"Southern Ireland"

B

BillK

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Am I the only one to be pissed off when people refer to the Republic of Ireland by the above name?
The latest example was in Niall Ferguson's column in today's Sunday Telegraph - as a Professor of History at Harvard University one would have thought that he would know better.
 
I've no problem with the term myself as it's logically derived from the name Northern Ireland as a complementary way for distinguishing the two entities. IMO people that say it generally aren't trying to make a political point.
 
I don't like Dublin being tarred with the same brush as other areas under this "Southern Ireland" sobriquet. :(
 
when i post letters from london to ireland, the PO guy always says "north or south love !" i have never used "republic".
 
A friend of mine who use to be a member of SF always insisted on addressing his letters to me from London with "Irish Free State".
 
Have sometimes used Republic of Ireland. Mainly I just put Ireland on a postcard. Have never even thought of using Southern Ireland.

Posting to the Irish Free State from London...love it! :D
 
I always use just Ireland. Although when I was a kid it was Ireland, Europe, Planet Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy..

My sister lives in the "Capital of the Empire" on the "mainland" and stops writing the address after the Irish county.
 
GeneralZod said:
I've no problem with the term myself as it's logically derived from the name Northern Ireland as a complementary way for distinguishing the two entities. IMO people that say it generally aren't trying to make a political point.
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agreed and well said..
 
From abroad I always put Ireland, never a problem. Years ago I was accused of being from the Free State when playing hurling in Armagh. It was a regular thing, and pretty hard to respond to playfully when there's a couple hundred knuckledraggers howling it behind the goals. Oh we are such a fabulous brotherhood!
 
liteweight said:
I always put Eire...thought everyone did!
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Always find Eire has a derogatory connotation when used by people from Britian. It could just be my insecurity though.
I just write "Ireland" when posting from abroad or gving my address in a hotel etc.
ClubMan said:
A friend of mine who use to be a member of SF always insisted on addressing his letters to me from London with "Irish Free State".
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Did anyone ever write "Occupied Ireland" when posting to the Northern Ireland? ;)
 
I've noticed in legal documents they refer to some of the legislation as being "of Ireland". I've always written Ireland myself abouthte country and in reference to where I'm from I've always used "the West"

Have used the Europe, Planet Earth, Milky Way one in the past too! :)
 
Would like to use Eire more often myself but am worried post would never arrive. I think Eire has a nice oirish ring to it! :)
 
Must be really confusing for Donegal - being in the north of the Island of Ireland and also in "Southern Ireland" !! :D

I usually use "Ireland" or "Republic of Ireland".
 
It is confusing for us Donegalians - foreigners always get confused on this.

I always put Republic of Ireland, just always have done. I suppose it's the correct term for 'Southern Ireland'.

Always find Eire has a derogatory connotation when used by people from Britian.
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I find it irritating as I don't understand why they call it that . . .they're speaking English after all! Never found it derogatory just annoying.
 
annR said:
I find it irritating as I don't understand why they call it that . . .they're speaking English after all! Never found it derogatory just annoying.
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They still call the EU the EEC half the time.

They're just very slow to change. Lots of them still wouldn't know what the constitutional position with Ireland is. Same as I couldn't speak with certainty on what Monaco's position is.

The Eire thing is half our fault too isn't it because at one stage "we" wanted them to use it.
 
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