“EIRE” NOT NEW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 May 1938, Page 11

“EIRE” NOT NEW

USE IN ANCIENT TIMES Almost every country is distinguished by more than one appellation, says a writer in the "Melbourne Age.” England (Albion, Britain), Scotland (Caledonia), Holland (The Netherlands), France( Gaul), are cases in point. Often the various names are successive, as when Britain, wrested from the Romanised Britons, by the Angles, Jutes and Saxons, became Angle-land or England. Hence it is not surprising that Ireland, the land of St Patrick, should bear many designations.

One of these, revived recently by President de Valera in the promulgation of the new Constitution of Saorstat Eireann, is Eire, the pronounciation of which approximates to “airy” or “ayree,” not “eyrie” as occasionally heard. In a section of the Press the name has been hailed as a new title for the Emerald Isle, whereas, on studying the familiar word “Ireland,” it is seen to be only a step from “Eirelarid.” The old English, in common with the Germanic tribes, added the suffix “land” to topographical names, and Eire being the word most used amongst the ancient Irish and Scots, Ireland became established as the English name for the island across St George’s Channel, with “Irish” as its corresponding adjective.

One of two other names were in common use from an early period. Thus to those Scots proud of their native Scotland (also derived from the English) it comes as a shock to learn that Europe once called Ireland “Scotia Major” (Scotland the Great) and Scotland "Scotia Minor” (Scotland the Less). This national grouping arose first from the community of race and culture which existed between the Gaels of Ireland and Scotland (established as a Gaelic kingdom by Irish colonists), and, secondly, from the epithet Scotic applied to the Gaelic or Celtic race, some say from a legendary Gaelic Queen Scotia or Scota, and others from the Greek “skotos,” meaning darkness, possibly because ancient Ireland was overgrown with forests. Others again identify early invaders of Ireland from the Scythians who dwelt in Southern Russia, in the Crimean region. About the eleventh century the use of the term, Scotia ceased in regard to Ireland, and Scotland henceforth reigned in undisputed possession of the name, its Gaelic title of Alba falling into disuse amongst other nations. The application of “Scot” to Ireland and its inhabitants is well shown in the lines of the Lathin poet Claudian, translated by Camden. In discussing the forays of the Irish raiders pressing hard in the wake of the legoins retreating from Britain and the western shores of the continent as the Roman Empire tottered to its fall, Claudian says:— “When Scots in thousands left the Irish shores, The ocean trembled, struck with hostile oars.”

The Romans never invaded Ireland, and knew comparatively little about her, but spoke of Hibernia or lerne, using Greek sources of information. Plutarch employed the term Ogygia, signifying very ancient, and Festus Avenius. writing about 350 B.C. (quoted in Lingard’s "History of England”), mentions the Sacred Isle of the Hibernians, situated at a distance of two days’ sail from Britain.