Why is northern Ireland a part of the UK and not the rest of Ireland?

Answer 1

The answer to this question is very complex as the events which brought about Northern Ireland spans several centuries, the following links will give you the full history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_ireland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ireland#Protestant_Ascendancy_.281691.E2.80.931801.29

But I will try to summarise it...

Henry VIII in 1536 set out to re-conquer Ireland to bring it under the control of the crown, this took nearly a century to complete and spanned the reigns of Elizabeth and James I.

From the mid 16th and into the early 17th century crown governments tried to create plantations in Laois and Offaly, Munster and Ulster. The plantations in Ulster were the most successfull.

In the 1800's the Kingdom of Ireland was merged with Kingdom of Great Britain under the Act of Union by both Irish and British parliaments.

The Home Rule bill was passed in 1910 and the thrid Home Rule Bill was passed in 1912. However the onset of World War 1 delayed the implementation of the bill.

Between 1916-1921 there was much violence and political upheaval, and in 1921 under the Government of Ireland act 6 of the 9 counties of Ulster formed Northern Ireland. The remaining 26 counties of Ireland form Sounthern Ireland.

Answer 2

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, not the other way around. NI is part of the UK because the Protestants in the country, which outnumber the Catholics, vote for Northern Ireland to remain a part of the UK. That is why there have been years on conflict in the country.

Answer 3

The whole of the island of Ireland was in the United Kingdom from 1801 up until 1922. What is now the Republic of Ireland was given independence, after the Irish war of independence. At this point Northern Ireland was created, and remained a part of the United Kingdom. The people of the north being predominately Scottish immigrants and therefore protestants, had no wish to join the people of the south, who are predominately Catholics. Between 1969 and 1994 the I.R.A. and the Ulster paramilitaries committed atrocities against each other and innocent civilians, in what was known as the troubles. In 1994 ceasefires were called and in 1998 a peace agreement was signed. Things have been relatively peaceful in Northern Ireland since then.

Answer 4

All of Ireland used to be part of the UK, and some Irish people wanted to be independent, while others wanted Ireland to remain part of the UK. So after a lot of fighting, they decided that Northern Ireland would stay British, while the rest would become an independent country.

P.S. it's called the Republic of Ireland, not Southern Ireland.

Answer 5

The United Kingdom was originally an amalgamation of the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland. In 1921, 5/6 of the island of Ireland became an independent country which they originally called Eire. However, the majority of the population of the province of Ulster in the northeast of the island of Ireland, elected to remain part of the United Kingdom and that situation still remains today. 'Eire' became the Republic of Ireland in 1949 and the full name of the UK is now 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.