Saoirse?

[NameNameNameNames]

Follow on from my Isla thread, another name I have in mind is Saoirse.

Sister would still be Hazel, and there’s very little chance of the name being mispronounced

I live in Ireland too, and it is definitely NOT a name associated with the IRA, what a load of shit

I love that name
regardless of the pronunciation issues, gorgeous

Learn your history.

Saoirse freedom fighters was a monthly newsletter produced by Sinn Fein.

Of course it has republican and IRA connotations, as has also been said by other Irish posters on this thread.

I love it, I think so may Irish names are beautiful.

I think stick with it and just be prepared to have to explain its pronunciation to people outside of Ireland. But don't let that put you off- my name is a really common, plain name and you would be amazed at how many people mishear it, mispronounce it or can't be bothered to spell it right!🙄So you might as well go with a name you love.

If you live in NI it doesn't matter what the names means, if you've an Irish name you are from 'the other side'. Ive also never heard anyone say any name in particular is associated with the RA either. The only divisive thing I've heard about the name saoirse is the pronunciation

@Mooshamoo where in Ireland do you live?

I know my Irish history thank you very much, what part of Ireland do you live in?
I know countless Saoirses and not one of their families are in any way associated with the IRA

Yeah it doesn't have to mean that the families are associated with the IRA.

It means that the name itself is associated with republicanism. And that the name really came into usage from that publication, from Irish republicans fighting for freedom. I actually went to college with one saoirse. And people used to shout 'freedom fighter' at her.

You won't tell us what part of Ireland you live in will you?

You typed the below...

"I live in Ireland. It is definitely a name associated with the IRA."

I LOVE the name Saoirse.

It was in the running for DD but we are English and I had to learn the spelling which means everyone else who DD encountered would probably have to learn spelling and maybe pronunciation. But if I was Irish yes yes yes!!

I didn't grow up in one place in Ireland, my parents moved for work three times when I was a child, and I don't live in one place in Ireland as an adult, neither do most people, Ive moved towns in ireland for work loads of time.

So I don't live in ONE single part of Ireland. I've lived all over Ireland.

So which parts in Ireland?

It is not a name associated with the IRA. Wtf 🙄🙄🙄

Well the name definitely didn't come from any publication seeing as it's been in use for the last 100 years and the Sinn Fein Publication only started being named Saoirse in 1987...Also someone shouting "freedom fighter" at a person named Saoirse? Give over 😂 you weren't born in Ireland were you?

I have a Saoirse. She's been called, among other things, Suarez, Siobhan and - my personal favourite - Saucy. No regrets, though.

They did shout it at her. They used to make fun of her.

If you read back up before my post, another poster has also written about a saoirse that she knew being shouted at because of her name.

I'm not that overly invested in the name saoirse - to make that story up.

Call your child what you want. For some people saoirse is just a pretty name. For other people (ànd I'm not the only person on this thread to say this) it can have republican meanings.

with its republican meanings it might mean that she might get a bit of abuse in some places. It's up to you if you like the name more than that.

Anotjer poster wrote this. Im not the only one to say it:

"Although we did witness a girl called Saoirse be physically assaulted in a bar in Donegal (of all places), started off “so you’re a freedom fighter are you?” then escalated and we and others had to step in to protect her."

For a start the name doesn't mean "freedom fighter" it means " freedom" which is totally different, and secondly most people on this thread have actually said it doesn't have republican meanings if you read it properly, also what does " if you want to be very irish" mean? Makes no sense, you def are not irish born are you

I never said it meant freedom fighter. I know saoirse is the Irish word for freedom. I'm pretty good at speaking Irish, after having studied it Irish for twelve years in school, like we all have to.

Saoirse means freedom. However there is links between the name saoirse and the notion of freedom fighter.

I have posted that I have seen freedom fighter being shouted at a girl called saoirse.

Another poster on this thread has said that she has knew a woman called saoirse in Donegal. She said that that saoirse got "freedom fighter" shouted at her outside of a pub. It happens

Who was doing the shouting? I seriously doubt it was an Irish person calling another Irish person a freedom fighter because her name was Saoirse just doesn't happen here, sorry but that's completely bizarre

Yikes I missed all the RA talk….

Ok so @Liv999 I have lived north and south (Antrim/Armagh/Wicklow/Dublin… preempting your question) and in southern ROI counties you are very unlikely to have a problem with Saoirse.

In Northern counties (I include border counties to NI from ROI in that) you may have some issue because people will largely either be very pro republican politics/antics or very against. Politics in the north is so polarised. And accordingly they are aware of the Saoirse newsletter “the voice of the republican movement”….
(Could have issue in Scotland too as not only are some people invested in the NI debate, but there is the independence “freedom” question there too).

It is a real shame SF adopted the name and changed the connotations around it, or rather used them for their own aims but it is what it is.

As people have said it depends where are you on the island.

While Irish names can be seen as “other” by unionist Protestants… Saoirse is one where they know what it means and aren’t fond..

Unfortunately the Donegal story is true, we were all in a pub doing a quiz (not an old person quiz, a young one where shots and things are involved). Somebody overheard her being called by name and came over with the “so you’re a freedom fighter are you” introduction…. I think she said something like “and proud of it”, but it wouldn’t have mattered what, the person was looking to give her shit, the whole thing escalated and we had to keep the guy - yes guy - back off her and her off him.

Irish people in pubs are complicated things too.

@Mooshamoo However there is links between the name saoirse and the notion of freedom fighter.

because the word was used to name a newsletter. You simply have not got a clue and it shows. Wish you'd get off the thread with your nonsense.

Look I don’t think it does good to stick your head in the sand and pretend it isn’t a consideration.

If Saoirse is going to spend her entire life in ROI and never venture north fair enough crack on.

If she came North she would probably have to mind herself more than somebody called Rosie. That’s a fair enough thing to mention.

Did you read the post that was written just before yours?