Provinces of Ireland
From Freepedia
| Provinces of Ireland | |
| Image:Flag of provinces (Ireland).png | |
| Map | |
| Image:IrelandProvincesNumbered.png | |
| 1. Leinster 2. Munster | 3. Connacht 4. Ulster |
When under Gaelic rule, Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha.
The four provinces are;
Originally there were five provinces but over the course of time the smallest one, Meath, was absorbed into Leinster. During Ireland's golden age these provinces were little more than loosely federated kingdoms with somewhat flexible boundaries, but in modern times they have become associated with groups of specific counties though they have no legal status. They are today seen in a sporting context, as Ireland's four professional rugby teams play under the names of the provinces, and the Gaelic Athletic Association has seperate provincial championships.
The provinces were supplanted by the present system of counties after the Norman occupation in the twelfth century. The Irish word for province, "cúige", means "portion" and/or "fifth", reflecting the original division.
Six of the nine Ulster counties form modern-day Northern Ireland, which remains a part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is sometimes referred to as a province of the United Kingdom, usually by Unionists. These two usages of the word "province" in Ireland are often confused.
