Sir, - Kevin Myers's Diary of August 23rd would take some beating for its sheer logic. If the Republic's Constitution clearly states that the name of the country is "Eire", then how can it be called the "Republic of Ireland"? If it is the Republic of Ireland, then it can only apply to the 26 Counties, or Southern Ireland. If they have pinched the name Ireland in its entirety, then what do we call Northern Ireland?
Dublin politicians never call it anything other than "The North". Perhaps they have a guilt feeling about the use of "Ireland", in Northern Ireland, as they have pinched the "Ireland" part lock, stock and barrel. Seamus Mallon just cannot get his tongue around "Northern Ireland" he simply says "The North of Ireland". Ulster, or the land of the Ulidia, has sometimes only applied to parts of Ant rim and Down, at other times it has extended to the Boyne. So back to my history books I went.
In 500 BC, I found there the island called "Hibernia" and its population shown as "Scots". Then I advanced one thousand years to 500 AD, and there I found the name still "Hibernia" and the population still "Scots".
The sixth-century invasion drove the Scots northward and large numbers went to Alba and Caledonia, and eventually gave them the name Scotland. However, it was a long time before the Scots gave up their connection with Ulster, which culminated after Bannockburn when Robert the Bruce, to show his thanks to the Ulster Scots who had helped him, sent his brother Edward Bruce to help recover some of the Scots' land in Ireland in 1315. After a campaign which lasted. until 1318, Edward was killed at Dundalk, which brought the campaign to an end.
So what do we call ourselves or our country? Perhaps Kevin Myers could tell us just where, and when the name "Ireland" came from. Yours, etc.,
Slievenamaddy Avenue, Newcastle, Co. Down, BT33 HY.