X-Nico

5 unusual facts about Northern Ireland


James McBratney

James McBratney (a.k.a. Jimmy From Queens) was born in 1941 to emigrant Catholic parents from Northern Ireland in 1941.

Lutheran Church in Great Britain

The Lutheran Church in Great Britain is a Lutheran church, operating in Great Britain (The Lutheran Church in Ireland operates in the Irish Republic and in Northern Ireland).

One for the Man Over There

One For The Man Over There is the first and only album by Northern Irish trio The Tides, and was released on 1 February 2007.

Safefood

In addition to media campaigns, Safefood core-funds the development and dissemination of educational resources on the topics of healthy eating and food hygiene practice for the pre-school, primary school and post-primary school curriculum in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (e.g. Safefood for Life and Tastebuds).

Victoria Park, Belfast

Today the Victoria Park can be accessed from Sydenham.


1951 Ringway Dakota accident

On 27 March 1951 a Douglas Dakota 3 cargo aircraft registered G-AJVZ operated by Air Transport Charter en route from Ringway Airport, Manchester, England, to Nutts Corner Airport, Antrim, Northern Ireland, crashed shortly after take-off following the failure of the aircraft to gain height.

1978 in Northern Ireland

18 January - The European Court of Human Rights finds Britain guilty of inhuman and degrading treatment of republican internees in Northern Ireland, but not guilty of torture.

493d Bombardment Group

Aircrews left McCook in early May and flew the northern transport route to the U.K.; via New Hampshire, Labrador, thence to Debach by way of Iceland and Wales, or by way of Northern Ireland.

Aghaloo O'Neills GAC

The club is based in Aughnacloy and Caledon which encompasses the parish after which the club is named, Aghaloo, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Agonum muelleri

In Europe, it is found in Albania, the Azores, Baltic states, Belarus, Benelux, Great Britain including the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, mainland Portugal, Russia, Sardinia, Sicily (doubtful), mainland Spain, Ukraine, Scandinavia, Yugoslavian states, and Central Europe.

Alistair Graham

He was knighted (Knight Bachelor) in the Millennium Honours List for services to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland.

Antrim RFC

Antrim RFC (Antrim Rugby Football Club) is a rugby club based at Allen Park in Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Antrim, Nova Scotia

It was first settled by the Kerrs, McMichael and McMullin families who came from Antrim in Northern Ireland.

Ardboe O'Donovan Rossa GAC

Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Ard Bó Uí Dhonnabhain Rossa (Ardboe O'Donovan Rossa in English) is a club based in east County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, close to the shores of Lough Neagh.

Arthur James Turner

He was offered the post of director of research at the Linen Industry Research Association, Lambeg, Lisburn, in Northern Ireland in 1940 and spent his last 16 years of service there, raising its profile to become accepted as the research centre of the whole linen industry and trade.

Belvoir Park Hospital

Belvoir Park Hospital was a cancer treatment specialist hospital situated in Newtownbreda, South Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Bland Mayfly

The Bland Mayfly was an early aircraft constructed in 1910 by Lilian E. Bland in Carnmoney in Northern Ireland.

British Superkart Championship

The karts race on full size British circuits such as Pembrey, Silverstone, Bishopscourt (Northern Ireland), Castle Combe, Darley Moor, Snetterton and Croft, Cadwell Park, Thruxton, Donington Park, Oulton Park along with the 31st running of the MSA British Superkart Grand Prix at Cadwell Park.

Chief Justice

The courts of England and Wales are headed by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales; in Northern Ireland's courts, the equivalent position is the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and in Scottish courts, the equivalent is the Lord President of the Court of Session.

Clogherbog

Clogherbog is a townland situated on the south west side of Boho in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

Commons Act 1236

The whole Chapter, in so far as it extended to Northern Ireland, was repealed by section 1 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1950.

Daryl Fordyce

Daryl Thomas Fordyce (born 2 January 1987 in Sandy Row, Belfast) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays for FC Edmonton in the North American Soccer League.

Dual naming

"Derry/Londonderry" has been used unofficially to circumvent the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, in which Irish nationalists used "Derry" and Ulster unionists use "Londonderry" for the city and county in Northern Ireland.

Earnest Goodsir-Cullen

In 1947 the family went to live with Elsie's mother in Portstewart, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland and Ernest had to re-qualify as a doctor at Queen's University, Belfast.

