is now 10:33:23am Calling Ireland from the United States explained: 011 - US exit code; dial first for international calls made from the USA or Canada 353 - Country Code for Ireland fixed - 7 to 9 digits including area code cell phones - 9 digits The Economist explains: Why is Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom? | The Economist Why is Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom? Nov 7th 2013, 23:50 Tweet IT IS almost a year since riots hit the streets of Belfast last December. They were caused by a motion to limit the number of days Britain's Union Jack flag flew on Belfast City Hall. Severe rioting lasted for two months and seemed to centre on the tricky question of why Northern Ireland, composed of six north-eastern counties in Ireland, is part of the United Kingdom. The Northern Irish have their own flags, culture and international sports teams, but do not live in an independent country. Why? Ireland became part of the United Kingdom in 1801.

But Ireland’s sectarian divisions, which had opened up during religious wars in the 17th century between Protestants and Catholics, were exacerbated by economic problems in the 19th century. Britain’s shift to free trade from the 1840s onwards mainly benefited the industrial north-east of Ulster, where Protestants made up a majority of the population. But the rest of the country, which was more reliant on agriculture, suffered badly from falling global food prices and the Irish Famine of 1845-50. The result was the rise of Irish nationalist movements, drawing much of their support from the Catholic south, which wanted a new Irish Parliament and to re-introduce protectionist measures. When William Gladstone, then Britain’s prime minister, proposed Irish legislative independence (called Home Rule) in 1885, the north-east exploded with sectarian rioting against his proposals. Ulster Protestants feared that “Home Rule means Rome Rule”, thinking they would lose the religious and economic freedoms they enjoyed as part of the United Kingdom by becoming a minority in a mainly Catholic Ireland.

When the rest of Ireland gained independence as the “Irish Free State” in 1922, north-east Ulster did not want to join them. The British government was forced to partition the six most north-eastern counties of the new Irish state to form Northern Ireland, in fear that Protestant civil unrest in Ulster would otherwise turn into a civil war against the new state. Northern Ireland has since witnessed severe sectarian violence between its Protestant majority and its Catholic minority, particularly during the "Troubles" of 1968-98 . The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998 sought to end that. The Republic dropped its claim to the North and London declared the status of Northern Ireland would be determined by wishes of its people. The deal was broadly a success, but friction has continued sporadically since then. Yet most people in Northern Ireland still seem to want to remain part of the United Kingdom. A BBC poll earlier this year suggested that just 17% of people in Northern Ireland want to leave the United Kingdom. Economic reasons may partly explain this. The Northern Irish economy has outperformed the rest of Ireland since 2007 and living costs are lower than in the south.

According to a study last year by CEBR, an economic consultancy, Northern Ireland enjoys a net subsidy of 29.4% of its GDP each year from Britain, resulting in a better welfare state than in the south. While health care in the north is free under the NHS, a trip to the doctor costs most people up to €75 ($100) south of the border. Northern Ireland's (selective) grammar schools are highly regarded, though some of its other schools are bad. The greatest threat to Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom now comes from outside Ireland rather than within it. If Scotland votes for independence in a referendum due to be held in September 2014, what would happen to Northern Ireland? Its historic ties are to Scotland more than to England or Wales, but Scottish nationalists have thus far shown no interest in inheriting the province from the United Kingdom. Scottish independence might yet make Northern Ireland’s constitutional status a touchy subject again. Locumlink bestellen Working in the Republic of Ireland Locumlink are by far the largest locum provider of short to medium term locum jobs in Ireland. We fill thousands of locum jobs each year.

