# "Northern Ireland" is a separate country, its not a description.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [July 1, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901 "2012-07-01T14:45:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/1 "2012-07-01T14:45:09Z")
One of my associates has to visit Belfast on business. So she went and applied for a visa. An [Irish visit](http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Information_on_completing_your_online_application):smack:. So she gets surprised when they turn her down, gently explaining that she should apply to the UK. She needs to be there on Wednesday. She has booked a flight to Belfast…vide Dublin. No one in the entire office from the management staff to her realised that its a different country and I have spent my Sunday explaining to bemused people who invariably answer with "but its _Northern **Ireland** _ how can it be part of…England???:mad::rolleyes:
Good news is that she already has a UK visa and can this still go with flight rebookings. The bad news? We really cannot hope to do any business in New Mexico. Or London Ontario.
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### Author:  [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/2 "2012-07-01T15:01:09Z")
Send her to New London, Connecticut. Tell her to make sure she goes boating on the Thames.
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/3 "2012-07-01T15:05:06Z")
Why would you need a UK visa? I thought they were issued at the airport. Shows what I know.
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### Author:  [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/4 "2012-07-01T15:31:52Z")
Maybe the existence of Northern Ireland is confusing to some people because the subject can be sensitive among some Irish Americans. I worked at a place along with a lot of Irish-Americans and a reference to Northern Ireland was often met with “never heard of the place” or an angry probing look like “are you trying to mess with me?” After watching other peoples faux pas I never brought it up myself!
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### Author:  [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/5 "2012-07-01T15:34:14Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#):
>
> Why would you need a UK visa? I thought they were issued at the airport. Shows what I know.
I imagine the co-worker is Pakistani.
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### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/6 "2012-07-01T15:40:27Z")
> [@cckerberos](#):
>
> I imagine the co-worker is Pakistani.
In Pakistan, but Qatari.
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### Author:  [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/7 "2012-07-01T17:13:27Z")
> [@AK84](#):
>
> but its _Northern **Ireland** _ how can it be part of…England???
It isn’t.
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### Author:  [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/8 "2012-07-01T18:09:01Z")
> [@Steophan](#):
>
> It isn’t.
Yeah, the whole _United_ part in “United Kingdom” should have been a clue. I mean, no-one would claim Colorado was part of Arizona, would they? But they’re still part of… oh, fill in the blank yourself.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/9 "2012-07-01T18:30:19Z")
So, does that mean if I go to South Africa, I don’t have to apply to Africa for a visa? Really???
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### Author:  [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/10 "2012-07-01T18:37:42Z")
Don’t try to send her to Georgia. It will end badly.
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### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/11 "2012-07-01T18:59:21Z")
> [@Steophan](#):
>
> It isn’t.
I am not sure who has been whooshed here, you or me.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/12 "2012-07-01T19:10:55Z")
> [@AK84](#):
>
> I am not sure who has been whooshed here, you or me.
Northern Ireland isn’t part of England anymore than New York is part of Texas. Northern Ireland and England are two different places that are located in the same country.
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### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/13 "2012-07-01T19:18:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Northern Ireland isn’t part of England anymore than New York is part of Texas. Northern Ireland and England are two different places that are located in the same country.
I was called to the Bar of England and Wales. You think I don’t know that. I thought the emoticons next to that were sufficient to show that I knew. 😉
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### Author:  [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/14 "2012-07-01T19:25:34Z")
> [@AK84](#):
>
> I was called to the Bar of England and Wales. You think I don’t know that. I thought the emoticons next to that were sufficient to show that I knew. 😉
Man, the bar never calls me. I just have to show up if I want a drink.
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### Author:  [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/15 "2012-07-01T19:51:42Z")
That’s fucking hilarious.
[This’ll help.](http://www.neatorama.com/2008/02/04/the-great-british-venn-diagram/)
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/16 "2012-07-02T00:33:42Z")
To be fair, the word “northern” usually is a description. I can’t think of any other examples where “Northern” or “Southern” or “Eastern” or “Western” (as opposed to “North” or “South” or “East” or “West”) is part of the official name of a political entity (like a country, state, or city).
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/17 "2012-07-02T00:43:55Z")
> [@Batfish](#):
>
> That’s fucking hilarious.
>
> [This’ll help.](http://www.neatorama.com/2008/02/04/the-great-british-venn-diagram/)
Not bad, but it leaves out Man and the Channel Islands. Try [this one.](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/British_Isles)
In our next class, we’ll try to figure out [Europe.](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/European_Union)
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### Author:  [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/18 "2012-07-02T00:59:58Z")
> [@Malacandra](#):
>
> I mean, no-one would claim Colorado was part of Arizona, would they?
London Bridge is.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/19 "2012-07-02T03:20:23Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> To be fair, the word “northern” usually is a description. I can’t think of any other examples where “Northern” or “Southern” or “Eastern” or “Western” (as opposed to “North” or “South” or “East” or “West”) is part of the official name of a political entity (like a country, state, or city).
There’s the [Northern Territory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Territory) and [Western Australia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Australia). Or Western Samoa, though that’s now just Samoa. Or [the Turkish Republic of] Northern Cyprus.
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### Author:  [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/northern-ireland-is-a-separate-country-its-not-a-description/626901/20 "2012-07-02T03:28:56Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#):
>
> Maybe the existence of Northern Ireland is confusing to some people because the subject can be sensitive among some Irish Americans. I worked at a place along with a lot of Irish-Americans and a reference to Northern Ireland was often met with “never heard of the place” or an angry probing look like “are you trying to mess with me?” After watching other peoples faux pas I never brought it up myself!
Can be Sensitive among Irish people as well.
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