("Northern Bank" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Northern Rock.) Danske Bank (formerly Northern Bank) is a commercial bank in Northern Ireland. Northern Bank was one of the oldest banks in Ireland having been formed in 1809, and formed part of one of the Big Four banks in Ireland. Northern Bank took on the name of its parent company Danske Bank as its trading name in November 2012. The bank is considered one of the leading retail banks in Northern Ireland with 46 branches and four finance centres. Danske Bank is one of the four commercial banks in Northern Ireland which are permitted to issue their own banknotes.