X-Nico

6 unusual facts about Northern Ireland


George Joynt

Although not a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), he believed in the organization's intention of overthrowing both the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland and re-establishing the Irish Republic declared in 1919.

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).

Mikael Heggelund Foslie

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


1950s in Irish television

21 July 1955 - The BBC brings into service its Divis transmitter, its first permanent 405-line VHF Band I facility serving Northern Ireland, marking the launch of a television service for Northern Ireland; the 35 kW transmissions can also be readily received in much of the Republic of Ireland.

2011–12 Irish League Cup

The 2011–12 Irish League Cup (known as the Irn-Bru League Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 26th edition of Northern Ireland's secondary football knock-out cup competition.

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.

Aidan Davison

Aidan John Davison (born 11 May 1968 in Sedgefield, County Durham) is an English-born Northern Irish former professional footballer and coach who is without a club after previously holding the position of Head Coach at USL Premier Development League side FC JAX Destroyers until the club disbanded in 2012.

Andrew Mamedoff

On 8 October 1941, Mamedoff was flying with 133 Squadron on a standard transit flight from Fowlmere Airfield to RAF Eglinton in Northern Ireland in his Hurricane Z3781.

Antrim RFC

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

Armagh by-election, 1954

The two main opposition groups, the Northern Ireland Labour Party and the Nationalist Party, had both fared poorly at the Northern Ireland general election, 1953, and decided not to contest the by-election.

Barn United F.C.

The club's current facilities at Haslett Park are basic but does feature a social club, which was opened in 1981 by Rangers player and Northern Ireland international John McClelland.

Belvoir Park Hospital

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

Catherine Jean Milligan

Catherine Jean Milligan (born 11 September 1986, Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland) was Miss Northern Ireland 2006 and represented her country in the Miss World finals in Poland.

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.

Damaen Kelly

Damaen Kelly (born August 18, 1976) (also incorrectly known as Damien Kelly) is a former professional boxer from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who represented the Ireland at the Olympics.

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.

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.

Hank Greenspun

During World War II, while stationed in Northern Ireland, Greenspun met his wife, Barbara, at a dinner party hosted by Maureen Black (née Peres) daughter of Harold Peres of Solomon and Peres and wife of British Businessman, Roy Keith Black.

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.

Henry McStay

Henry Matthew Patrick McStay (born 6 March 1985) is a retired footballer from Lurgan in Northern Ireland, is is current Lead Academy Physio at Leeds United.

History of Fianna Fáil

The election of Tony Blair in Britain gave renewed hope of an agreement for peace in Northern Ireland, an issue that has traditionally always been an aspiration of Irish Governments.

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.

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.

Jennifer Johnston

Born in Dublin, to the Irish actor/director Shelah Richards and the playwright Denis Johnston, a cousin of the late actress Geraldine Fitzgerald, via Fitzgerald's mother, Edith, Johnston was educated at Trinity College Dublin, and currently lives in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

John Grubb Richardson

John Grubb Richardson (13 November 1813 – 1891) was an Irish linen merchant, industrialist and philanthropist who founded the model village of Bessbrook near Newry in 1845, in what is now Northern Ireland.

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.

Judge Robert Lamberton

Robert Lamberton was born and brought up on the family farm near to what is now Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Learjet 45

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

Merville Garden Village

Merville Garden Village is a housing estate located at Shore Road, Whitehouse, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland created by structural and landscape architect Edward Prentice Mawson.

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'.

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.

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 .

Owen Carron

Carron is the nephew of former Nationalist Party politician John Carron.

Quinn brothers' killings

Jason, Richard and Mark Quinn were three brothers killed by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in a firebomb attack on their home in Ballymoney, County Antrim, Northern Ireland on 12 July 1998, towards the end of the three-decade period known as "The Troubles".

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.

Sharon McPeake

McPeake was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland and was a member of Ballymena & Antrim Athletics Club.

Songs from the Deep Forest

Songs from the Deep Forest is an album by Northern Ireland based artist Duke Special.

St Neots Town F.C.