We pay our locum doctor`s excellent hourly rates and have contractual arrangements with almost every public and private hospital in Ireland. Doctors considering working as a locum should look no further than Locumlink. Over the past ten years Locumlink has provided the Health Service Executive (HSE) with locum doctors covering posts ranging from intern to consultant. We also provide a comprehensive service to GP surgeries and private hospitals nationwide. Despite the recent cutbacks made within the healthcare sector, Locumlink still fulfil hundreds of locum jobs for hospitals each month. Many of the locum jobs are short-term (less than one month) but we do have some longer positions available. GP Surgeries are constantly looking for experienced locum doctors to cover their holiday breaks. Locumlink have over 800 GP clients Nationwide and are always looking for good GP locum doctors. We pay excellent rates to GP locum doctors and have jobs available nationwide. Locumlink also provide locum doctors to a network of GP Coop's. This work mainly involves redeye shifts and weekends. The rate of pay is excellent and due to the longer number of hours available per shift locum doctors can earn considerably more than in a regular GP Surgery.

Locumlink currently provide locum doctors to almost all of the private hospitals in Ireland. Locum doctors that wish to work in private hospitals should have their own private medical indemnity cover. Private hospitals will insist on seeing a copy of your certificate prior to commencement. Some private hospitals do not require this but most do. So if you are interested in working as a locum doctor in Ireland you need look no further. Register online today and join our winning team. Medical Registration The Irish Medical Council was established under the Medical Practitioners Act in 1978 to maintain a General Register of Medical Practitioners to satisfy itself as to the standards of undergraduate and postgraduate Medical education and training and to look into alleged cases of professional misconduct or unfitness to practice medicine by reason of physical and mental disability. Any doctor that wishes to work through Locumlink must have full Irish Medical Registration. General Practitioners If you are a General Practitioner from a Non EU country and have experienced work visa issues in the past, then Locumlink may have the solution for you. Locumlink currently have a special Visa program in place offered to GP doctors with relevant experience that are interested in working in Ireland.

Doctors must have full Irish Medical Registration to avail of this service and other terms do apply. Contact our recruitment team for further information. Useful links Why do Unionists use the term Ulster to describe Northern Ireland when part of Ulster is in the Republic of Ireland ? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk Why do Unionists use the term Ulster to describe Northern Ireland when part of Ulster is in the Republic of Ireland ? Ieuan Phillips, Derry, N Ireland Basically, from a Unionist perspective, "Ulster" suggests a greater level of distinctiveness from the Republic of Ireland than "Northern Ireland" does. Antony, Reading, England As an Ulsterman myself I am duty bound to lend my offerings to this.

Whilst it is true that the 9 counties of Ulster do not form Northern Ireland (3 are in the republic), historically, Ulster was a province of Ireland and when Northern Ireland became a country and part of the UK in 1922, it was agreed that this province would be split as it is today; the 6 counties of Ulster that form Northern Ireland (Londonderry, Antrim, Down, Tyrone, Armagh and Fermanagh) and the 3 retained by the republic; Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal. On this basis the protestant or unionist collective term Ulster, is deliberately provocative to nationalists as the British 'stole' and retained part of their country. Not to mention the 1 syllable is easier than 4! Incidently, the author of the question has likely demonstrated which faith he belongs to when he says he is from 'Derry' it is common knowledge in Northern Ireland that catholics drop 'london' in order to disassociate themselves with the country and true nationality, you will never hear Northern Ireland or Ulster from jerry adams and co! Darren Jones, Bristol, UK Ulster is a province with 9 counties.

When Ireland became independent from Britain, and Northern Ireland was added to create the UK, it comprised 6 of the Ulster counties. The other three counties are part of Ireland. Andy Thomas, Calgary Canada On the downside, it can hint at a desire to annex Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan into the United Kingom, in certain contexts. Damian, Clydebank In 1920, the Unionists would have actually preferred full integration into the UK, but the best that the British government offered them was the devolved Stormont regime, so they had to make do with Northern Ireland. In order to make their Protestant statelet viable, i.e. in possession of a Protestant majority, however, they were forced to jettison the three majority-Catholic counties of Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan, but naturally continued to think of their patch of Ireland as Ulster, while nationalists became politically correct in refusing to use the term to refer to Northern Ireland. John Adams, QuerÃ©taro, Mexico When Ireland was partitioned the plan was to separate Ulster from the rest of the the island of Ireland for the Unionists, but three counties were considered 'too Republican'.

