Éire is the name given in Article 4 of the 1937 Irish constitution to the twenty-six county Irish state that was created under the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty and which had been known between 1922 and 1937 as the Irish Free State. The name Éire is the dative form in modern Irish Gaelic of the name for the goddess Eriu, a mythical figure who aided the Gaels conquer Ireland as described in the Book of Invasions. Since 1949, the term Republic of Ireland has generally been used in preference to Éire, to clarify that the state rather than the whole island is under discussion. (more...)
Recently featured: Vampire – City status in the United Kingdom – Saxophone