[Article] Folens to wipe 'British Isles' off the map in new atlas

Navan Junction

Irish Times, 02/10/2006

Folens publishers has said it plans to produce a "more correct" version of its widely-used school atlas from January which will omit all references to the "British Isles", writes Áine Kerr.


The glossy world atlas has a section of 31 pages with maps and information, all of which show Ireland under the heading of the British Isles.

Following a recent complaint by a parent to the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, her private secretary issued a letter on her behalf recommending that the aggrieved parent raise the matter directly with the teacher who was using the atlas or the school's board of management.

"She also advises you to bring the matter to the attention of Folens, the publishing company concerned," the letter states, adding that the Department does not have a role in vetting the content of publications, including textbooks, produced by commercial companies.

The introduction of the Folens atlas follows a recent entry on the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia on the term "British Isles" which stated that the phrase could be "confusing and objectionable to some people, particularly in Ireland".

The term has in the past been used in a purely geographical sense, to make clear Ireland's proximity to Britain.

However, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has ruled that the term is not used by the Government and is without any official status.

It was made clear by him that the term is not recognised in any legal or inter-governmental sense.

It has been suggested in education circles that the Folens atlas highlights the need to have a checking system whereby all textbooks are checked to ensure they conform with the curriculum as outlined by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment.

The Irish Embassy in London has also been urged to monitor the media in Britain for "any abuse of the official terms as set out in the Constitution of Ireland and in legislation".

John O'Connor of Folens insisted he had received no complaints from parents regarding the new atlas. The issue had, however, been brought to his attention by a geography teacher.

"I have a policy that if I see a potential problem I'll act on it immediately instead of waiting to see if a problem arises. So from January 2007 the reference will be removed."

© The Irish Times

Maskhadov

About time.. Use of the term "british isles" is a disgrace

RedPlanet

Is there another term for this archipelago?

Healio

RedPlanet wrote:

Is there another term for this archipelago?

North Western Europe??

Sarsfield

I've never understood why it bothers anyone. It's better than the "British & Irish Isles". Now that's just embarrassing

Navan Junction

Sarsfield wrote:

It's better than the "British & Irish Isles". Now that's just embarrassing

Personally, I think Britain and Ireland is fine..

There is no rush for a geographic term for Britain and France, or for the Franco-German region, so why one for Britain and Ireland?

I see myself as, and have no objection to being called a European. I have a major problem with being termed a British Islander.

admiralofthefleet

how is this a commuting & transport issue?

mike65

Poeple might get lost.

Mike.

Red Alert

The six counties is in lawful fact part of the british 'empire'. However, ireland as a whole is not a british isle, and should not be referred to as such.

OT: the obvious question of why we need a british subject for president arises!

im_invisible

[off topic, (well arnt we all)]

afaik, the official term for britan, 'the united kingdom of great britian and northern ireland' is the longest official country* name in the world

*what do you call it, if not a country, kingdom?

bmaxi

OMG Famine, War, Terrorism, Global warming and now "British Isles", where will it all end?

mike65

ROFL!

Mike.

Navan Junction

mike65 wrote:

Poeple might get lost.

Reminds me of Ali g interviewing some Unionist politician (can't remember who)..

Ali G asked him if he was Irish.

The politician said no, he was British.

Ali G asked him "Oh, Is you on holidays?"

RedPlanet

Healio wrote:

North Western Europe??

Dunno about that.
http://www.google.ie/search?q=define%3A+archipelago&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

bazzer

Irish Isles!

weehamster

How about the Atlantic Isles or maybe the North west Isles. Or my fav. the European Isles.

GerardKeating

RedPlanet wrote:

Is there another term for this archipelago?

Western European off-shore Islands ???

europerson

I really don't see the problem with the use of the term, "the British Isles". It's just a historic name. The same as the Royal Dublin Society, the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland, the Royal College of Surgeons, the Royal Irish Academy, the Royal Hibernian Academy, etc. Nobody's suggesting that we change the names of all those things too.

Danno

RedPlanet wrote:

Is there another term for this archipelago?

Islands Of [the] North Atlantic is understood to be an accepted alternative, hence Iona...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_of_the_North_Atlantic

jahalpin

Why are Irish people so childish? The term "British Isles" refers to the fact that there are 2 islands which are close together the larger of which is Great Britain. They have been called the British Isles for hundreds of years and it is only childish Irish republicans who seem to take offence at it., these are probably the same people who would be against an official visit from HM The Queen amd also against the use of the flag of the United Kingdom on government buildings in Northern Ireland

sceptre

Danno wrote:

Islands Of [the] North Atlantic is understood to be an accepted alternative

Accepted and understood by whom?

Navan Junction

jahalpin wrote:

Why are Irish people so childish? The term "British Isles" refers to the fact that there are 2 islands which are close together the larger of which is Great Britain. They have been called the British Isles for hundreds of years and it is only childish Irish republicans who seem to take offence at it., these are probably the same people who would be against an official visit from HM The Queen amd also against the use of the flag of the United Kingdom on government buildings in Northern Ireland

I think the term originally was Great Britain and Ireland on all British maps. In Roman times, the Romans (not the Irish mind) called the islands Britannica and Hibernia. Generally, if someone finds a term offensive, you stop using it. But hey, maybe that isn't within your comprehension.

europerson

Someone, to whom I was talking, made the point that British people aren't protesting about "the Irish Sea", so why ought we to protest about "the British Isles"?

quad_red

europerson wrote:

Someone, to whom I was talking, made the point that British people aren't protesting about "the Irish Sea", so why ought we to protest about "the British Isles"?

The French aren't protesting about the English Channel.

Navan Junction wrote:

Generally, if someone finds a term offensive, you stop using it. But hey, maybe that isn't within your comprehension.

Exactly. What aren't people getting here? Why is it upsetting for British people that a ex-colony island beside them no longer wants to be known as the British anything. How is this so hard to understand?

jahalpin wrote:

Why are Irish people so childish? ...and it is only childish Irish republicans who seem to take offence at it

What a sophisticated argument.

Who are you calling childish?

sceptre

quad_red wrote:

The French aren't protesting about the English Channel.

The French don't call it the English Channel.

strassenwolf

Danno wrote:

Islands Of [the] North Atlantic is understood to be an accepted alternative, hence Iona...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_of_the_North_Atlantic

That could be confusing though. With Iceland and the Faeroe Islands 'n stuff.

Ste.phen

strassenwolf wrote:

That could be confusing though. With Iceland and the Faeroe Islands 'n stuff.

Actually it's just those islands which come to mind when i hear "North Atlantic".

spacetweek

Anecdotally, I know there's a lot of opposition to the term here. Queens coming over for a visit and Union Jacks flying on buildings in NI (which is part of the UK) are totally separate things and I don't think any sane person would have a problem with those anymore. However, "The British Isles" makes a lot of people uncomfortable and rightly so, as it sounds colonial. It doesn't matter how many centuries it's been used, if it's deemed no longer appropriate, it shouldn't be used.

Alun

Regardless of the arguments as to what they should be called, the fact that a small Irish educational publisher, probably totally unknown outside of this country, has decided to omit the term from a school atlas isn't going to make diddley-squat difference to what the rest of the world calls them, and will probably continue to do so, so it's all a bit academic really.

Navan Junction

Alun wrote:

Regardless of the arguments as to what they should be called,

"They" already have names.. Ireland, and Britain. After that it's Europe. Which is a term which ironically is something which isn't nessessarily accepted easily across the water.:)

murphaph

Alun wrote:

it's all a bit academic really.

Lolm good one Alun.