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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
Doteycat · 13/10/2023 23:46

Alstroemeria123 · 13/10/2023 23:44

Think it’s filmed in Cornwall but the actor is Irish I think!

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Well holy god I think you are right.
Sure no wonder he's divine.

rumbypumby · 13/10/2023 23:46

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

I agree with this. Much bigger things happening at the minute

jcyclops · 13/10/2023 23:48

I am aware of the sensitivities of the usage of Ulster, Northern Ireland, North of Ireland, 6 counties etc. but after 180 posts and apart from a couple of mentions of Ulster, nobody seems to have brought up the provinces. Isn't the island divided into 4 regions - Munster (S), Leinster (E), Connaught (W) and Ulster (N), or are these only ever used for Rugby, and Irish people tend to bypass them and go straight from country to county?

Would I be wrong in equating Southern Ireland with Munster, but never using Southern Ireland for the other three provinces?

JaneJeffer · 13/10/2023 23:49

Much bigger things happening at the minute
Well off you pop to discuss them

eggandonion · 13/10/2023 23:50

Cake aside...and fantastic schools both sides of the border...I don't think a lot of Irish young people are very well versed in twentieth century Irish history. My own kids have been up and down between far north and far south. But apart from road bowlers and motor cycle people few people in these parts actually visit. (Its 300 miles from Cork to Belfast...)

toadasoda · 13/10/2023 23:50

I think its really offensive to say 'Southern Ireland' but I also understand most people don't meant it that way. But they should know and I think its important to educate them. From what I understand that was the term given to the Free state by the British around 1922 but not recognised since 1937, its a bit ridiculous to use a term almost 100 years later that was only in use for 15 years. It implies a lack of acknowledgement of Irelands independence and also is annoying as it implies we are defined only by proximity to a UK region. So you seen why its offensive.

I'm currently booking my Summer hols, am thinking of either Siam or Prussia....

mollyfolk · 13/10/2023 23:50

ColleenDonaghy · 13/10/2023 23:30

Remember this? Grin Channel 4 asking people in the streets to draw the border in the aftermath of the Brexit vote? Grin

https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/935599685611515904

Oh god the woman in the red hat? In man with the glasses? I wish I hadn’t seen that.

Doteycat · 13/10/2023 23:51

eggandonion · 13/10/2023 23:50

Cake aside...and fantastic schools both sides of the border...I don't think a lot of Irish young people are very well versed in twentieth century Irish history. My own kids have been up and down between far north and far south. But apart from road bowlers and motor cycle people few people in these parts actually visit. (Its 300 miles from Cork to Belfast...)

They are taught it extensively in secondary school.

Mamanyt · 13/10/2023 23:51

EvilElsa · 13/10/2023 21:55

To be fair the English get shit like that too. The "bo oh of wa'ah" (bottle of water) that American Tik Tokers think we all say. Like everyone in the UK has the same accent. Or any accent like that really.

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Lord, yes...one of the reasons I stay off of Tik Tok. Avoid it like the plague! Although, to be fair, they also think that all people from the Southern US sound alike. I'm from Georgia (the state, not the Country), and can immediately tell if someone is from the north of the state, the south of the state, or from the city of Savannah, which has it's own, very distinct accent!

JaneJeffer · 13/10/2023 23:52

Does anyone want to come round and clean my kitchen?

ColleenDonaghy · 13/10/2023 23:52

rumbypumby · 13/10/2023 23:46

I agree with this. Much bigger things happening at the minute

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Exactly. Do we want France or South Africa to win on Sunday if by some miracle we break the curse tomorrow?

Why did the nordies steal all the good baking knowledge on partition?

And as the first year to miss Peig, did I win big or miss out on an important cultural touchstone?

toomanyboxes · 13/10/2023 23:52
Confused Ireland is an island. Like every other island on the planet, it has a north, south, east and west. There is a country called Northern Ireland, so that linguistically sets a precedent. If some of the island is northern, then another part of it can be southern without causing offence in the 21st century, surely?
JaneJeffer · 13/10/2023 23:53

The Republic of France and Southern Africa?

