Where is Southern Ireland?

stoneill · 11-09-2010 12:28AM #1

Northern Ireland is a defined place with defined border - so when did it become normal to refer to Ireland as Southern Ireland?
It's creeping in everywhere, I even saw it on a van advertising phone numbers for it's offices!

Pherekydes · 11-09-2010 12:31AM

Kerry, Waterford, bits of Wexford and so on.

Links234 · 11-09-2010 12:32AM

It makes me wonder if only people outside south korea call it south korea?

fonecrusher1 · 11-09-2010 12:33AM

Pherekydes wrote: »

Kerry, Waterford, bits of Wexford and so on.

Yeah that just about covers it. Can't think of any other county.

End of thread.

ILA · 11-09-2010 12:34AM

You hardly suggest calling it either the "Republic" or "Free State", or maybe the "26 Counties"? Personally I prefer "Free State" as it eloquently highlights the illegitimate nature of the State and the fact that it's not a complete work, if you will.

Otherwise: Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Cllare, and places like those.

Corsendonk · 11-09-2010 12:35AM

Its next the mainland

number10a · 11-09-2010 12:35AM

The UK have several names for this country, the best one I ever saw was Non-UK Ireland. UK folk seem to dislike using this country's actual name. They are also prone to think that it will puzzle the postman if an envelope simply says Ireland and that he might send it to Belfast instead. They kindly specify it for us. Bless 'em.

mikemac · 11-09-2010 12:35AM

Well we call the Republic of Korea, South Korea
And the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, we shorten to North Korea

So any wonder the Republic of Ireland is called Southern Ireland

Well when I worked in Belfast a few years ago, people were talking about the "Free State"
Yes, even after 1948/1949 when the Repubilc was declared, people still use the term Free State, they weren't even alive in in the 1940's!

admiralofthefleet · 11-09-2010 12:37AM

near the azores

number10a · 11-09-2010 12:37AM

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

near the azores

If only........

Zamboni · 11-09-2010 12:38AM

I hate that phrase.

It is a geographic misnomer for Donegal for a start.

admiralofthefleet · 11-09-2010 12:39AM

we should have colonised it centuries ago before the porto-geezers got near it

Rabble Rabble · 11-09-2010 12:39AM

feelingstressed wrote: »

Well we call the Republic of Korea, South Korea
And the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, we shorten to North Korea

So any wonder the Republic of Ireland is called Southern Ireland

Well when I worked in Belfast a few years ago, people were talking about the "Free State"
Yes, even after 1948/1949 when the Repubilc was declared, people still use the term Free State, they weren't even alive in in the 1940's!

All of North Korea is to the North of South Korean, the Northern Part of the island of Ireland is in the Republic.

Anyway, just a shorthand, I assume.

LizT · 11-09-2010 12:41AM

I've lived in the north on and off for the past three years and I've gotten used to people referring to the republic as the south. It kinda makes sense!

ejmaztec · 11-09-2010 12:41AM

ILA wrote: »

You hardly suggest calling it either the "Republic" or "Free State", or maybe the "26 Counties"? Personally I prefer "Free State" as it eloquently highlights the illegitimate nature of the State and the fact that it's not a complete work, if you will.

Otherwise: Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Cllare, and places like those.

Shouldn't Kerry be Northern-South-Western-Southern Ireland?

karlog · 11-09-2010 12:42AM

Everywhere except northern Ireland is southern Ireland even Donegal.

Wolfe Tone · 11-09-2010 12:42AM

Southern Ireland is a term for the 26 county state known as Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

fonecrusher1 · 11-09-2010 12:44AM

Its just Ireland to me.;)

Oh well Ireland & Co. Dublin. Which i expect to break away & drift east to where it belongs, any day now.:D

:pac:

number10a · 11-09-2010 12:45AM

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Pherekydes wrote: »

Kerry, Waterford, bits of Wexford and so on.

Yeah that just about covers it. Can't think of any other county.

End of thread.

