To point out yet again to the geographically challenged of Britain....

[AnnabelleLee]

THAT northern Ireland is in the UK. Ireland is an entirely separate country. Like,properly different,with its own currency and culture and laws and all that.
FFS.

Nope Maryz hasn't been mentioned yet

It, simply, IS

OP, names of countries don't just evolve out of nowhere. The state of which Dublin is the capital had quite a few official names in the last century: Ireland (a constituent part of the United Kingdom), the Free State, Eire, the Republic of Ireland, and now, apparently, Ireland. It might well change again.

Well, I'm flying home on Thursday - to Ireland. I sincerely hope the pilot has read this thread!

I could start a thread on it

But the entire InterWeb might explode.

Annabelle, you are right btw. I think many of us who grew up during the "troubles" refer to it as The Republic of Ireland as it was easier to explain to ignorant gits people who know nothing about the country, when we were trying to explain that we didn't have bomb shelters in our gardens . Which explains why so many people think that it should be called the Republic. But it's still wrong.

Janine It might well change again.

But it hasn't as of now, so let's stick to the official geographical terms as fact as of now and then leave everyone with their additional emotional personal political statements and views...

but do not make the ones who are stating official terms look like THEY are the morons.

And I do not mean you personally here.

Hey maryz or anyone who might know, is with republic not meant to state the state form of Ireland?

Such as being a republic or a people's republic or a monarchy or a federal state etc. etc.???

According to article 4 of the Irish constitution, the name of the state is Eire, "or in the English language, Ireland".

As far as I'm aware, the reason why the state is named "Ireland" in the English language is because historically it claimed the full 32 counties. This claim has, I understand, now been dropped. Calling it the ROI or "Eire" seems perfectly sensible to me, and certainly nothing to get snotty about, as it distinguishes the state from the island.

So as to say in this case Ireland being the Republic of ireland on the Island of Ireland whereas Northern Ireland is a country withing the United Kindom made out of the countries Northern Ireland and the other three Scotland, Wales, England (also known together as Great Britain)?

Is that right?

You are wrong Janine.

It has only ever been called Ireland by the people who live there. It has been officially called Ireland since Independence in 1921, and that was when the official borders were drawn up. Before that the entire country that Dublin was Capital of was "Ireland"

It has never been officially called "the Free State" or "the Republic of Ireland" or "Eire" (if talking in English).

And as for the whole British/English thing: live with it. There is a good reason why people from elsewhere can't tell the difference. The world does not revolve around Britain, you know.

...as it distinguishes the state from the island.

That's what I though as well.

Yes, world. It is a Republic (as opposed to a monarchy or dictatorship or whatever). And your next post is correct too - Ireland is a country. Northern Ireland is a different country, akin to England, Scotland and Wales (I dunno what you do about the Channel Islands and other random bits of Great Britain ).

Insisting on calling it The Republic of Ireland would be sort of equivalent to you lot (generic you lot ) insisting that I call Britain "The Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" every time I refer to it.

Maryz Under the Constitution of 1922 (drawn up following the Treaty) the title of the country was 'Saorstat Eireann' or 'the Irish Free State'.

x-post.

No, it doesn't distinguish the State from the Island. Both (to Irish people, and officially) are Ireland.

The island is usually referred to politically as "The Island of Ireland".

Just to confuse you all further

That was what was in the Treaty, Janine. It was never part of the Constitution.

There is a good reason why people from elsewhere can't tell the difference. The world does not revolve around Britain, you know.

by the way, I would bet most Americans know way more about their fifty states, their state capitols, major rivers and mountains, state flags and all that than many others here know about 2 islands and distinctions between UK, GB, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England...

Many can't even name lots of counties in the UK... sorry...

No, Maryz it was the first constitution of Ireland, from 1922-1937.

Is Ireland (as a whole island) in the British Isles?

I thought only northern Ireland was part of Britain at all. I think that Venn diagram is wrong.

As in, most Irish people never recognised it at the Irish Free State - that gets us into the Civil War, which we really don't want to rehash here (unless we all want melted heads).

The island is usually referred to politically as "The Island of Ireland".

Oh okay....thanks

Has anyone mentioned yet that British does not mean English. And that English does not mean "from London"?

If it helps maryz I have a British passport and probably use the term English to describe myself mostly.

I have lived in Essex but have lived in London for 23 years.

From the age of five I learned that I'd have to explain to people that visiting the Republic of Ireland didn't mean that I'd be hiding in bomb shelters or that my Irish father wanted to bomb people. Particularly since the people he wanted to kill would have been his English wife and children.

Luckily, they never brought that last thing up because he had a London accent and so they thought he was one of them. Which he was.

Though it was quite an interesting experience for him when he dropped into a London pub full of real and plastic paddies and ordered a pint in his London accent.

I also hate and loathe the term Brit, having heard it spat at my mother and my family once too often.

Seems that using the term Eire is very sensible and avoid mouthfuls like "That bit south, east and a bit north of the other bit" or "The island of Ireland" etc etc.

Heck, even the English version of the Irish constitution makes reference to the name "Eire".

Actually what I meant was, N.I is part of the United Kingdom. not of Great Britain. and I am really not sure that Ireland (Eire) is part of anything except Ireland.

most Irish people never recognised it at the Irish Free State

There I have to disagree with you, Maryz: most Irish people did recognise the Irish Free State, and agreed with constitutional mechanisms to go step-by-step, blah blah blah, you know what I'm talking about. Election results (local and national) from 1921 onwards show this very clearly.

northern Ireland was part of Britain at all

No, N.I. is part of the UK WITH Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)