JaneJeffer · 13/10/2023 23:54

toomanyboxes · 13/10/2023 23:52

Confused Ireland is an island. Like every other island on the planet, it has a north, south, east and west. There is a country called Northern Ireland, so that linguistically sets a precedent. If some of the island is northern, then another part of it can be southern without causing offence in the 21st century, surely?

Certainly not. It doesn't work like that.

eggandonion · 13/10/2023 23:55

My kids did junior cert old syllabus and can recite the rising and the war of independence and the civil war events. Only one did leaving cert history. I reckon reelin in the years on rte is a s good a source.

NewtonPulsifer · 13/10/2023 23:55

We have always said Ireland. My maternal grandparents were from Youghal but lived in England after they got married. They used to say Southern Ireland if they were being specific about the area of their upbringing when talking to anyone here, anyone here, or would add “near Cork”, describing more geographical part of the ROI rather than the whole country. I don’t remember them using “Ireland” much to us, it was always “back home”. So I suppose that conversational context matters.

However, I don’t know anyone who uses Southern Ireland now. A beautiful country and one which I would love to have the means to visit more often.

Doteycat · 13/10/2023 23:55

toomanyboxes · 13/10/2023 23:52

Confused Ireland is an island. Like every other island on the planet, it has a north, south, east and west. There is a country called Northern Ireland, so that linguistically sets a precedent. If some of the island is northern, then another part of it can be southern without causing offence in the 21st century, surely?

Nope.
It's more important than ever exactly because it's the 21st century.
Get it right.
Words matter.

ColleenDonaghy · 13/10/2023 23:56

toomanyboxes · 13/10/2023 23:52

Confused Ireland is an island. Like every other island on the planet, it has a north, south, east and west. There is a country called Northern Ireland, so that linguistically sets a precedent. If some of the island is northern, then another part of it can be southern without causing offence in the 21st century, surely?

But that part sure as hell doesn't include Dublin or Galway.

Doteycat · 13/10/2023 23:57

eggandonion · 13/10/2023 23:55

My kids did junior cert old syllabus and can recite the rising and the war of independence and the civil war events. Only one did leaving cert history. I reckon reelin in the years on rte is a s good a source.

And in 20 yrs time we will watch Ireland hammer the all blacks.....

toadasoda · 13/10/2023 23:57

toomanyboxes · 13/10/2023 23:52

Confused Ireland is an island. Like every other island on the planet, it has a north, south, east and west. There is a country called Northern Ireland, so that linguistically sets a precedent. If some of the island is northern, then another part of it can be southern without causing offence in the 21st century, surely?

So it's OK to say East Germany then?

Topsyturvy78 · 13/10/2023 23:57

When my ex partners sister who had moved over to Ireland with her husband and 5 kids so they could afford to buy a house. They invited us over to stay with them

When they were talking about the journey from Dublin to wear they live in county mayo. They said we would have to travel from East to West. How else would you explain it?

ColleenDonaghy · 13/10/2023 23:58

JaneJeffer · 13/10/2023 23:53

The Republic of France and Southern Africa?

Ah stoppit, I'm mere metres away from sleeping children and can't be snorting out loud.

Bearonthestair · 13/10/2023 23:59

toomanyboxes · 13/10/2023 23:52

Confused Ireland is an island. Like every other island on the planet, it has a north, south, east and west. There is a country called Northern Ireland, so that linguistically sets a precedent. If some of the island is northern, then another part of it can be southern without causing offence in the 21st century, surely?

No. HTH

Doteycat · 13/10/2023 23:59

East to West has f all to do with it. .

Doteycat · 13/10/2023 23:59

ColleenDonaghy · 13/10/2023 23:58

Ah stoppit, I'm mere metres away from sleeping children and can't be snorting out loud.

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I woke me cat ffs