Simple idea.... Ireland to Eire!

Hi, before ppl jump down my throat, I'm not saying Brits out or anything like it, nor do I want it on my thread!! My idea is that we refer to Ireland as Eire when we speak of her! It's a simple change but a change that comes with a bit of pride!
I realise we don't speak Irish anymore as our first language, but it is still recognised as our first language officially plus it's the name of our country!!! And again I'm not saying anything regarding "troubles", I'm saying, call Eire by its birth name!

Peregrinus

I dunno. When German people, speaking in English, refer to Germany as "Deutschland"? If they did, would we take this as a sign of pride? Do Indians, when speaking in English (which is one of their national languages) call their country "Bharat"? Does their failure to do so signal any lack of pride?

The name of this country, in the English language, is "Ireland". It's a good name, and there's no reason not to use it.

AnnaStezia

Great idea for some people within Ireland. Bad idea without Ireland as virtually nobody abroad would recognise the name Eire or be bothered with it. Ireland as a name is now a brand.

robp

AnnaStezia wrote: »

Great idea for some people within Ireland. Bad idea without Ireland as virtually nobody abroad would recognise the name Eire or be bothered with it. Ireland as a name is now a brand.

Sometimes it feels as if Éire is know more in the UK then in the RoI.

Arsemageddon

From the constitution...

ARTICLE 4
The name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland.

whisky_galore

Go right ahead, but you'll sound like a pre-war Pathé newsreel.

Peregrinus

Whisky_galore makes a good point. Far from making murraychrisg sound like a rabid republican, the use of "Éire" when speaking English is more likely to make him sound like someone who is denying Irish sovereignty or its claims to nationality since, historically, those are the people who used the word when speaking English.

"Éire" is the name of the state - and also the name of the country, and of the island, and of the nation. But it is the Irish language name for all those entities. In the English language, they are all called "Ireland". Using "Éire" for the state, and "Ireland" for all the other entities, looks like a device to draw attention to the fact that the state does not encompass the entire country, or the entire island, or the entire nation. And, while it's true that the state doesn't encompass all these things, pointing that out every time you refer to the state in any context or for any purpose is going to make it look like you have a political bee in your bonnet, even if in reality you don't.

whisky_galore

I wasn't quite thinking quite that deeply, but thanks!

Whatever about pride or lack therof, political implications....If you speak in English, you use the English word for the country. I've never heard, in conversation in English, a French person referring to 'La France', a Spaniard referring to 'Espana' or a German to 'Deutschland'...it's always France/Spain/Germany.

endacl

I'm just gonna go ahead and refer to Eire as Hibernia, if it's all the same to you guys?

whisky_galore

endacl wrote: »

I'm just gonna go ahead and refer to Eire as Hibernia, if it's all the same to you guys?

Sure is cold enough.....those Romans were on to something.

jonniebgood1

Thread closed- its not history or heritage.
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