X-Nico

5 unusual facts about Northern Ireland


Bambrick

Joe Bambrick (1905–1983), Northern Irish international footballer who played for Chelsea, Walsall, Glentoran, and Linfield

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).

Robert Squires

Vice Admiral Robert Risley Squires DL (born 1927) is a former Royal Navy officer who became Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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.

1983 FA Cup Final

This capped an incredible 12 months for the teenager, who had played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup Finals for Northern Ireland, and who had scored in the League Cup Final defeat to Liverpool F.C. earlier in the season.

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.

9 Parachute Squadron RE

9 Independent Airborne Squadron RE accompanied the Division to Germany, returning to the UK in 1950, since when the squadron has served on active service in countries such as Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Aden, Radfan, Borneo, Rhodesia as well as six full tours and two spearhead tours of duty in 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.

Alistair Jackson

Alastair "Ali" Jackson (born November 17, 1988 in Glengormley) is an Northern Irish racing driver.

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.

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 Forces Broadcasting Service

BFBS broadcasts to service personnel and their families and friends worldwide with local radio studios in Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, and Northern Ireland and operational areas from the studio in Afghanistan.

Caolas

Hirta was also the most western settlement in the United Kingdom, which is now Belleek, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

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.

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.

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.

England national under-16 football team

The England under-16 team compete in the annual Victory Shield tournament against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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.

Gareth McLearnon

McLearnon is a recipient of the 2003 Ian Fleming Charitable Trust Music Education Award, a Countess of Munster Musical Trust Award and was awarded full scholarships to attend Sir James Galways Masterclasses in Italy (2003) and Switzerland (2004) McLearnon has given recitals all over the U.K. and Europe for the Ireland Funds, Invest Northern Ireland, and the Concordia Foundation, and is currently a Making Music Recommended Artist for 2006.

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.

Griffin v. California

The United Kingdom had a no-comment rule similar to that established in Griffin, but the rule was reversed in Northern Ireland in 1988 as a response to IRA terrorism, and then the reversal spread throughout the United Kingdom.

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.

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).

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 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.

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.

Kirkistown Castle

Kirkistown Castle is a castle situated near Cloghy, County Down, 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.

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.

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.

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.

Robert Wesley Colglazier, Jr.

He attained the rank of Colonel while carrying out engineer staff officer assignments in Northern Ireland, England, North Africa Italy and France.

Sean Downey

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

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.

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.

White House, County Down

The White House is a ruined 17th century dwelling house at Ballyspurge, near Cloghy, County Down, Northern Ireland on the Ards Peninsula.

Willie Jorrín

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


see also

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.

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

Cherie Gardiner

Gardiner came into prominence after winning the title of 2009 Miss Northern Ireland, in a ceremony held in the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

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.

Clooney

Clooney, Kilcronaghan civil parish, a townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Creggan

Creggan, Derry, a large housing estate in Derry, Northern Ireland

Daily Star

The Irish Daily Star, the Republic of Ireland edition of the above newspaper, known in Northern Ireland as The Irish Star.

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.

Down Royal

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

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.

Foyle Film Festival

The 21st festival took place from 21 to 29 November 2008 and included the Northern Ireland premiere of Brideshead Revisited and the Irish, United Kingdom, and European premiere of Deborah Kampmeier's film Hounddog.

Frederick Hamilton

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

Garbhan Downey

In 2010, he won a contest to predict the winners of Northern Ireland's 18 Westminster constituencies, missing out on just one, Naomi Long, who surprisingly beat First Minister Peter Robinson in East Belfast.

Gerald Brown

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

Herbert Dixon

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

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 Spratt

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

Jessica Hammond

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

Joe Fenton

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

Leader of the House

Minister and Leader of the House of Commons, former post in the Parliament of 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 Assembly Elections Act 2003

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

Paddy Toland

Paddy Toland is the coach of the current Middle and Light Middleweight kickboxing champion, Tommy McCafferty (born in Letterkenny, Ireland) and the ISKA World Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champion, Daniel Quigley (born in Derry City, Northern Ireland).

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.

Portora

Portora Castle in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Prisons by country

In section 38B of the Criminal Law Act 1977, the word "prison" means, in the case of a person who is under the age of 21 years arrested in England and Wales, any place in which he could be detained under section 12(10) of the Criminal Justice Act 1982, and, in the case of a person under that age arrested in Northern Ireland, a young offenders centre.

RCJ

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

Regent House Grammar School

Jim Allister, Unionist politician and MEP for 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".

In September 2013, Haass returned to Northern Ireland, with Professor Meghan O'Sullivan, to chair all party talks on flags, parades and the legacy of the Troubles, after violence flared over the removal of the union flag at Belfast City Hall.

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)

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.

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.

Sophia Swire

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

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).

Tommy Lyttle

A former officer from the Force Research Unit (the covert military intelligence agent-handling unit based in Northern Ireland) using the pseudonym "Martin Ingram" suggested that Lyttle ordered Nelson, who was recruited by the FRU to infiltrate the UDA's intelligence structure, to compile targeting information on Catholic solicitor Pat Finucane prior to his killing in 1989.

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.

Warrington Male Voice Choir

Following the IRA bomb attacks on Warrington town centre in 1993, the choir became involved in promoting peace and an end to violence in Northern Ireland.