The club's ambition to move on was shown with the 2009 addition of former Northern Ireland internationals Steve Lomas and Michael Hughes as a player managerial team, where they were joined by Sylvain Legwinski, formerly of Fulham.

The O'Rahilly

O'Rahilly's family for many years owned the port of Greenore in County Louth not far from the present day border with Northern Ireland, while his grandson Ronan O'Rahilly achieved some fame during the 1960s as the founder of the offshore radio station Radio Caroline, and was also involved in the production of some films and the promotion of several recording artists including Georgie Fame and The Animals.

Thomas Begley

Begley was killed when a bomb he was planting on the Shankill Road, West Belfast, Northern Ireland intending to kill Johnny Adair and senior members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) exploded prematurely, killing him, a UDA member and eight Protestant civilians.

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.


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.

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.

Action on Smoking and Health

The Health Act 2009 provides for removal of vending machines for tobacco products (implemented in October 2011) and for the prohibition of the display of tobacco products at the point of sale in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Alison Wheeler

Virginia featured repeatedly as guests on BBC Radio, particularly Janice Long, Jonathan Ross, Gyles Brandreth, Nicky Campbell and Ned Sherrin, as well as TV appearances in Northern Ireland on the Kelly Show.

Annagh

It is bounded on the north by the international border with Fermanagh and Northern Ireland, on the east by Cuillaghan, Killywilly, Corranierna and Mullaghduff townlands, on the south by Cullyleenan townland and on the west by Doon, Rakeelan and Gortawee townlands.

Baggott

Matt Baggott (born 1959), Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland

C2K

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

CCNI

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

Creggan

Creggan, Derry, a large housing estate in Derry, 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.

Down Royal

The most valuable race run there is the JNwine.com Champion Chase, run at the Northern Ireland Festival of racing in November.

Emergency Powers Act

Emergency Powers Act 1964 Emergency Powers (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964

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.

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

Habeas Corpus Act 1862

In 1971 Lord Denning led the Court of Appeal in Re Keenan 1971 3 WLR 844 in saying that no English court has jurisdiction to issue a writ of habeas corpus anywhere in Ireland, whether in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

Hegan

Danny Hegan (born 1943), Scottish-born Northern Ireland footballer

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 Fine Gael

The National Coalition is noted for its attempts to build a power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland through the Sunningdale Agreement.

Hugh Mulholland

Mulholland was appointed the curator for the Northern Irish Pavilion at the 2005 Venice Biennale by the British Council Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

James Craig

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

James McCusker

James Harold McCusker (1940–1990), Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party politician

Jessica Hammond

Jessica is the winner of the 2010 Northern Ireland Belfast CityBeat competition Young Star Search developed by Stuart Robinson (now Cool FM).

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

National Grammar Schools Association

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

Newsom Report

:Secondary modern schools (secondary intermediate schools in Northern Ireland) trained pupils in practical skills, aimed at equipping them for less skilled jobs and home management.

Northern Ireland Assembly Elections Act 2003

The Northern Ireland Assembly Elections Act 2003 (c 3) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Paul Rankin

In 1989 Paul Rankin changed the face of culinary Northern Ireland when he opened Roscoff, the restaurant that was to become the first to win a Michelin Star in the country.

Petra White

Petra conducted readings and workshops at many venues throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland including the Bealtaine Festival in Dublin, Laurel Villa in Magherafelt and Writers' Week at Listowel.

RCJ

Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast in Chichester Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Richard N. Haass

In late 2013, Haass returned to Northern Ireland to chair inter-party talks aimed at addressing some of the unresolved issues from the peace process such as parades, flags and "the past".

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)

Seacat

SeaCat (1992–2004), ferry company formerly operating from between Northern Ireland, Scotland and England

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.

Sky Blues

Magherafelt Sky Blues F.C., in the Ballymena & Provincial Intermediate League of 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.

Sophia Swire

Hugo Swire MP, Minister for Northern Ireland (brother), Philip Swire (brother)

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.

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.

Veerstichting

David Trimble MLA, former President of Northern Ireland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Dr. Javier SolanaSecretary-General of the Council of the EU.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

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