Éire
/ˈeːɾʲə/
To say eire in Irish, write Éire, the Irish name for Ireland.
Éire is the name of the country in Irish and appears in official use, for example on Irish stamps and coins.
Meaning: Republic of Ireland (name)
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /ˈeːɾʲə/, with two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
In Irish the name is written with an accent on the first letter, Éire.
Did you know?
- In historical Irish mythology, the name is tied to the goddess Ériu, the namesake of the island and a figure of great importance in the legends of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
- On Irish Euro coins, the word Éire appears alone, whereas other European countries typically list their full official state name.
- In Irish, the word for 'Ireland' Éire is feminine, which influences how adjectives and articles are used when describing the country.
Example conversation
Oisín and Niamh are discussing their travel plans.
- OisínAn bhfuil tú ag dul go dtí Éire?Are you going to Ireland?
- NiamhTá, beidh mé in Éire an chéile.Yes, I will be in Ireland next month.
- OisínSin sé, is iontach an tír í Éire.That's great, Ireland is a wonderful country.
- NiamhTá mé an-bhriste chun Éire a fheacióil.I am very excited to see Ireland.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Éire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
