Danske Bank (Northern Ireland) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Northern Bank Limited

The Danske Bank logo
Northern Bank headquarters in Belfast, prior to the Danske Bank rebrand
Trade name	Danske Bank
Type	Private limited company
Industry	Financial services
Founded	Belfast, Ireland (1824)
Headquarters	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Area served	United Kingdom(previously also served Republic of Ireland)
Key people	Martin Stewart (Chairman) Vicky Davies (CEO)
Products	Commercial Banking
Parent	Danske Bank A/S

Northern Bank Limited, known today as Danske Bank, is a major bank in Northern Ireland. It started as a private bank way back in 1809. On August 1, 1824, it became a "Joint Stock bank." This means it was owned by many people who bought shares in the company.

Danske Bank is one of the oldest banks in Ireland. It is also one of the four biggest banks there. In November 2012, Northern Bank changed its public name to Danske Bank. This was because its parent company, Danske Bank A/S, is based in Denmark.

A special thing about Danske Bank in Northern Ireland is that it prints its own banknotes. These are pound sterling notes, just like the ones from the Bank of England.

History of Danske Bank

A Northern Bank branch in Mohill, around 1905.

The bank began in Belfast in 1809. It was called the Northern Banking Partnership. Four Belfast merchants started it. In 1824, it became a larger company called The Northern Banking Company Limited. The bank grew and opened branches all over Ireland. Its first branch in the south opened in 1840.

On January 1, 1929, the bank's name changed to Northern Bank Limited. Later, in 1965, a big bank from London called Midland Bank bought Northern Bank. Midland Bank already owned another bank in Northern Ireland, the Belfast Bank. In 1970, these two banks joined together. They kept the name Northern Bank Limited. Under Midland Bank, Northern Bank used the same Griffin logo as its parent company.

In 1986, Midland Bank changed how its banks worked in Britain and Ireland. Northern Bank's branches in the Republic of Ireland became a separate company. This new company was called Northern Bank (Ireland) Limited.

New Owners: National Australia Bank

After 1988, Northern Bank branches like this one in Omagh used a new hexagonal 'N' logo.

Midland Bank faced some money problems. So, in 1988, it sold some of its banks. These included Northern Bank Limited and Northern Bank (Ireland) Limited. A bank from Australia, National Australia Bank, bought them. After this, Northern Bank (Ireland) Limited changed its name to National Irish Bank.

Northern Bank kept its name in Northern Ireland. But it got a new logo. This was a stylish "N" inside a hexagon shape. In 2002, the word "Northern" in the logo also changed. It looked like the National Australia Bank's logo.

Danske Bank Takes Over

In December 2004, a bank group from Denmark, Danske Bank, decided to buy Northern Bank and National Irish Bank. They paid about £967 million. This sale meant National Australia Bank left the banking business in Ireland.

The deal was finished in 2005. Danske Bank invested about £100 million in Northern Bank. National Irish Bank became separate from Northern Bank. Both banks also started using Danske Bank's computer systems. They also set up a central call center for all customer calls. From April 2006, both banks started using new logos. These were based on the Danske Bank logo.

On June 1, 2012, Northern Bank and National Irish Bank joined again. They were managed by the Northern Bank team. Then, on November 19, 2012, Northern Bank officially changed its name to Danske Bank. New signs with the Danish brand were put up at the main office in Donegall Square.

Even with the new name, the bank still issues banknotes. Since 2013, these notes have the Danske Bank name on them. But they also say "Danske Bank is a trading name of Northern Bank Limited."

Bank Leadership

As of September 2021, Vicky Davies is the CEO of Danske Bank UK. The bank has three main business parts.

Shaun McAnee leads Corporate & Business Banking. Aisling Press leads Personal Banking. Richard Caldwell leads the Great Britain section. Stephen Matchett is the Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer.

Banknotes of Northern Ireland

A £10 note from Danske Bank, issued in 2013.

A £20 note from 2005, showing the older Northern Bank name.

Northern Bank, now Danske Bank, is one of the few banks in the UK that can print its own money. This practice stopped in England and Wales a long time ago. These notes are pound sterling notes. They are worth the same as notes from the Bank of England.

It's important not to confuse these notes with old Irish money (the Irish pound). That currency was replaced by the Euro in 2002. Also, don't confuse them with Danish money (the Danish Krone).

After Danske Bank bought Northern Bank, the banknotes changed. Since June 2013, the notes have the Danske Bank logo. But the designs are mostly the same. They now say 'a trading name of Northern Bank Limited' after Danske Bank. Older notes with the Northern Bank name are still good to use. They are slowly being taken out of circulation. Danske Bank now only prints £10 and £20 notes. They no longer print £50 and £100 notes.

Danske Bank does not print £5 notes anymore. But Northern Bank made a special £5 note for the Year 2000. This note was unique because it was made of plastic, not paper. It was also printed vertically. This made Northern Ireland the first part of the UK to have a plastic banknote. This special £5 note is the only pre-2004 note still in use.

The banknotes are like promises to pay money. They say, "a trading name of Northern Bank Limited which promises to pay the bearer on demand." Most Northern Bank notes show the portico (the front entrance) of Belfast City Hall on the back. The front of most notes shows famous people from Northern Ireland's industry.

Banknote Changes in 2005

An older £20 Northern Bank note design, removed from use in 2005.

After a significant event in 2004, Northern Bank decided to change all its banknotes. This started on March 14, 2005. The main colors of the notes changed.

The bank's "N" symbol also changed. On older notes, it was in a rectangle. After 2005, it was a hexagon shape above the new "Northern" logo. After the Danske rebrand, the Danske Bank logo replaced the Northern branding on notes issued after 2013.

New Polymer Notes in 2019

On November 6, 2018, Danske Bank announced a new £10 banknote made of polymer (plastic). This new note keeps the basic design but has updated colors and features. It includes a new picture of inventor John Dunlop and also his son. These new notes started being used on February 27, 2019. A new £20 note was also issued.

Important Event

On December 20, 2004, a large amount of money was taken from the bank's main office in Belfast. This event led to the bank recalling and reissuing its banknotes in 2005.