The Six Counties; Is it politically correct?

fatwarren

Tv3 referred to Northern Ireland as the Six Counties last week while reporting on a mental health helpline which was set up for GAA players. Do you think its politically correct to refer to Northern Irland as the Six Counties? Personally, I think the context it was used in was correct since the majority of players in the Six Counties are from a Nationalist background. However, thats a broad generalization as the PSNI has its own GAA team now and there are elements of the Unionist community who do play the sport. So can we assume that it was used in this context to appease the GAA which is Nationalist in its outlook or are their other reasons for it?

4zn76tysfajdxp

I wish the whole Northern Ireland... thing would just fuck off already.

John Doe1

Its a term associated with a political viewpoint and it shows bias so no.

Agricola

*Shines the Keith Signal into the night sky*

EarlERizer

How many counties make up Northern Ireland?

fatwarren

EarlERizer wrote: »

How many counties make up Northern Ireland?

6?

EarlERizer

Agricola wrote: »

*Shines the Keith Signal into the night sky*

Shouldn't be too much longer, he's just given his tupence worth on the Derry arts festival thread

Lapin

Whats with all the Norn Iron threads this evening ?

Are things really that fuked up in the Rebublic - South - Free State - 26 - Whatever ?

EarlERizer

fatwarren wrote: »

6?

So whats the problem?

mathepac

Lapin wrote: »

... Are things really that fuked up in the Rebublic - South - Free State - 26 - Whatever ?

Ireland - keep it simple.

EarlERizer

Lapin wrote: »

Whats with all the Norn Iron threads this evening ?

Are things really that fuked up in Ireland?

FYP ........... and to answer your question ....Yes!

fatwarren

EarlERizer wrote: »

So whats the problem?

it has a different dialling code

Niles

Whatever about the North, what irks me is the amount of times you hear people refer to the Republic as "Southern Ireland" - despite the term not being official for nearly 90 years! It's as accurate as calling it the Free State...

Chuck Stone

It's 'the North' to me, informally, and always will be.

Much like a barnacle goose I don't see any border when I travel up North.

Turtyturd

fatwarren wrote: »

it has a different dialling code

Does it include a 6?

Stinicker

I'd quite like to have a large saw and cut off Northern Ireland and then float it away, ideally somewhere South between Tasmania and Antarctica.

Benny_Cake

I thought I knew what the words "politically correct" meant, then I found After Hours and I'm not so sure anymore. Let people call it what they like, I call it the North or Northern Ireland.

KeithAFC

fatwarren wrote: »

Tv3 referred to Northern Ireland as the Six Counties last week while reporting on a mental health helpline which was set up for GAA players. Do you think its politically correct to refer to Northern Irland as the Six Counties? Personally, I think the context it was used in was correct since the majority of players in the Six Counties are from a Nationalist background. However, thats a broad generalization as the PSNI has its own GAA team now and there are elements of the Unionist community who do play the sport. So can we assume that it was used in this context to appease the GAA which is Nationalist in its outlook or are their other reasons for it?

Seems a bit wrong IMO. Should send a complaint to TV3 on the disrespect and factually incorrect reporting.

EarlERizer

So to refer to it as "The Six Counties" (both geographically & numerically correct) it's deemed offensive? ffs are we that battered by political correctness that we've become so overly sensitive about such trivial shyte?

AnamGlas

Referring to six counties as The Six Counties... awful stuff really

EarlERizer

KeithAFC wrote: »

Seems a bit wrong IMO. Should send a complaint to TV3 on the disrespect and factually incorrect reporting.

Exactly what part of that is factually incorrect Keith?

Agricola

Well it works both ways. I don't like the ill informed referring to Ireland as Southern Ireland or the Irish Republic, as if we're some appendage of Northern Ireland. Factually correct terms are not always politically correct.

EarlERizer

Sorry Keith, I see where your coming from now ....

John Doe1 wrote: »

Do you know anyone in the republic who suppports Ireland joining the uk. I know my college had a unionist society back in the day and I have a relative who expressed his annoyance that east donegal wasnt incorporated into the north once.

KeithAFC wrote: »

The lost county is what we call it. Shame really. I think there is more Unionists in the Republic than some like to think.

Niles

Sure TV3 is a British station anyway... :pac:

Tiocfaidh Armani

Ireland does the trick for me. That's what it is.

conical

Eric Cartman

its effectivley 7 at this stage, what with everyone in donegal driving UK reg cars, carrying sterling and shopping in asda.

Niles

conical wrote: »

And it drives me crazy when people pronounce Ireland as "Arland"... :rolleyes:

Ghandee

I refer to it as:

Home, or, up north, or, the six counties.


But never, ever, EVER, do I refer to it as 'Northern Ireland' or, (shudders) part of the U.K/Britain.


99.9% of folk in my home town would tend to share the same views as me.