Electricity sector in the United Kingdom

The UK grid is connected to adjacent European and Irish electrical grids by submarine power cables, including for links to northern France (HVDC Cross-Channel), Northern Ireland (HVDC Moyle), Republic of Ireland (East–West Interconnector), the Isle of Man (Isle of Man to England Interconnector), and the Netherlands (BritNed).

FA Trophy

Former Northern Ireland international Martin O'Neill, in his first managerial role, led Wycombe Wanderers to two wins, and Geoff Chapple managed Kingstonian to victory twice and Woking three times, all within the space of seven years.

Garry Robison

In 1977 and 1978 he made two Emergency tours of duty in Northern Ireland during "The Troubles".

Grand Opera House, Belfast

The Grand Opera House is a theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by the most prolific theatre architect of the period, Frank Matcham.

Hednesford Town F.C.

Former Northern Ireland international and AFC Telford United manager Bernard McNally was appointed caretaker manager while the club searched for a new manager.

If I Should Fall from Grace with God

"Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six" showed the political side to their music, the first part being about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the second half about the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, two groups of men wrongly imprisoned for terrorism offences and held in jail.

Inishowen

As the coastline turns towards the East it reaches Lough Foyle and Shroove on the mouth of the Lough and then Greencastle (a port used by fishing boats and landing point for the car ferry to and from Magilligan in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland).

IQ and the Wealth of Nations

IQ and the Wealth of Nations is a 2002 book by Dr. Richard Lynn, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, and Dr. Tatu Vanhanen, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.

Irish Home Rule movement

1920: Fourth Irish Home Rule Act (replaced Third Act, passed and implemented as the Government of Ireland Act 1920) which established Northern Ireland as a Home Rule entity within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and attempted to establish Southern Ireland as another but instead resulted in the partition of Ireland and Irish independence through the Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922.

John Hermon

He was the first RUC officer to attend the advanced policing course at the British police training college in Bramshill in England, before returning to Northern Ireland and a promotion in Belfast.

Johnny Wheeler

He did gain his one and only England cap in 1954, however, when Walter Winterbottom selected him to play in a British Home Championship match against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast, goals from Johnny Haynes and Don Revie where enough the gain England a 2–0 win.

Kieran Dynes

Kieran Dynes, born in Clonmore Dungannon, Northern Ireland, is a race car driver currently competing in the European Late model(NASCAR) series, he has also raced in the NASCAR nationwide series and the ARCA remax series in the United States.

Learjet 45

De Havilland Canada builds the LJ45s wings, and Bombardier subsidiary Short Brothers of Belfast, Northern Ireland, builds the fuselage and empennage.

Lisburn telephone exchange code

The Lisburn telephone exchange code refers to the former 01846 area code, which until the 2000 Big Number Change, served Lisburn, Aghalee, Moira, Hillsborough, Dromore, Maze, Stoneyford and Baillies Mills, all of which are in Northern Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom.

Live at Austin City Limits Festival

Live at Austin City Limits Festival by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison is a limited edition live album recorded from the Austin City Limits Festival concert at which he was the first night headliner on September 15, 2006.

Loughlynch

Loughlynch or Lough Lynch is a townland in the parish of Billy, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Mikael Heggelund Foslie

Foslie contributed an algal collection named Algae Norvegicae to the Ulster Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Monty's Pass

Monty's Pass was the winner of the 2003 Grand National at Aintree, Liverpool, when ridden by Barry Geraghty, trained by Jimmy Mangan and running in the colours of the Dee Racing Syndicate, a group of owners based in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, and led by Blackpool born bingo hall owner Mike Futter.

Musa Qala

In memory of a prior conflict, in 2006, involving the British Royal Irish Regiment, a new Regimental March, composed by Chris Attrill and commissioned by Larne Borough Council, was gifted to the regiment on Saturday 1 November 2008 in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland during an event in which the regiment was presented with the 'Freedom of the Borough'.

Northern Ireland flags issue

The Ulster Banner, the flag of the pre-1973 government of Northern Ireland, was used from 1953 to 1972 by the Stormont government to represent the government of Northern Ireland.

Of One Belief

The Group was established on December 7, 2007 at a general meeting in the Elk Restaurant in Toome, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which was attended by over 400 people.

Ordination of Ministers Act 1571

The whole Act, so far as it extended to Northern Ireland, was repealed by section 1 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1953.

