Provinces of Ireland

For ecclesiastical provinces, see List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland and List of Anglican dioceses in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
"Four Provinces" redirects here. For the island in Japan, see Shikoku.

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Provinces of Ireland
Irish provinces
LocationIreland
Number4
Populations589,338 (Connacht)
2,870,354 (Leinster)
1,373,346 (Munster)
2,217,176 (Ulster)
Subdivisions

There are four provinces of Ireland: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, meaning "fifth part", suggests that there were once five, and at times Meath has been considered to be the fifth province. In the medieval period, however, there were often more than five. The number of provinces and their delimitation fluctuated until 1610, when they were permanently set by the English administration of James I. The provinces of Ireland no longer serve administrative or political purposes but function as historical and cultural entities.