KeithAFC

EarlERizer wrote: »

Exactly what part of that is factually incorrect Keith?

The refusal to call the country by its proper name. Its Northern Ireland. Not the six counties. Just seems like a bit of anti British sentiment from a TV channel.

Ghandee

Would the six occupied counties have been a little more accurate ^^

doomsday

About as politically correct as referring to the republic of ireland as "Southern Ireland" as many british companys do.

Mike 1972

Ghandee wrote: »

Would the six occupied counties have been a little more accurate ^^

No

fatwarren wrote: »

Personally, I think the context it was used in was correct since the majority of players in the Six Counties are from a Nationalist background

So much for sport being non political.

Besides the use of the phrase is hardly universal among those of a Nationalist background in fact it tends to be the preserve of the more anal retentive among the Shinners.

doomsday wrote: »

referring to the republic of ireland as "Southern Ireland" .

Chances are that If one is speaking to someone from beyond these shores using the phrase "the six counties" will have them wondering what the flying fup you are on about and make you look like a bit of a nob.

im invisible

Should just call it Ulster

mikemac1

doomsday wrote: »

About as politically correct as referring to the republic of ireland as "Southern Ireland" as many british companys do.

That's no big deal

How many of us said German Democratic Republic and Federal Republic of Germany?
No, we all said East and West

Cavehill Red

KeithAFC wrote: »

The refusal to call the country by its proper name. Its Northern Ireland. Not the six counties. Just seems like a bit of anti British sentiment from a TV channel.

As the Cliftonville fans sang in Windsor Park, "We're not Brazil, we're not a country!"

Get yer knickers unbunched, Keith, me oul fella. If you want me to call you British because you feel British, even though you were born, bred and buttered in Ireland, then you have to accept when people prefer not to refer to their homeland by a name that designates it as an occupied territory of a foreign power, because that's how they feel.

celtictiger32

fatwarren wrote: »

Tv3 referred to Northern Ireland as the Six Counties last week while reporting on a mental health helpline which was set up for GAA players. Do you think its politically correct to refer to Northern Irland as the Six Counties? Personally, I think the context it was used in was correct since the majority of players in the Six Counties are from a Nationalist background. However, thats a broad generalization as the PSNI has its own GAA team now and there are elements of the Unionist community who do play the sport. So can we assume that it was used in this context to appease the GAA which is Nationalist in its outlook or are their other reasons for it?

Milan Unkempt Cocoon wrote: »

I wish the whole Northern Ireland... thing would just fuck off already.

i wish the whole political correctness thing would just fuck off

danniemcq

Niles wrote: »

Whatever about the North, what irks me is the amount of times you hear people refer to the Republic as "Southern Ireland" - despite the term not being official for nearly 90 years! It's as accurate as calling it the Free State...

plus the fact that "Southern Ireland" has the most Northern point in Ireland in Donegal (Which is not one of the 6 believe it or not, we don't need a passport to go to Dublin, we have the euro (sadly) and we have a ****ed up version of Irish compared to the rest of the country.)

Eric Cartman wrote: »

its effectivley 7 at this stage, what with everyone in donegal driving UK reg cars, carrying sterling and shopping in asda.

could you not say 8 if you include louth then? or 12 or 13 seeing the amount of counties that have people doing the same? or you just jealous?!

I hate having to go over the boarder to buy anything and i try not to but ffs when you have as little as we have up here and no investment to bring businesses or anything up here we're in a catch 22.

Also its the disputed 6 counties of the Northern Territories

Ellis Dee

Just checking: Antrim one, Armagh two, Derry three, Down four, Fermanagh five, Tyrone six.:D:D

Yep, it's six counties all right. Certified politically and factually correct.:)

Frank Black

I think you'll find the correct terminology is 'Nordie Land'.

danniemcq

hah the naming of the counties reminds me of the time i got a phonecall from a mate who was trying to name the 34 counties, they had 31

one of which was North Arklow....

that made me cry a little inside

oranbhoy67

It shows what an unnatural & crazy situation it is that our country is partioned that we cant agree on a name for it!


Northern Ireland - well what about the north west of which Donegal is the most northern part of our country.


Ulster- well Ulster is 9 counties not just the 6 occupied ones.


I think we should call it what it is - "The 6 North East occupied-by-bible-bashing backward-thinking-gerrymandered-religous-zealot-wannabe-british-still Counties"!



Roll easy off the toungue dont you think??

ejmaztec

I thought it was the 800 counties?

El Siglo

I prefer the term "Shithole".

I know some academics who do some geography stuff on Northern Ireland and refer to it as; "NWUK" - North West United Kingdom... Not political at all like... :rolleyes:

lugha

Ellis Dee wrote: »

Just checking: Antrim one, Armagh two, Derry three, Down four, Fermanagh five, Tyrone six.:D:D

Yep, it's six counties all right. Certified politically and factually correct.:)

Six counties is I suppose factually correct in the sense that people know what you are referring to. But so too are terms like 26 counties, Eire, free state and Irish republic. All of these are loaded political terms (as is Ulster, though that one is factually incorrect) and betray something of the political outlook about those that use such terms.