Peter Murnoy

Murnoy was elected to the Parliament of Northern Ireland as the Nationalist Party MP for South Down at the 1945 general election.

Ramón Calderé

After the win against Northern Ireland he was summoned for a doping test, which came out positive.

Roma Ryan

Roma Shane Ryan (born 20 January in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky.

Sean Downey

He won a Bronze medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the team pursuit as part of the Northern Ireland team.

Tom Robertson

Tommy received 1 international cap for Scotland playing against Northern Ireland in a British Championship match on the 26 March 1898 at Solitude, Belfast, Robertson also managed to find the net in the 3–0 victory.

TSS Caledonian Princess

Built for the North Channel route from Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, to Larne, County Antrim, linking the west of Scotland with Northern Ireland, she was the first car ferry on the route.

Ulster Volunteers

After World War I, the British Government agreed to set up two self-governing regions in Ireland: Northern Ireland (made up of six Ulster counties with Protestant/unionist majorities), and Southern Ireland.

Willie Jorrín

Jorrín holds an amateur win over Wayne McCullough, the bout took place in McCullough's home country of Northern Ireland.


see also

1996 in Northern Ireland

7–11 July - Drumcree conflict: A standoff over the annual Orange Order parade at Drumcree leads to rioting here and elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

2nd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment

The funeral of one, Private Paul Sutcliffe, an Englishman, was held in Barrowford, Lancashire - the only UDR funeral to be held outside Northern Ireland.

Aaron McCormack

Upon moving to Washington D.C. later that year he focused his efforts on Irish-American politicians, determined to tell a different side to the Northern Ireland story than that portrayed by pro-republican organizations such as NORAID.

C2K

Classroom 2000 - a Northern Ireland-wide information and communications network

Castle FM

Soon afterwards, Robinson moved away from RSL radio to concentrate on developing his Young Star Search format across Northern Ireland which successfully ran on Belfast Citybeat until his defection to Cool FM and Downtown Radio in 2010.

CCNI

Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, government body regulating charities in Northern Ireland

Chris Reason

While reporting for Seven News, Chris has filed stories from some of the world's hot spots - including Bosnia, Northern Ireland, the Middle East and the Pacific rim.

Daisy Hill

Daisy Hill Hospital, a National Health Service Hospital in Newry, Northern Ireland

Disinvestment

The effort to disinvest in Northern Ireland met with little success, but the United States Congress did pass (and then-President Bill Clinton signed) a law requiring American companies with interests there to implement most of the MacBride Principles in 1998.

Edward Prentice Mawson

Large-scale town planning schemes include London County Council's St Helier Estate (1934), and for Ulster Garden Villages Limited in Northern Ireland, Merville Garden Village, Abbots Cross, Fernagh, Princes Park, Kings Park, Whitehead and Muckamore Garden Villages, all in County Antrim.

Enactment

In the preceding provisions of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and in section 18 of that Act, the word "enactment" means any legislation (including subordinate legislation) of the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland.

Frederick Hamilton

Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (1875–1930), British soldier and Senator of the Northern Ireland Parliament

Friends of Israel Initiative

They include Republican Party former United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Forza Italia's former President of the Italian Senate Marcello Pera, former President of Czech Republic Václav Havel, Peru’s former President Alejandro Toledo, and billionaire financier, Robert Agostinelli and British Conservative Party peer, former First Minister of Northern Ireland and Nobel Peace Prize winner David Trimble.

Gerald Brown

Gerald Browne (1871/2-1951), unionist politician in Northern Ireland

Henry Benson, Baron Benson

In 1963 Benson submitted his report, which recommended closing all railways in Northern Ireland except the Belfast commuter lines to Bangor, County Down and Larne and the main line between Belfast and the Republic of Ireland, and the reduction of the main line between Portadown and the Republic to single track.

Herbert Dixon

Herbert Dixon, 1st Baron Glentoran (1880–1950), Northern Ireland Unionist politician

History of the Jews in Northern Ireland

Well known Belfast Jews include: Ronald Appleton QC, Crown Prosecutor during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, who was elected President of the Belfast Hebrew Congregation and served in that post until he retired in 2008; Belfast actors Harold Goldblatt and Harry Towb; pioneer of modern dance in Northern Ireland Helen Lewis; and jazz commentator Solly Lipschitz.

