Oh, wow, this is nuts.
In 1999, #NorthernIreland secretaries were issues documents on how to correctly refer to #Ireland and #Britain. The article describes it as being written for #PeterMendelson, but it sounds like a standard document issues to all secretaries.
Apparently as late as 1999, #NI Secretaries had to be specifically advised not to refer to the #RepublicOfIreland as the #IrishFreeState, a political entity that had not existed since 1937.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0824/1401391-northern-ireland-briefing-papers/
Also they were not to refer to Britain as "the mainland". You'd think this is obvious, but it isn't so to too many Sasanaí, because of #imperialism and #colonialism
My dad encountered this attitude when he was working. A British vendor talked about the business they did "on the mainland". Dad raised his hand and asked "So are you talking about France, Germany, Switzerland...?" This was in the 1990s.
It also adivses not to refer to Northern Ireland as #Ulster or as "The Province". Actually, can we get this piece of advice to everyone in the UK and some people in Ireland? Because NI is not Ulster. Ulster is one of the provinces of Ireland, and contains nine counties. Northern Ireland comprises six of those counties, making it ⅔ of Ulster. Yet so many people use "Ulster" to mean "Northern Ireland".
@Infrapink In fairness, the Republic refers to itself as Ireland, although it comprises only 26 of the island’s 32 counties. And unionists complain about this, even as they go on to refer to Northern Ireland as Ulster.
Both may be wrong, strictly speaking. But at least Ireland is 81.25% right, as compared to Ulster’s mere 66.6%.
@marcas The actual name of the country is Ireland. It says so right in Article 4 of the Constitution:
https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en/html
Thus Ireland refers either to the country or the island depending on context. Calling it Republic of Ireland is like calling someone Mx. Alex Smith. 'Mx.' isn't part of Alex's name, it's a descriptor (which would distinguish them from Mr. Alex Smith and Ms Alex Smith).
@Infrapink Thank you. As it happens, though, I knew that.
Art. 4 or no, complaining when NI people call their place Ulster has as much and as little merit as complaining when ROI people call their place Ireland. It’s as ludicrous as the Greek-Macedonian spat over what the latter would call itself.
But if unionists so complain, my suggestion is that they vote for a UI in a border poll and then, as citizens of the Republic with TDs in the Dáil, seek to change the country’s name.