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Counties of Ireland
Administrative division of Ireland, historically 32 in number / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The counties of Ireland (Irish: Contaetha na hÉireann) are historic administrative divisions of the island. They began as Norman structures, and as the powers exercised by the Cambro-Norman barons and the Old English nobility waned over time, new offices of political control came to be established at a county level. The number of counties varied depending on the time period, however thirty-two is the traditionally accepted and used number.
Counties of Ireland Contaetha na hÉireann (Irish) | |
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Location | Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) |
Found in | Provinces |
Government |
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Upon the partition of Ireland in 1921, six of the traditional counties became part of Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, counties ceased to be used for local government in 1973; districts are instead used. In the Republic of Ireland, some counties have been split resulting in the creation of new counties: there are currently 26 counties, 3 cities and 2 cities and counties that demarcate areas of local government in the Republic.