There is no Southern Ireland

[Needeyebrows]

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..

Just this minute DS1 asked me if Paddy Kielty was from Kerry and I said no he's from the north 

@x2boys

Well my dad always says he was from Southern Ireland he's from skibereen ,which is in cork so very southern as a child I though t he said sudden ,Ireland though

Im also originally from Skibbereen and I say Southern Ireland sometimes when I’m asked where I’m from when abroad, think a lot of people from Cork say it as we are so far south.🙂

I am from the West of Ireland. As opposed to the South. But yes, the west of Ireland means the Republic of Ireland which I never had to clarify til I lived in England.

Well ( devil's advocate here) people from Ireland/Eire refer to the six counties in the North East of the island as "The North of Ireland or the Northern Counties of Ireland , or the North . Some people who live there call it Northern Ireland. They don't usually like being called Irish. Some prefer to be called British.Others refer to themselves as Irish having even born on the Island of Ireland. Then there's the ones who identify by city/ town of birth...Derry Girls, Belfast fellas etc...but I dont have the strength to go into that right now....

Not lived there for some time but certainly said both Southern Ireland and the South growing up - probably the Republic more often. It doesn't make sense for people in NI to just use "Ireland" as you need a signifier that you mean somewhere other than where you live!
North of Ireland generally a phrase used by nationalists ime, others would say Northern Ireland.
I wouldn't say Southern Ireland anymore (though I think it in my head) but sometimes I stumble over what is ok to say or not.

I think we should be led by The Simpsons, who referred to 'Ireland' and 'The Bad Part of Ireland'. I speak as someone living in The Bad Part.

Folk in Cork / Kerry etc. saying they are from Southern Ireland mean it as a compass point direction.

But what makes you think that people in other parts of the UK or the rest of the worl don't also mean that? I live in the Northwest of England. That doesn't mean I think that's the name of a country.

If I say I'm going to visit relatives who live in a southern state of the USA, I am not implying that is some official name if I describe it as south USA. It just a directional reference to where I'm heading - ya know, the south part of the country. If you're going to the south end of Ireland, it's perfectly reasonable to tell someone you're heading to south Ireland.

It's either Ireland or the Six Counties 🤫

I just refer to it as Ireland and Northern Ireland. Why must it be qualified as Republic of Ireland?

It doesn't.

Cannot wait to see how many pages this gets but sadly I have to be up early to drive to the non 'Irish guaranteed' end of the Island early in the morning.

According to the opening post, it is.

@CherryMaDeara do not believe everything you read on the internet.

As someone said above, some people in GB think that if there's a Northern Ireland then there must be a Southern Ireland and describe places as being in Southern Ireland that are nowhere near the south of the island.

Bit patronising? I am asking the OP.

Well I think a lot of Irish people have brought this confusion on themselves by referring to Northern Ireland as the north of Ireland. By implication that makes the Republic of Ireland the south of Ireland or Southern Ireland.

It'll be grand until a certain couple of people come along. If you know you know.

What about the parts that are further north than Northern Ireland?

We know.

Floating around today as well, so it's incoming.

My late nan was from Eire and often referred to it as the Free State. Anyone else of a certain vintage do the same?

Oh, I remember that.

She was right though. Look at the 20-month bullshit they cannot even get their government together yet in the north.

I'm into Ireland being one island, none of these stupid people wanting to keep people separate. I see many paralels with Israel/Palestine.

@Thankyouthankyoujellybean

I think we should be led by The Simpsons, who referred to 'Ireland' and 'The Bad Part of Ireland'. I speak as someone living in The Bad Part.

Hadn’t heard that before and I’m Irish, but from ‘Ireland’ 😀

What about the parts that are further north than Northern Ireland?

Dhún na nGall Barry

We know
😂

Loads of people think that the Republic of Ireland IS part of the UK!