Of course, many use these colloquial terms as such. But the terms 6 and 26 counties were used almost exclusively by physical force republicans to indicate that they did not recognize these states.

Can’t stop them doing that of course but I don’t think anyone who claims to be a democrat can continue to use these terms post Good Friday Agreement, certainly not if they claim to support it.

doomsday

doomsday wrote: »

About as politically correct as referring to the republic of ireland as "Southern Ireland" as many british companys do.

Isn't Southern Ireland Cork?

Cú Giobach

Deleted User wrote: »

Isn't Southern Ireland Cork?

And for most people in Cork if they are going to the most southerly parts they are going "out west".
Got to love this island, the most northerly point is in "the south" and the most southerly point is "out west", the most westerly point is "down south" and the easternmost point is in "The North".

c_man

Nordie-nordie-land

danniemcq

Cú Giobach wrote: »

And for most people in Cork if they are going to the most southerly parts they are going "out west".
Got to love this island, the most northerly point is in "the south" and the most southerly point is "out west", the most westerly point is "down south" and the easternmost point is in "The North".

see not complicated at all.....

Noreen1

danniemcq wrote: »

plus the fact that "Southern Ireland" has the most Northern point in Ireland in Donegal (Which is not one of the 6 believe it or not, we don't need a passport to go to Dublin, we have the euro (sadly) and we have a ****ed up version of Irish compared to the rest of the country.)

Hey! Leave my Irish alone dannie!:p:D:D

Seriously, we have little to debate about.
Almost universally, if I order something delivered from England, I'm asked if Donegal is in "Southern Ireland". Old names tend to get passed down.

It's also not uncommon to have people mistakenly think we use sterling "up there".

I tend to refer to Northern Ireland as "The North", because that's what I grew up hearing.
I also refer to "Londonderry" as "Derry", for the same reason.

If I hear someone refer to Northern Ireland as "The Six Counties", I don't automatically think "Ooh, where's the armalite?". It's a term that many people grew up using.

Then there's "Ulster", generally believed to be Northern Ireland - except that Ulster is actually a province containing nine Counties.

What about "Republican"? Frequently believed (in this Country, but more particularly in "The North" to refer to violent paramilitaries. It does have another meaning - the original one - a person who believes in the ideals of a Republic.

Political correctness, when it comes to Northern Ireland, is, by and large, a load of codswallop.

The North, or The Six Counties, are geographically and historically correct.
Ulster, to refer to Northern Ireland only, is geographically and historically incorrect.
Southern Ireland contains the most Northerly point on the Island.
Republicans don't all embrace violence, any more than Loyalists do.

So, here's a thought! Why don't we try to accept that some phrases have different meanings to different people, and stop finding offence where none was intended?
After all, the media determination of what is politically correct, is more often factually incorrect when it comes to this fair Island of ours!:D:D

danniemcq

Noreen1 wrote: »

Hey! Leave my Irish alone dannie!:p:D:D

Your Irish eh? So you are the reason I was ridiculed when I moved to Galway and tried to say anything and 3 years later when I meet my worse half and move back up here I’m ridiculed for using the “other posh” Irish!

I’ve just given up at this stage!

Noreen1 wrote: »

Seriously, we have little to debate about.
Almost universally, if I order something delivered from England, I'm asked if Donegal is in "Southern Ireland". Old names tend to get passed down.

It's also not uncommon to have people mistakenly think we use sterling "up there".

I tend to refer to Northern Ireland as "The North", because that's what I grew up hearing.
I also refer to "Londonderry" as "Derry", for the same reason.

If I hear someone refer to Northern Ireland as "The Six Counties", I don't automatically think "Ooh, where's the armalite?". It's a term that many people grew up using.

Then there's "Ulster", generally believed to be Northern Ireland - except that Ulster is actually a province containing nine Counties.

What about "Republican"? Frequently believed (in this Country, but more particularly in "The North" to refer to violent paramilitaries. It does have another meaning - the original one - a person who believes in the ideals of a Republic.

Political correctness, when it comes to Northern Ireland, is, by and large, a load of codswallop.

The North, or The Six Counties, are geographically and historically correct.
Ulster, to refer to Northern Ireland only, is geographically and historically incorrect.
Southern Ireland contains the most Northerly point on the Island.
Republicans don't all embrace violence, any more than Loyalists do.

So, here's a thought! Why don't we try to accept that some phrases have different meanings to different people, and stop finding offence where none was intended?
After all, the media determination of what is politically correct, is more often factually incorrect when it comes to this fair Island of ours!:D:D

Because that would make sense? But that post pretty much sums it up. Especially the bits in bold.