It serves the petty-mindedness of these people to still call it Ulster, partly so they don't have to say Ireland, and partly to wind up Nationalists. Republicans also don't like the name Northern Ireland, preferring instead the North of Ireland (implying Ireland is still one entity) or sometimes even 'the Six Counties'. Simon King, London, UK It is an interesting one this, the term: "Ulster" or "The Province" refers to one of the old presidencies set up in Ireland by Elizabeth I, ÂUlsterÂ was finally controlled after the defeat of Chieftain O'Neill, though after ElizabethÂs reign (she knew Ireland was defeated by the time of her death, thanks to Lord MountjoyÂs deafeat of OÂNeillÂs Clan forces (and Spanish allies) (OÂNeill was an Ulster Chief), Provincial presidencies were set up in Leinster, Connacht, Munster and finally Ulster.

It is an irony that Ulster was the last part of Ireland to be defeated and now remains the last part of Ireland in the United Kingdom (there are good reasons why this happened, Ulster was set up differently to the rest of Ireland up to that point 1601 and by 1610, the plantation of Ulster). Northern Ireland set up after the Anglo-Irish Treaty, agreed by Lloyd George and Eamon DeValera, was set up by partition; using the boundary commission to separate the six-counties with the rest of Ulster, leaving three Ulster counties in the south. However it is not true to say that the term Ulster is offensive, indeed it is still referred to in the Republic or the ÂSouthÂ as just the name of the Province of Ulster, just as they would for Connacht or Leinster. Peter , Manchester I fear Peter is quite wrong in his statement that the term 'Ulster' is not regarded as pejorative in the Republic. It is only used there to refer to the ancient province of nine counties, and never, but never, used to refer to Northern Ireland.

The title 'Ulster' was adopted mainly to give the suggestion that the statelet had some form of historical or territorial integrity, which, of course, it does not. Philip Foxe, London, UK Sorry, Darren, but Ulster has two syllables. Says it all, really. Pete Wigens, Stroud, Glos UK Thousand's of Volunteers left what they knew as "the 9 Counties of Ulster" to fight in the battle of the Somme and elsewhere in WW1. They bravely went off to fight and die for King and country. What happened when they returned?. The country became Northern Ireland consisting of 6 counties. The 9 when they left was reduced to 6 by a government who over looked all they fought for. That was the repayment for sacrifice. I still call it Ulster in respect of all the fallen hero's of the Somme who fought for Ulster. I would imagine a majority of Unionists would agree. Darren, Belfast Northern Ireland Darren (Jones, Bristol UK) Your suggestion that the person who posted the original question gave away their political leanings is true to a certain extent, however you did the exact same.

Whether you call it one or the other, you are making a statement and identifying yourself. The fact that the majority of people in that area refer to it as Derry (Nationalists now form a majority in Derry as a whole, due to their demographic dominance of the city) is quite a statement in itself. Should it not be the people of the area who decide? In any case I believe in democracy and freedom of speech (google it and see what it means, Darren) and at the end of the day, people should be able to call it what they want, as long as they expect that and respect that there are others who chose to call it differently. You obviously cannot do that. From my experiences, any of my friends from the North/Northern Ireland/whatever/Ulster/the six counties all call it Derry, whether they are my very good friend who is a Catholic from Newry, or my even better friend who is a Protestant from Newtownards, or my very similar friend who's a Heathen like me from south Belfast.

Oisin, Wexford, Ireland Darren, what about the men who fought and died in the Great War for the cause of freedom who came back to Ulster to find that six of their counties were taken by a foreign power? Mike. Mike Docherty, Charteralley, England I am a protestant from Co Down, and I am proud to say I am Irish. I was Born in Down which is one of the nine counties in the Province of Ulster. I love my Rugby and, when it is Ruby Season, I wear my Ulster shirt. When it comes down to my country I wear my Ireland shirt. I think Irish history should be taught to all children in the schools. I never knew anything about Irish History until I was older, and boy oh boy did it open my eyes. When I was at school it was always rammed down my throat by my peers that I was British not Irish - and it always confused me, as people in other countries would always say I was Irish. You grow up with a sense of not knowing what bloody nationality you are, being a protestant! Scotland is part of the UK and they class themselves as Scottish. I am Irish and very proud to say it.

