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01 Politics

Politically, Ireland is divided into:

• The Republic of Ireland (capital Dublin). This state is often simply referred to internally and internationally as "Ireland" in English or "Éire" in Irish. Technically Ireland and Éire are the official names of the state while the "Republic of Ireland" is its official description. It is colloquially called "the South" or "the Republic" by many residents of Northern Ireland, and sometimes "Southern Ireland" which had been, for a short time, the official name of the state.
• Northern Ireland, (capital Belfast). This is part of the  which is part of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). It is unofficially known as "The North", "the Six Counties," by nationalists, and "Ulster," by unionists (although the province of Ulster also includes Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan, which are in the Republic)

Prior to the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and Partition Ireland had been a unified political entity within the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ireland) which came into being in 1801 as a result of the Act of Union. From 1541, the Kingdom of Ireland was established by the King of England, though this realm did not cover the whole island till the early 17th century. Up to then, Ireland had been politically divided into a number of different Irish kingdoms (Leinster, Munster, Connacht, Mide, Ulster, and others). Before the advent of the Normans the different kingdoms were augmented by a High Kingship. The extent of power or influence of the High Kings throughout the entire country varied from reign to reign.

In a number of respects the island operates officially as a single entity, for example, in most kinds of sports. The major religious bodies, the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, are organized on an all-island basis. 88% of the population of the Republic of Ireland (2002 census) and about 44% of Northern Ireland are Catholic. Some trade unions are also organised on an all-Irish basis and associated with the Irish Congress of Trades Unions (ICTU) in Dublin, while others in Northern Ireland are affiliated with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in the United Kingdom — though such unions may organise in both parts of the island as well as in Britain. The island also has a shared culture in many other ways. Traditional Irish music, for example, though showing some variance in all geographical areas, is, broadly speaking, the same on both sides of the border. Irish and Scottish traditional music have many similarities.

The island is sometimes referred to as being part of the British Isles. As a geographical term this is acceptable, as Britain is the large island, and would thus enjoy prominence in the term.  However it is often seen as a political term, one suggestive of a British dominance over the area, which is incorrect. For this reason, "Britain and Ireland" is sometimes used as a more neutral way of alluding to the archipelago of which the two islands are the essential constituents. Another suggestion, although much less frequently used, is the Islands of the North Atlantic (IONA).