Divisions edit

Component Irl main Irl RoI NI B isds UK GB main GB Eng Wal Sco IoM ChIs B Jersey B Guern Guern Ald Sark
R Ireland mainland Y Y Y
R Ireland offshore islands Y Y
Northern Ireland mainland Y Y Y Y Y
Northern Ireland offshore islands Y Y Y Y
England mainland Y Y Y Y Y
England offshore islands Y Y Y Y
Wales mainland Y Y Y Y Y
Wales offshore islands Y Y Y Y
Scotland mainland Y Y Y Y Y
Scotland offshore islands Y Y Y Y
Isle of Man mainland Y Y
Isle of Man offshore islands Y Y
Jersey mainland Y Y Y
Jersey offshore islands (Minquiers, Écréhous,...) Y Y Y
Guernsey mainland Y Y Y Y
Guernsey offshore islands (Herm, Jethou, ... ) Y Y Y Y
Alderney mainland Y Y Y Y
Alderney islands (Burhou, Ortac, ..) Y Y Y Y
Sark mainland Y Y Y Y
Brecqhou Y Y Y Y

Oireachtas edit

John A. Costello, 1933:

we have, I am glad to say, in the service of this State the best brains in any of the islands that were formerly known as the British Isles.

Eamonn O'Neill, 1939:

an alliance between England, or the British Isles as they call themselves, and Ireland and America

Denis Ireland, 1948:

Another example of this confused thinking is the term “British Isles” which is almost as great a course as this word “Eire” that we have here at home.

Patrick Beegan, 1952:

The Shannon is the largest river in this country anyhow and, I believe, in what was one time known as the British Isles.

Donagh O'Malley, 1959:

At one time the Engineering School in University College, Galway, was regarded as the best in the British Isles and Ireland.

John O'Quigley 1966:

this country at the moment is a haven for British motorists and for people coming from the crowded streets of English cities and the crowded roads of the English rural areas. ... It is regrettable that we should be diverting more and more traffic to the roads at a time when we should be trying to preserve the things that make this country so attractive from the point of view of the enormous tourist potential from the British Isles.

1968 debate:

  • Paddy Donegan asked ... [besides Whiddy Island] what other ports in the British Isles can accommodate [the tanker Universe Ireland]
  • Patrick Lalor: So far as I am aware this vessel could not, at present, be accommodated fully laden at any port in Britain or Ireland, if that is what the Deputy means by the British Isles.
  • Donegan: That is what I mean. [...]
  • Bobby Molloy: Are we to be allowed to carry on this outdated slogan of theirs that this is a part of the British Isles? [...]
  • Donegan: Is it in order for Deputy Molloy to insinuate that I am some sort of a West Briton because I asked a simple question on the draught of a vessel and whether the vessel can go to other ports of the British Isles?
  • Molloy: We are not in the British Isles
  • Kevin Boland: We are not in the British Isles

Eileen Lemass, 1980:

This festival ["Sense of Ireland"], following initial problems, was a success because it brought people from the British Isles and ourselves together.

1992 debate

  • Austin Currie:I was surprised that the Taoiseach used a particular word outside No. 10 Downing Street last night. It must have been the first time in recorded history that a Nationalist spokesman, North or South, used the word “mainland”. [...]
  • David Andrews:The use of the word “mainland” was a slip of the tongue. It is a bit like the loose use of the words “the British Isles”.

Senator Costello, 1999:

The more business we do with Scotland and the other areas of the British Isles, which are now getting degrees of self-government, the better.

Ruairi Quinn 2000:

[Donald Dewar] introduced the first coalition Government within the British Isles since David Lloyd George in the early 1920s.

Seantor Jackman, 2001:

there is no doubt that we have been labelled as part of the British Isles, which is how many people still see us.

Senator Dooley 2002:

One of the challenges facing us is to maintain our ability to compete with countries like the United Kingdom because visitors from the north western end of Europe might want to visit the area often being referred to as the British Isles. We may be losing out in that regard so we need to review that aspect.

Enda Kenny 2007:

If Great Britain intends to have an electronic border around the British Isles, Scotland, England and Wales, what does that mean in terms of entry to Northern Ireland from Great Britain?

Irish Sea edit

Sea breezes: the ship lovers' digest, Volume 80 Page 83 (2006)

...Sea Breezes) referring to ferry crossings on St Georges Channel as being 'Irish Sea Services' the [sic; recte Met?] Eireann (RTE) referring to 'conditions on the Irish Sea south of Anglesey' (since when has Anglesey formed part of the coast of Eire? ... Stena Line ferry check in advising the service from Rosslare to Fishguard having been cancelled due to 'Weather conditions on the Irish Sea', plus presenters reporting conditions on the North Irish Sea, and promptly launching into conditions in Liverpool Bay, which of course is in the South Irish Sea, plus presenters reporting 'The Super SeaCat to Liverpool had been cancelled due to conditions on The North Irish Sea'. What a shambles - and I'm not referring to Weymouth Bay approaches. Fortunately, North Norfolk Radio and Channel Island radio stations do not as yet refer to 'South Humber' and 'South Portland' respectively when reporting sea conditions in their locality, but then maybe they don't have another agenda.

and

THE IRISH SEA The BBC (on behalf of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency) use the term 'Irish Sea' as a reference point only for the sea area extending from Fishguard, north through St George's channel, past Anglesey, into and through the Irish Sea to Corsewall Point in the North Channel ...


Other edit

  • North, P M (1977). The private international law of matrimonial causes in the British Isles and the Republic of Ireland. Problems in private international law. Vol. Vol.1. Amsterdam: North-Holland. ISBN 0720405750. OCLC 780449148. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  • O'Hara, Bernard (1993). "Reviewed Work: Maamtrasna: The Murders and the Mystery by Jarlath Waldron". Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 45: 176-178: 176. JSTOR 25535625. The crime shocked the British Isles, which then included all of Ireland.
  • Stevenson, Catherine M. (January 1968). "An analysis of the chemical composition of rain-water and air over the British Isles and Eire for the years 1959–1964". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 94 (399): 56–70. doi:10.1002/qj.49709439907. The monthly samples of rain-water and air from the ten stations in the British Isles are analysed by the British Government Chemist..., while the rain-water samples from the Eirean stations are analysed by the Irish Meteorological Service.
Grand X not largest of X Islands
Grand Bahama (4th or 5th area, 2nd pop), Gran Canaria (3rd area, 2nd pop)