Julie, Wales Agreed there is a lot of confusion regarding Ulster and Northern Ireland. Even those that should know (newscasters, for example, frequently mistaken refer to something which happened in Northern Ireland as having happened in Ulster. It is not incorrect geographically, but misleading, nonetheless. Ulster is one of four provinces of Ireland and lies to the north. The remaining 3 provinces are Leinster to the east, Munster to the south and Connaucht to the west. Ulster is comprised of 9 counties (Londonderry(Derry), Antrim, Down, Tyrone, Armagh, Fermanagh, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal. Northern Ireland was created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which existed from 22 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended. It was subsequently abolished under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. In 1921the 6 counties of Northern Ireland were partitioned (separated politically from the other 26 counties of Ireland).

The 6 of Northern Ireland are: Londonderry, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone and Fermanagh. Some people refer to Londonderry as Derry for political reasons. Ireland is now made up of two separate countries: 1) The Republic of Ireland Republic and 2)Northern Ireland. Most people whether in Northern Ireland or The Republic of Ireland refer to themselves as Irish, some people in Northern Ireland refer to themselves as British. The roots/history of some organizations go back to before partition and have Ulster in their name. The parliament of Northern Ireland is based in Stormont and the parliament of The Republic of Ireland (or Irish Republic) is based in Dublin. Jeane Hannigan nee Sproule, Fintona Tyrone Great to see a sensible post from Julie. Just because a person is British in outlook, does not mean he/she is any less Irish. There is plenty of Irish people south of the border who are of a British line, they just don't see the need to prove that by taping union jacks to estate lamp posts. Paul, Dublin Ireland The identity of Ulster is even more complicated than stated. First the word for a province in Irish is cuige meaning a fifth.

The fifth province was Meath which contained Meath, Westmeath and parts of Cavan, Dublin ,Kildare, Longford Louth and Offaly. Also part of Louth was in the ancient province of Ulster. Kevin Chaffey, Enniskillen, Norther Ireland I completely agree with Julie. Although granted, I am a Catholic from NI and so think of myself as Irish, I don't shy away from the realisation that I'm British. There's a bit of both in all of us, whether Catholic or Protestant. I do Irish dancing and there's just as many Protestants that do it if not more than Catholics. We all live on the island of Ireland and as such have an Irish identity, whether it be Northern Irish or from the Republic. It's all still Irish. Mathew, Belfast, UK Ulster is and always will be the land of No Surrender. John Knox, Edinburgh Scotland Ta Mr. Darren Jones of Bristol. A syllable, is a part of a word containing a single sound. So, while Ireland as two syllables, and Mom, only 1, Ulster, also, ..listen closely...has TWO!!!!

It is comforting to see how many of the answers come from human beings, Irish and otherwise, than can see past the idiotic tribalism of the conflict, even with the VERY OBVIOUS history of British Genocide in Ireland. Jordi Capalett, Barcalona Catalunya Ulster to me means bigotry and hatred. I am Welsh and British same as you can be English and British or Scottish and British - so if you're from Ulster then you're Irish and British. In fact you can be from Pakistan and British if you were born before their independence. I'm never been to NI and no wish to but I have been to ROI being neighbours and guess what - none of them that I met have not the slightest interest in Ulster. Nerys Williams, Pembroke Dock Wales Modern Ulster as it exists today does so because of the prevarications of the likes of Asquith and Lloyd George, and their failure to address the problems arising from (and before) the Easter Uprising in Dublin in 1916. Typical of politicians of all eras, the wrong decisions,and conclusions are decided. Kevan Hurst, Bolton Lancashire

Question: What does the Republic of Ireland call itself?
Answer: ire