Main administrative land divisions Present day Northern Ireland
(sometimes referred to as Ulster) comprises six of the nine
counties that make up the Province of Ulster, with counties
Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan now lying within the Republic of
Ireland. Counties were formed over a period of time from the
13th to the 17th centuries. The present day counties were
planned in the early 16th century, although some existed long
before this time. For example, Counties Antrim and Down had
existed from the early 14th century but their modern boundaries
were not settled until 1605. The modern boundary and the new
county name of Londonderry came into existence in 1613, although
it had existed from Anglo-Norman times with different boundaries
under the name of Coleraine. All but Antrim and Down were
created in 1584. The origins of Antrim and Down as county units
are uncertain (to check - this text was taken from the
Geographical Index but contradicts the above) The county system
as it is today was extensively used in the