Provinces of Ireland and Northern Ireland

The Four Provinces
In ancient times, Ireland was divided into provinces, each ruled by a King. These provinces were dynamic and their borders changed all the time. Today, when Irish talk about the provinces of Ireland, they mean Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connaught. However, historically there were more than 4 provinces: others included Breifne [between Ulster and Connaught], Oriel [around county Armagh] and Meath [the northern half of Leinster]. The map above shows the 4 provinces of Ireland as they currently exist. The borders of these provinces coincide exactly with the county boundaries

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