Counties of Ireland

The island of Ireland has 32 counties, with Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland being nicknamed respectively the six counties and the twenty-six counties. The counties are subdivisions of the ancient Provinces of Ireland, made up, in general, from smaller territories. While the provinces have existed in some form for many centuries, the counties developed under the Anglo-Norman and British administrations, with the first counties formed in the century after Strongbow's arrival and the last, Wicklow, finally formalised in 1606.

Related Topics:
Island - Ireland - Northern Ireland - Republic of Ireland - Provinces of Ireland

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The counties were subsequently adopted by sporting and cultural organisations such as the Gaelic Athletic Association, which organises its activities on county lines and today they attract strong loyalties, particularly in the sporting field.

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The strict definition of what constitutes a county in Ireland has been slightly blurred by a growing association of some of the population to their respective administrative county, most prominently noticeable (due to historical influences) in the counties of North Tipperary, South Tipperary and in more recent times the divisions of County Dublin, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin. Currently the "traditional" 32 counties remain in use as the basis of local identity and sporting loyalties.

Related Topics:
Administrative county - North Tipperary - South Tipperary - Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown - Fingal - South Dublin

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