Provinces of Ireland

The four historic provinces of Ireland are Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Ulster. They are regional divisions whose boundaries and identities persist in cultural, historical, and sporting life.

Connect

Connacht: Connacht is a historic province in western Ireland, comprising five counties in the Republic of Ireland. It is the western province in the four-part division.
Gaelic Ireland: Gaelic Ireland was the political and cultural order in which Gaelic language and customs shaped much of the island before English domination. Its regional kingdoms helped form the provinces’ historical identities.
Rugby union in Ireland: Rugby union in Ireland is organized across the island through the Irish Rugby Football Union and its provincial teams. Four professional teams use the names and regional identities of the provinces.
Republic of Ireland: The Republic of Ireland is a sovereign state covering most of the island of Ireland. It contains all of three provinces and only part of Ulster.
Leinster: Leinster is a historic province in eastern Ireland, comprising twelve counties. It is the eastern province and the most populous of the four.
Kingdom of Connacht: The Kingdom of Connacht was a Gaelic kingdom in western Ireland that endured into the late medieval period. It is a medieval political predecessor of the western province.
Connacht Rugby: Connacht Rugby is the professional rugby union team representing the western province in the United Rugby Championship. The team gives the province a prominent contemporary sporting identity.
Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland is a constituent part of the United Kingdom occupying the northeastern part of the island of Ireland. It is a political jurisdiction, not a province, and occupies six Ulster counties.
Munster: Munster is a historic province in southern Ireland, comprising six counties. It is the southern province in the four-part division.
Kingdom of Leinster: The Kingdom of Leinster was a medieval Irish kingdom whose territory broadly corresponded to the eastern province. Its name and territory survived as a provincial identity.