Republic of Ireland

From Traditional Witchcraft Wiki Project

Ireland (Irish: Éire) is a sovereign state which covers approximately eighty-five percent of the island of Ireland, off the coast of north-west Europe. For clarity, it is often identified as the Republic of Ireland, the state's official description.[1] It is a member of the European Union, has a developed economy and a population of slightly more than 4.2 million[2]. The remaining part of the island of Ireland is known as Northern Ireland and is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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Name

The constitution provides that "the name of the state is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland". However, the state is sometimes referred to as the "Republic of Ireland," in order to distinguish it from the island of Ireland. The name Republic of Ireland came into use after the Republic of Ireland Act defined it as the official description of the state in 1949 (the purpose of the act being to declare that the state was a republic rather than a form of constitutional monarchy). However, because this was a statutory provision, the constitutional name of "Ireland" remains the official name of the state, whilst "Republic of Ireland" is a description of the state. "Republic of Ireland" is also the accepted legal name of the state in the United Kingdom as per the Ireland Act 1949. Therefore it is the name Ireland that is used for official purposes such as treaties, government and legal documents, and membership of international organisations. However with Irish being named the European Union's 21st official language in 2007; the state will be referred to in both constitutional official languages, the Irish and English languages, similarly to other countries such as Finland and Belgium using more than one language at EU level. This means the label 'Éire Ireland' will be used on various signage and nameplates referring to the state.[3]

The state is also known by many other names in English, such as Éire, The Free State and the Twenty-six Counties. The use of Éire when speaking English in Ireland has become increasingly rare, not least due to historical condescending connotations.[citation needed] Often in the United Kingdom the state is referred to as Southern Ireland, though this term is used informally and was only used officially for a brief period in Irish history. Irish people sometimes refer to the state as "The South" - it is not uncommon to hear Northern Irish people talking about going "down south".

The state has had more than one official title. The revolutionary state, declared in 1919 by the large majority of Irish Members of (the United Kingdom) Parliament elected in 1918, was known as the "Irish Republic"; when the state achieved de jure independence in 1922, it became known as the "Irish Free State" (in the Irish language Saorstát Éireann), a name that was retained until 1937.

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