ABSTRACT
Northern Ireland has a land area of some 5,000 square miles and a population amounting to three per cent of the United Kingdom population. The constitutional position of Northern Ireland cannot be understood without some appreciation of the history of Ireland as a whole – a matter which remains of contemporary constitutional importance given the recent initiatives to end the sectarian bloodshed and to achieve a lasting constitutional settlement in relation to the status of Northern Ireland. Space does not permit more than a brief overview of the rich and troubled history of Ireland.
