TIME
In the House of Commons last week, Malcolm MacDonald, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, gravely announced that in State papers His Majesty’s Government would henceforth refer to the ex-Irish Free State as “Airy.” One or two parliamentary eyebrows rose but no M. P. questioned his statement. In Dublin, however, Eamon de Valera looked down his long nose with annoyance. The correct pronunciation of Eire, he firmly announced, was “Air’ah.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- The Reinvention of J.D. Vance
- Iran, Trump, and the Third Assassination Plot
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Scams
- Did the Pandemic Break Our Brains?
- 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre
- The Ordained Rabbi Who Bought a Porn Company
- Introducing the Democracy Defenders
- Why Gut Health Issues Are More Common in Women
Contact us at letters@time.com