I'm only getting what ye're saying now!! Feckers! That "Let's Exclude Cork from Ireland" Party has really become popular lately hasn't it!! Maybe they'll overtake FF in polls soon.

:p

It's late for me, hence the slow brain - or else no doubt it's cos I'm Corkonian.

number10a · 11-09-2010 12:48AM

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Its just Ireland to me.;)

Oh well Ireland & Co. Dublin. Which i expect to break away & drift east to where it belongs, any day now.:D

:pac:

I'm puzzled - where are you from?? You exclude Cork from Ireland in one post and Dublin in another!!!! Usually no one does this only Dubs and Cork people. The confusion!!!! Brain cannot compute.......

stoneill · 11-09-2010 12:48AM

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

Its just Ireland to me.;)

Oh well Ireland & Co. Dublin. Which i expect to break away & drift east to where it belongs, any day now.:D

:pac:

Exactly - Northern Ireland is a defined place - there is no defined placed called Southern Ireland, it's a general direction or area depending on where you are currently situated.

mohawk · 11-09-2010 01:00AM

number10a wrote: »

I'm only getting what ye're saying now!! Feckers! That "Let's Exclude Cork from Ireland" Party has really become popular lately hasn't it!! Maybe they'll overtake FF in polls soon. :p

It's late for me, hence the slow brain - or else no doubt it's cos I'm Corkonian.

If you want to be part of southern Ireland that can be arranged
Northern Ireland = 6 counties
Southern Ireland = Cork
Republic or Ireland = Rest of island

round tower huntsman · 11-09-2010 01:01AM

Pherekydes wrote: »

Kerry, Waterford, bits of Wexford and so on.

and the peoples republic of cork.

KeithAFC · 11-09-2010 01:01AM

Well it is a different country. Don't see what is the confusion.

mathepac · 11-09-2010 01:04AM

feelingstressed wrote: »

... So any wonder the Republic of Ireland is called Southern Ireland ...

Constitutionally the country I live in is called Ireland; the Republic of Ireland is a description of the country and the name of the soccer team that represents Ireland.

NoHornJan · 11-09-2010 01:05AM

It's the Republic of Ireland.
Southern Ireland is south Leinster and Munster.
Norn Iron is Norn Iron.

D-Generate · 11-09-2010 01:08AM

It gets on my goat when the country is not referred to as Ireland and is called Southern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland or my pet peeve Irish Republic. The BBC in particular are renowned for not referring to Ireland as anything but Irish Republic. Shame they don't recognise the actual name of our country as enshrined in the constitution.

Also the FAI for some unknown reason also adhere to this Republic of Ireland convention. I just can't understand why they don't compete as Ireland.

frenchman · 11-09-2010 01:11AM

Ireland comprises Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, that was always the case before the random nature of the border was drawn up, long before the 26 counties became independent from the rest of the UK. Slightly ignorant, in my opinion, of the 6 counties of northern ireland to refer to the 26 counties alone as Ireland.. ie Ireland comprises north and south, always has done and it is only since partition that this issue has cropped up.

Where To · 11-09-2010 01:13AM

RTE constantly refer to Northern Ireland as 'the north' also!!

NO it ain't !!!

fonecrusher1 · 11-09-2010 01:14AM

D-Generate wrote: »

Also the FAI for some unknown reason also adhere to this Republic of Ireland convention. I just can't understand why they don't compete as Ireland.

Because the protestant-Irish football team otherwise known as northern ireland would go nuts!:D

xper · 11-09-2010 01:47AM

Q:Where is Southern Ireland?
A: In the footnotes of history.

There was briefly an entity formally called "Southern Ireland", referring to the 26 counties of this island that aren't Northern Ireland, but it is a historical curiosity that never really got off the ground. While I am loathe to quote Wikipedia as a reference, this article does explain all quite well ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ireland

So that's where the phrase originates. As to why some people still refer to this country by that term ... the reasons could be many and varied.

Where is Southern Ireland?

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