Wikipedia:WikiProject Ireland Collaboration/Poll on Ireland article names/Position statements/Sarah777

The "Republic of Ireland" title is the problem
Ireland is the legal, official and most commonly used name of the sovereign country which has its capital in Dublin. Unarguably it would be the only name allowed for the article about the State per WP:COMMONNAME, were it not for the fact that the geographically entity, the island of Ireland, is also frequently referred to as simply "Ireland". In order to disambiguate the country Ireland from the island of Ireland (of which the sovereign country occupies 83%), Wiki currently employs the name that was the legal British name until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The article was first called "Republic of Ireland" shortly after its creation in 2002 and in the 7 intervening years this name has been continuously contested, mainly by editors who live here, on the grounds that it is not the official name of the state nor is it the common name of the state. "RoI" has led to edit warring not just in the main articles (the island and the sovereign country) but has sparked edit wars throughout Wiki where there is a reference to the country.

The numerous attempts to correct this situation have been repeatedly blocked by a small group of hardliners who reject any compromise. When votes are taken they swing the issue with the help of a preponderance of British editors who either don't fully understand that the "RoI" is politically loaded (or in some cases support it because of that). As there are at least 15 times more British than Irish editors it takes only a few of them to keep the status quo intact - in the face of all Wiki policies and principles, not least WP:NPOV.

In 1948 an Irish law said that "Republic of Ireland" was a description of the state; it was never used as a name. Yet it was only after five years of debate that the pro-RoI lobby on Wiki were finally obliged to accept the fact that "RoI" is not the name of the sovereign country. They then switched tack and defended the legal British name, "RoI", as the "best" dab name available.

In law, in the United Nations, the EU, in common speech, in nearly all international bodies where Ireland is represented the country is known as "Ireland".

So how do we disambiguate the island from the sovereign country?

Certainly not by using a title that only in British law was regarded as a "name" in a manner that clearly implies the description is actually a name. The is what the current article does.

There are various acceptable alternatives that solve the WP:NPOV problem; including calling the primary "Ireland" article the one about the sovereign country. It has been clearly demonstrated that when readers type in simply "Ireland" they are usually looking for the Country, not the island. But in a spirit of compromise those opposing the use of a "description" as the country's name on Wiki have suggested that "Ireland" could become a dab page giving the two main options. This was rejected.

In a further spirit of compromise some those who found "RoI" demeaning to the State suggested names such as Ireland (Republic); Ireland (State); Ireland (the State) etc as disambiguations that would (a) remove the WP:NPOV issue by not adopting a British name (which, btw, Britain no longer uses since 1998) and (b)  would make clear in the article title that "RoI" was not the name of the country - rather than propagating a politically biased name that is not longer used in most circumstances. And thus restoring the principles of WP:COMMONNAME.

All attempts at compromise have been rejected. Until we agree on some alternative (of the many suitable options) to the toxic title "Republic of Ireland" this issue will never be laid to rest.

While by no means my favourite solution I recommend you vote for (1) Ireland (State) and continue on down the list omitting only the "Republic of Ireland". THAT is the problem; that is the cause of seven years of war on Wiki. Time to end it.

Users who endorse this perspective

 * BigDunc 10:10, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Tfz    13:20, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Jack forbes (talk) 22:08, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
 * --HighKing (talk) 23:37, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Sarah777
 * -- Evertype·✆ 19:12, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Daicaregos (talk) 06:59, 3 August 2009 (UTC)

Alternative perspectives

 * Bastun
 * Rannpháirtí anaithnid
 * Valenciano
 * BritishWatcher