Is Ireland one of the British Isles?

Question

Southern Ireland that is ...

Answer 1

Yes, "The British Isles" is the geographical name for the archipelago comprising the island of Great Britain, the island of Ireland, and several thousand smaller islands. It is a purely geographic term and does not imply any political ownership.

The independent country located on the island of Ireland is officially named "Ireland", not "The Republic of Ireland", and certainly not "Southern Ireland" or the "Irish Republic" (in political history the Irish Republic was an all-Ireland country which attempted to come into existence between the Easter Rising in 1916 and the creation of the Irish Free State in 1923, but was only recognised internationally by the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, which borrowed money from the Irish Republic government).

Answer 2

yes

Answer 3

YES it is one of the British Isles -its a geographical term and not a political one.

Answer 4

No. Ireland is the largest of 'The Irish Isles'. This island group includes many small islands such the Aran islands.

A neighbouring group of islands are referred to as the 'British Isles', but this is separate from the Irish Isles.

Answer 5

h**l no its not thats like saying canda is part of america.... its only northern ireland who is part of the united kingom... the rest is the republic of ireland like the east, west and the south.... im from dublin and if someone called me british id go mad all republic of ireland people wuld

Answer 6

Yes, the Island of Ireland is part of the British Isles.  However, there seems to be an ongoing dispute about it.

Answer 7

Yes. Eire is part of The British Isles but is not part of The United Kingdom.

Answer 8

NO because if it was it wouldn't be Ireland it would be Great Brittian!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

yes. Politically it is not part of Britain, but geographically it is part of the British Isles

Answer 10

"British Isles" is a former political term, coined when the whole of Ireland was under British rule. Since independence from the UK in 1921, the term is used in a geographic sense (as others have already mentioned). Therefore, for those of us born in the Republic of Ireland, "British Isles" is a painful reminder of our bloody past history, thankfully behind us these days.

Some of the terms being used in answers are misleading, so here is some clarification:

The island is known as 'Ireland' and is divided into two countries:

- The Republic of Ireland

- Northern Ireland

The Republic [officially known as 'Eire'] is comprised of 26 counties and is an independent country with its own government, administration, army, navy and air force. The country no longer has any political links with the UK - Irish citizens are not subjects of the Queen of England.

Northern Ireland consists of 6 counties which are still part of the UK [ie., the "United Kingdom and Northern Ireland"].

The province of "Ulster" consists of 9 counties, 6 of which are part of N. Ireland, 3 given to the Republic after "partition" (being Counties Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan).

Co. Donegal is the northernmost county in the whole island of Ireland, yet belongs to the Republic - therefore we tend to avoid using the term "Southern Ireland"!

You posted a very good question and one which puzzles many British people.

For more political, geographical and cultural inforation on Ireland, see the link below:

Answer 11

Yes. Its the name on the group of islands off the continent. but not in the uk.

Answer 12

I started using Yahoo! Answers thinking that it would be full of smart people who wanted to learn more about the world and everything in it. From reading this thread I have realized that people who use this website usually guess answers, make up lies or are just basically stupid.

If you can't accept that the Republic of Ireland, Eire, Ireland...... what ever you want to call it, is part of the British Isles then you should not have access to a keyboard as you could hurt yourself with the sharp edges.

The British Isles is the geological form incorporating two Islands off the western coast of Europe. That is it - it is a fact, just because you say it isn't does not make it so, sorry. Don't take my word for it you should get a map of the 'British Isles' from the Ordnance Survey Ireland - an Irish Government run department providing official maps.

For those people taking the political view - if you cannot accept that Ireland is part of the British Isles then you have to say that Northern Ireland is not part of Ireland.

....... Logic will prevail over stupidity .......

Answer 13

yes.

Answer 14

Yes, It is.

= )

Answer 15

No it's not, it's a fully independent country.

Answer 16

Ireland is in the British Isles, anyone that refutes the geographical term is a r****d. Look it up before ya have a stab in the dark in Ireland.

Answer 17

That's an interesting one. I am guessing that it is a part of the British Isles since it is part of the group in the same way that other smaller Islands that are separate from the member countries of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, are.

The fact that it is an independent nation/country politically separate from the UK doesn't necessarily mean that it wouldn't be included. If it *wasn't* somehow a part of the British Isles simply for political reasons, then how would we categorise Northern Ireland which *is* politically part of the UK, but physically attached to and part of the island that is Ireland, hahaha?

I think that it definitely has to be a part of the British Isles.

Answer 18

It is one of the group of islands commonly referred to (within Britain) as the "British Isles" (which have been known as such ever since Ireland was ruled from London), but people from the Republic do not like the term, understandably enough.

So geographically it may be... but it is not politically correct to say so.

Answer 19

lol not at all!

Answer 20

Yes, it is a geographical term only.

Its like saying Canada is part of North America, but not American.

Answer 21

No. Northern Ireland is part of British Isles, Southern Ireland is independent

Answer 22

The British Isles consists of two sovereign states the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The British Isles is a geographical and non political terminology.

Answer 23

no Ireland is the sovereign state of Eire.

Answer 24

No REPUBLIC of Ireland we're called..

Answer 25

Theres no such country called southern Ireland...there is one called the republic of Ireland though.....

Answer 26

The British Isles are merely geographical term, so yes, all of Ireland is part of the British Isles.

'Southern Ireland' does not exist. The proper name for the state is The Republic of Ireland, or the Irish Republic, and this is a political term.

Once you're off an island, you realise that political and geographical are nowhere near each other, whereas regional and geographical are much more closely related.

Answer 27

For Geographical purpose's only..Politically no