Hugh Logue

Following the 1994 IRA ceasefire, Logue with two EU colleagues was asked by EU President Jacques Delors to consult widely throughout Northern Ireland and the Border regions and prepare recommendations for a Peace and Reconciliation Fund to underpin the peace process.

Irish language in Northern Ireland

The historic influence of the Irish language in Northern Ireland can be seen in many place names, for example the name of Belfast first appears in the year 668, and the Lagan even earlier.

J D Wetherspoon

He was educated at eleven different schools in Northern Ireland and New Zealand including Campbell College in Belfast.

James Craig

James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon (1871–1940), British politician and Prime Minister of Northern Ireland

James Spratt

Jimmy Spratt (born 1951), Unionist politician from Northern Ireland

Joe Fenton

Joseph Fenton (1953–1989), Northern Ireland estate agent, killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army for acting as an informer

John Blelloch

Since 1998, he has been the co-chair of the Northern Ireland Sentence Review Commission along with Brian Currin.

Kennomeat

Robert Wilson & Sons were an established manufacturer of pet foods, with canneries in Barrhead near Glasgow and at Malone in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and in the 1930s they registered the names Kennomeat and Kattomeat.

Leader of the House

Minister and Leader of the House of Commons, former post in the Parliament of Northern Ireland

Márcio Sousa

In 2004 Sousa played for the under-19s in the 2005 European Championship qualifiers, netting against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the country failed to ensure a place in the finals in Northern Ireland.

Markwell

Clyde Markwell, architect and urban designer from Northern Ireland

Miles Messenger

The production aircraft were built at Newtownards in Northern Ireland and flown to Woodley for final fitting out.

National Grammar Schools Association

However there are current well-formed proposals, largely (if not solely) driven by Sinn Féin, to turn Northern Ireland comprehensive.

Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games

At the games the Northern Ireland team uses the flag of the former Government of Northern Ireland, the Ulster Banner as its national flag.

Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels

The Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels (Office of the NI Executive in Brussels) is part of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and is the focus of Northern Ireland's relations with the institutions of the European Union .

Political thriller

A playwright who has embraced the genre is Gary Mitchell, who in the 2000s became "one of the most talked about voices in European theatre ... whose political thrillers have arguably made him Northern Ireland's greatest playwright".

Robert Lowry

Robert Lowry, Baron Lowry (1919–1999), Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Northern Ireland international footballer Maik Taylor was a lance corporal before going into professional football and his father was a staff sergeant.

Sam McCrory

Sammy McCrory (1924–2011), footballer for Ipswich Town and Northern Ireland

Sam McMillan

Sammy McMillan, association football player (Manchester United, Wrexham, Northern Ireland)

Second Movement Opera

In February 2011, The Medium by Gian Carlo Menotti, a Second Movement production first staged in 2006, was performed in a tour of Northern Ireland by NI Opera in association with Second Movement, with performances in the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh; The Great Hall, Downpatrick; Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey and The Market Place Theatre, Armagh.

Silent Valley

Silent Valley Reservoir, a reservoir located in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel, County Down in Northern Ireland

Slieve Rushen Wind Farm

Slieve Rushen Wind Farm is an 18 turbine wind farm in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland with a total capacity of 54 MW, enough to power over 30,000 homes.

Stewart Holden

He represented England at the World Scrabble Championship 2003, where he finished in 62 place, and represented Northern Ireland at the World Scrabble Championship 2011 where he finished in 28th place and achieved the highest game score of the tournament (694pts).

Tar ag Spraoi Sesame

The series' adaptation coincides with Sesame Tree, a Sesame Street co-production for Northern Ireland from BBC Northern Ireland.

The Afghan

As a result, Mike's military record is adjusted ten years forward, with his career now including stints in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan (he was part of the relieving force during the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi).

Tom Caldwell

He became a regular speaker in the U.S., and an opponent of Bill Clinton's policy on Northern Ireland.

Ulster Project

Currently, the project brings teens from eleven cities in Northern Ireland, including Banbridge, Belfast, Derry, Omagh, Coleraine, Strabane, Sion Mills, Limavady, Portadown, Castlederg, Enniskillen and Cookstown.

Wallace Clark

The journey in Wild Goose by his son Miles, travelled around North Cape, Norway, and then through Russian waterways to the Black Sea, and on through the Mediterranean back to Northern Ireland.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Artists represented in The Northern Ireland Collection include Willie Doherty, Jock McFadyen, Rita Duffy, John Keane, Siobhan Hapaska and Robert Priseman.