n [ pl ]
the six counties that traditionally make up Northern Ireland. They are Antrim, Armagh , Down, Fermanagh , Londonderry (1) and Tyrone. Historically, the ancient Irish kingdom of Ulster was divided into nine counties. Six of these counties remained part of the United Kingdom in 1921. Because of this, some people refer to Northern Ireland as ‘the Six Counties’. In 1973, the six counties were replaced by 26 local-government areas known as ‘districts’, each with its own ‘district council’.