No. 367 NAI DFA/10/P190/1
Memorandum by the Department of External Affairs
'Memorandum on the description of the State'
Dublin, 12 September 1949
- Enclosed herewith is a copy of a Secret Direction issued by the Prime Minister of Great Britain1 concerning the manner in which Ireland is to be referred to in official communications and at International Conferences, for your information.
- The policy of the Department is primarily to ensure that the term Irish Republic or Republic of Ireland shall not become synonymous with the 26-county area. For this reason, the terms IRELAND, IRISH REPUBLIC, and REPUBLIC OF IRELAND should be used alternately, giving at all times, a preference to the term IRELAND.
- At International Conferences, or where the country is being referred to (as distinct from the Government), the term IRELAND should always be used.
- With reference to the enclosed Secret Direction, it should be noted that, despite the directions contained in the penultimate paragraph thereof, the British royal title has not been altered. Anomalous as it may be, by the 'Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927' as amended by the 'Indian Independence Act, 1947', the British royal title, under British law, still is 'George VI by the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith'.
- In referring to Britain, the use of the term UNITED KINGDOM should, wherever possible, be avoided; the terms BRITAIN, GREAT BRITAIN or BRITISH should be used instead.
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