Visit the UK: Counties of Northern Ireland

Parliament Building, Stormont, Northern Ireland
Image by Ross

Northern Ireland was divided into 26 districts, or councils, for local government purposes by the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 1972. The councils of the 26 districts are known as either district councils, borough councils, city councils, or and city and district councils.

These 26 districts replaced the six counties and two county boroughs that had been created by the Local Government Act 1898. These six counties and two county boroughs are still used for purposes such as Lieutenancy.

Districts of Northern Ireland

Antrim
Ards
Armagh
Ballymena
Ballymoney
Banbridge
Belfast
Carrickfergus
Castlereagh
Coleraine
Cookstown
Craigavon
Derry
Down
Dungannon and South Tyrone
Fermanagh
Larne
Limavady Lisburn
Magherafelt
Moyle
Newry and Mourne
Newtownabbey
North Down
Omagh
Strabane

Lieutenancy Areas of Northern Ireland

The Lieutenancy Areas of Northern Ireland are the areas used for the ceremonial Lord Lieutenants, the representatives of the UK monarch in Northern Ireland. The 8 Lieutenancy Areas comprise the 6 counties and 2 county boroughs that existed before the creation of the 26 councils in 1972.