All the chats in Ulster

Ulster is one of the "historical provinces" of the island of Ireland. There are nine counties in the province. Six of its counties, with a population of 1,810,863 inhabitants, constitute Northern Ireland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom. The other three counties, with 295 400 inhabitants, are part of the Republic of Ireland. It is the second largest province and the second most populous of the four provinces of Ireland, with Belfast as the most populous city. Unlike the other provinces, Ulster has a high percentage of Protestants. Those of Catholic origin represent approximately 51% of its population, while those of Protestant origin in Ulster represent around 43%. English is the main language and Ulster English is the main dialect.

A minority also speaks Irish, and there is a Gaeltacht in western Ulster. Lake Neagh, in the east, is the largest lake in the British Isles, while Lake Erne, in the west, is one of the largest lake networks. The main mountain ranges are the Mournes, Sperrins, Croaghgorms and Derryveagh mountains. Historically, Ulster was at the heart of the Gaelic world consisting of Gaelic Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. According to tradition, in ancient Ireland it was one of the fifth ruled by a ruirech, or "king of superior kings". It is named after the upper kingdom of Ulaid, in the east of the province, which in turn was named after the Ulaid people. The other higher kingdoms in Ulster were Airgíalla and Ailech.

After the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, east of Ulster was conquered by the Anglo-Normans and became the county of Ulster. By the end of the fourteenth century, the county had collapsed and the O'Neill dynasty had come to dominate most of Ulster, claiming the title of King of Ulster. Ulster became the most Gaelic and independent of the provinces of Ireland. Its rulers resisted the English intrusion but were defeated in the War of the Nine Years. King James I then colonized Ulster with British-speaking Protestant settlers from Britain, in the Colonization of Ulster. This led to the founding of many of the cities of Ulster. The influx of Protestant and migrant settlers also provoked episodes of sectarian violence with Catholics, especially during the rebellion of 1641 and the Armagh riots.

Along with the rest of Ireland, Ulster became part of the United Kingdom in 1801. In the early twentieth century, many Protestants in Ulster opposed movements towards Irish self-government, which led to the Crisis of Autonomy. This, and the subsequent Irish War of Independence, led to the partition of Ireland. Six counties of Ulster became Northern Ireland, an autonomous territory within the United Kingdom, while the rest of Ireland became the Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland.