22 things you should know about
Northern Ireland
So what does Northern Ireland have to offer the tourist and the language student?
Northern
Ireland is in the northeast of the island of Ireland and is part
of the United Kingdom. The population is approximately 1,710,300. That's
between a quarter and a third of the island's total population.
Northern Ireland consists of six counties situated within the province of Ulster. The capital city is Belfast.
English is spoken as a first language by almost 100 per cent of the Northern Irish population, though under the Good Friday Agreement, Irish and Ulster Scots (one of the dialects of the Scots language) are recognised as "part of the cultural wealth of Northern Ireland".
According to the 2005 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey*, 59 per cent of the population prefer Northern Ireland to be part of the United Kingdom, while 22 per cent would prefer to be part of a united Ireland.
The
division of opinion is related to the religious split in the country.
In the 2001 census, 53.1 per cent of the Northern Irish population were
Protestant while 43.8 per cent of the population were Roman Catholic.
Traditionally, those claiming to represent Nationalists are predominantly
Catholic and want Northern Ireland to be unified with the Republic of
Ireland, while those claiming to represent Unionists are predominantly
Protestant and want it to remain part of the United Kingdom.
It is the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to be Irish or British citizens, or both.
While the euro is the currency in the rest of Ireland, Northern Ireland uses the British Pound. Most large shops accept the euro, but it's best to ask first.
The Northern Ireland economy is the smallest of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The country was once famous for its shipbuilding and textiles. More recently, however, large multi-national corporations have invested in high-tech industries. Tourism also now plays an important role in the local economy.
A measure of the country's renewal has been the increase in hotel room numbers in Belfast: they've trebled in just five years. Tourist authorities are keen to promote Northern Ireland as a safe place to visit. According to one United Nations report, Northern Ireland has the second-lowest crime rate in the developed world.
There are so many rivers, lakes and so much coastline in Northern Ireland, it's no surprise that many of its best-known sporting activities are water based. Golf is also a popular sport.
There
are lots of places to visit in Northern Ireland. One of the most
famous is the Giants Causeway on the north coast. Legend has it that
the Causeway was built by Finn McCool, a giant who commanded the king
of Ireland's armies. He built the Causeway as stepping stones to Scotland.
Northern Ireland is famous for its legends and storytellers. The writer C. S. Lewis was born there. Near his East Belfast birthplace there's a life-size bronze sculpture showing a figure - Lewis's alter ego - stepping through the magic wardrobe into the Kingdom of Narnia.
Nobel Laureate poet and author Seamus Heaney was born on a farm near Bellaghy. Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett were schoolboys in Enniskillen. And Brendan Behan found employment painting the Donaghadee lighthouse and spent his wages in Grace Neill's Bar, the oldest pub in the country.
Northern Ireland is also famous for its history of shipbuilding. The world's most famous ship, the Titanic, was built here in 1911. You can take a trip to see where the ship was created or walk the Titanic Trail around Belfast.
Samson
and Goliath are two famous cranes that belong to the shipbuilding
company Harland & Wolff. Each has a capacity of 840 tonnes, and
London Bridge would look minute beside them. Harland & Wolff, who
built the Titanic, once employed tens of thousands of people.
St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and every year on March 17, St Patrick's Day, it seems the whole world wants to be Irish. Northern Ireland has numerous celebrations. You can also take the ultimate pilgrimage and visit St Patrick's grave in Downpatrick.
After years of controversy over St Patrick's Day celebrations in Belfast, the city now holds one of Northern Ireland's largest events and is set to become one of the world's leading destinations for St Patrick's Day celebrations.
Another important date is July 12, when the Orangemen march accompanied by marching bands often described as "blood and thunder bands". The Orangemen are members of a Protestant fraternal order who march to celebrate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The largest celebration is in Belfast when thousands of people cram into Belfast city centre and the drums echo through the streets.
Apart from marching bands, Northern Ireland has also produced some famous rock bands, including Snow Patrol. The band was formed in late 1994 by Gary Lightbody and Mark McClelland, two students from Northern Ireland who were studying in Dundee, Scotland, at the time. The group's song "Chasing Cars" has been nominated for one of this year's Grammy awards.
Other famous Northern Ireland names include the singer/songwriter Van Morrison, and the footballer George Best, who is regarded by many as the greatest football player of all time. In Northern Ireland there is a local saying: "Maradona good; Pelé better; George Best."
Northern
Ireland is looking forward to the future, but there are still reminders
of its troubled past. Belfast is famous for its sectarian murals that
can be found on the Falls Road or Shankhill. They depict other famous
names from the past such as hunger striker Bobby Sands. Today's tourists
can see the murals on guided tours.
It is strange to think that Belfast, which not so long ago was a ghost town at night, monitored by tanks and checkpoints, is now a Mecca for clubbers. Several years ago the local authorities introduced the slogan "Belfast is Buzzing" in order to attract visitors. It seems like the description is now very appropriate.
To find out more about Northern Ireland, visit the sites listed in the Useful Contacts section of Destinations.
*ARK. Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey, 2005 [computer file].
ARK www.ark.ac.uk/nilt [distributor], June 2006.