instance_of derry and strabane district council
The ___MASK47___ Friday ___MASK51___ ( GFA ) or Belfast ___MASK51___ ( or ; Ulster - Scots : " Guid Friday Greeance " or " Bilfawst Greeance ") was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process of the 1990s . Northern Ireland (; Ulster Scots : "") is a top - level constituent unit of the United Kingdom in the northeast of Ireland . It is variously described as a ___MASK90___ , ___MASK45___ , region , or " part " of the United Kingdom , amongst other terms . Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland . In 2011 , its population was ___MASK68___ , 810 , 863 , constituting about 30 % of the island ' s total population and about 3 % of the UK ' s population . Established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 as part of the Good Friday Agreement , the Northern Ireland Assembly holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters , while other areas are reserved for the British ___MASK94___ . Northern Ireland co - operates with the Republic of Ireland in some areas , and the Agreement granted the Republic the ability to " put forward views and proposals " with " determined efforts to resolve disagreements between the two governments ". Derry ___MASK76___ and Strabane District ___MASK34___ is a local authority in Northern Ireland that was established on ___MASK68___ April 2015 . It replaced Derry ___MASK76___ ___MASK34___ and Strabane District ___MASK34___ and covers most of the northwest of Northern Ireland . The first elections to the authority were on 22 May 2014 and it acted as a shadow authority , prior to the creation of the Derry and Strabane district on ___MASK68___ April 2015 . Strabane , historically spelt Straban , is a ___MASK69___ in West Tyrone , Northern Ireland . It was the headquarters of the former Strabane District ___MASK34___ . Strabane ___MASK55___ ___MASK34___ ( Ulster - Scots : " Stràbane Destrìck Cooncil ") is a local ___MASK34___ in County Tyrone , Northern Ireland . It is set to ___MASK73___ with Derry ___MASK54___ in May 2015 under local ___MASK94___ reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become Derry and Strabane ___MASK55___ ___MASK34___ . Ulster ( or " Cúige Uladh " , Ulster Scots : " Ulstèr " or " Ulster ") is a ___MASK45___ in the north of the island of Ireland . In ancient Ireland , it was one of the fifths ruled by a " rí ruirech ", or " king of over - kings ". Derry ___MASK54___ ( Ulster - Scots : " Derry Cittie Cooncil ") was the local ___MASK94___ authority for the city of Derry in Northern Ireland . It merged with Strabane District Council in April 2015 under local ___MASK94___ reorganisation to become Derry and Strabane District Council . Derry , officially Londonderry , is the second - largest ___MASK76___ in Northern Ireland and the fourth - largest ___MASK76___ on the ___MASK23___ of Ireland . The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name " Daire " ( modern Irish : " Doire ") meaning " oak grove ". In 1613 , the ___MASK76___ was granted a Royal Charter by ___MASK16___ James I and gained the " London " ___MASK11___ to reflect the funding of its ___MASK58___ by the London guilds . While the ___MASK76___ is more usually known colloquially as Derry , Londonderry is also commonly used and remains the legal name . The Northern Ireland Act 1998 ( c . 47 ) is an Act of the ___MASK7___ of the United Kingdom which established a devolved ___MASK65___ for Northern Ireland , the Northern Ireland Assembly , after decades of direct rule from Westminster . Ireland , also described as the ___MASK22___ of Ireland ('), is a sovereign state in north - western Europe occupying about ___MASK46___ - sixths of the island of Ireland . The ___MASK40___ and largest city is Dublin , which is located on the eastern part of the island , and whose metropolitan area is home to around a third of the country ' s 4 . 75 million inhabitants . The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , a part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic ___MASK24___ to the south , Saint George ' s Channel to the south - east , and the Irish ___MASK24___ to the east . It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The ___MASK65___ , the ', consists of a lower house , ', an upper house , ', and an elected President (') who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties . The head of government is the ' ( Prime Minister , literally ' Chief ', a title not used in English ), who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President , and appoints other government ministers . ___MASK21___ Tyrone is one of the ___MASK82___ historic counties of Northern Ireland . It is also one of the thirty - two traditional counties of Ireland , and lies within the historic ___MASK45___ of Ulster . It is no longer used as an administrative division for local ___MASK94___ , but retains a strong identity in popular culture . The Northern Ireland ___MASK57___ ( Ulster Scots : " Norlin Airlan Assemblie ") is the devolved ___MASK65___ of Northern Ireland . It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom , and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive . It sits at Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast .