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AIBU?

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Original poster

There is no Southern Ireland

549 replies

Needeyebrows · 13/10/2023 21:34

So sick of hearing people say say Southern Ireland when referring to anywhere outside of Northern Ireland. Any place outside of Northern is the Republic of Ireland. We do not have southern Ireland..

OP posts:
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8
AllProperTeaIsTheft · 14/10/2023 21:02

LizzieAnt · 14/10/2023 20:57

There is no assumption people are deliberately getting things wrong. I haven't seen any extreme vitriol on this thread or in real life. When people have said Southern Ireland to me I understand why (as I said upthread). I don't challenge or embarrass them.
I suppose I do wonder why you are questioning what people are saying on here? Most people are making simple mistakes because they've never heard of any preferred usage. But it's a bit different in your case - the reasons behind the preferred use of Ireland as the country name have been explained on this thread a few times now but you still say you don't understand and I'm not sure why.
Half-time @JaneJeffer 😉

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Ok I give up. Apologies for any offence I may have caused. I'm hoping my last post explains better what I meant. I don't think I was questioning what people are saying on here in the way that you seem to think I was.

ClareBlue · 14/10/2023 21:02

Ekdjt · 13/10/2023 22:10

We call it Ireland or when talking about it in relation to family in NI we will refer to it as "the republic".

What I find really weird is the amount of people who think the entire island of Ireland is part of the UK and have literally not believed me on occasion when I have said that ROI is an independent country with its own judiciary, parliament, etc. Was at an event once where people were surprised that there is a separate national anthem - they thought it was God Save The Queen!

Yes, it's quite astounding. I had a conversation with a privately educated person in a responsible job who went to Dublin and said she couldn't believe part of the UK used Euro. I nearly chocked on my Jamesons😀

Theoriginalmrscillianmurphy · 14/10/2023 21:03

I live in Ireland and we all call it expensive.

Shopgirl1 · 14/10/2023 21:04

Theoriginalmrscillianmurphy · 14/10/2023 21:03

I live in Ireland and we all call it expensive.

Now that is definitely true.

Mooshamoo · 14/10/2023 21:07

Ah I'm cringing at all the people being offended.

Mooshamoo · 14/10/2023 21:07

Shopgirl1 · 14/10/2023 21:04

Now that is definitely true.

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I just got a 600 euro electricity bill.

For one person ,in a flat.

Twoscotcheggsandajarofmarmite · 14/10/2023 21:10

Oh @Mooshamoo we miss you in Mala, you little ray of sunshine ☀️

ColleenDonaghy · 14/10/2023 21:11

@AllProperTeaIsTheft going to assume you're on the level but I'll be slow typing due to the rugby so the thread may have moved on!

I don't care if one individual says Southern Ireland or Eire, I know it's unlikely they're trying to say anything inflammatory.

What I do dislike is that we are a mere hop, skip and jump across the Irish sea. Our countries have a long and bloody shared history and there was a war over that in most of our memories. So no, I don't think it's much to ask to think that the society in GB as a whole could have grasped the name of our country by now. We've all learned to drop the The from Ukraine quickly enough despite it being what we grew up with and somewhere most of us have never been near.

Might just keep typing so I don't have to look up at the rugby, my heart can't take it.

Shopgirl1 · 14/10/2023 21:11

Mooshamoo · 14/10/2023 21:07

I just got a 600 euro electricity bill.

For one person ,in a flat.

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I’d suggest getting that checked. My last one was €180 for a house…

Mooshamoo · 14/10/2023 21:11

Twoscotcheggsandajarofmarmite · 14/10/2023 21:10

Oh @Mooshamoo we miss you in Mala, you little ray of sunshine ☀️

What is Mala?

Twoscotcheggsandajarofmarmite · 14/10/2023 21:13

It’s Mallow. In Irish.

LizzieAnt · 14/10/2023 21:13

Mooshamoo · 14/10/2023 21:01

Ah leave her alone. She made a perfectly well made point.

People make mistakes in languages. We all do! Do you even speak Irish perfectly yourself?
Then why hold others to such high standards

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I don't speak Irish perfectly unfortunately though I love it.
This isn't about language really, it's about history and politics. Just trying to explain why Ireland is a better choice than Eire. I completely understand people make mistakes, but I think we should be able to explain on here why some terms have a history too. Just so the small number of people who read this might understand.

LizzieAnt · 14/10/2023 21:22

Maybe you find that lack of knowledge as unacceptable as deliberate offence though.

Of course not @AllProperTeaIsTheft, of course not.

MrsRainMac · 14/10/2023 21:22

DH is from Dublin, my family are from Mayo, they all just call it Ireland.

ColleenDonaghy · 14/10/2023 21:31

Just saw this on Twitter Grin

There is no Southern Ireland
Sallysallyu · 14/10/2023 21:43

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Twoscotcheggsandajarofmarmite · 14/10/2023 21:49

@Sallysallyu why the fuck would you write we mainlanders, even in your funny little air bunny quotation marks? Are you actively trying to piss people off?
Of course the Irish are foreigners, it’s a different fucking country!!

Shayisgreat · 14/10/2023 21:51

I get irritated when people say or write Southern Ireland because there's no such place. I've only heard it from English people - possibly because I work in England with English people. I tend to just roll my eyes at their ignorance though and say "It's just Ireland."

Heart broken with the rugby now though.

Sallysallyu · 14/10/2023 21:52

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Doteycat · 14/10/2023 21:55

Gutted.
Fantastic match.

Twoscotcheggsandajarofmarmite · 14/10/2023 21:56

Read the room @Sallysallyu. This is a thread about people being annoyed about the imaginary country of Southern Ireland.

LizzieAnt · 14/10/2023 21:56

The curse of the quarter final 😔

ColleenDonaghy · 14/10/2023 21:58

Gutted. Just no words.

eggandonion · 14/10/2023 22:01

If you're in Sherkin Cork is the mainland.
Now people from Northern Ireland talking about the province and not including Donegal Cavan and Monaghan is a whole other scenario.
Household gutted here with the rugby.

blanketsmell · 14/10/2023 22:01

Is the North of ROI called North of Ireland or is that to easily confused?

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