Northern Ireland, officially known as the Northern Counties Special Zone is a semi-autonomous part of the Republic of Ireland.
History
Taken by the Irish in an invasion during Operation Sea Lion, the Northern Counties are a “special zone” of the country, governed by Fianna Fáil hardliner Neil Blaney. In the Northern Counties, there is much violence, between Irish Catholic and local Protestant unionist militias. There are three major militias - the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force, the nationalist Irish Citizen Guard and the communist Irish Republican Army. At game start, “The Troubles” are ongoing between these groups.
Trivia
In real life, Northern Ireland is still part of the United Kingdom. Ireland did not get the land when it gained independence, largely due to the fact that it was largely populated by Protestants (whereas the majority of Ireland was - and still is - populated with Catholics). While Winston Churchill offered to return the territory if Ireland agreed to join the Allies and fight, but Éamon de Valera (also leader of Ireland at the time) refused. This is largely due to the fact that, had he accepted, it is doubtful that Northern Ireland could have successfully been ceded to the Republic of Ireland; the House of Lords and Parliament were unlikely to have approved the motion, and militant Unionists would not have accepted Irish rule.
