All-Ireland (sometimesAll-Island) is a term used to describe organisations and events whose interests extend over the entire island ofIreland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of theRepublic of Ireland andNorthern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire island, but also has related meanings in politics and religion.
Many high profile modern sports were codified within theUnited Kingdom at the end of the nineteenth century, during a period ofBritish imperial dominance, and while the whole of Ireland was a constituent country of the United Kingdom. As such, early international competition first featured the four constituent countries of the UK; England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, before spreading to other parts of the Empire. For this reason, in many sporting contexts outsideOlympic sport (which was first reorganised by the French and Greeks, and in which the UK competed asGreat Britain), the UK does not compete as one national team, and almost never under the name 'United Kingdom'. When theIrish Free State left the United Kingdom in 1923, many of the existing 'Ireland' teams remained united, covering both jurisdictions, although association football, notably, did not. These sports are described as being organised on an All-Ireland or all-island basis.[1][failed verification]
"The All-Ireland", with thedefinite article, is often used as an abbreviation ofAll-Ireland Championship, within Gaelic Games, most specifically
Many other sports are organised on an all-Ireland basis, most notablyrugby union. Other such sports includeAmerican football,basketball,boxing,cricket,curling,Gaelic games,golf,hockey,lawn bowls,korfball,Quidditch andrugby league. The international team is usually referred to simply as "Ireland". Others are organised primarily on an all-Ireland basis, but with both "Ireland" and "Great Britain" international teams, in which case participants fromNorthern Ireland may opt for either — these includetennis,swimming,athletics,rowing and any events at theOlympics.
A small number of sports have separate Northern Ireland and (Republic of) Ireland organisations and teams, including notablyfootball when for several years separate organisations — theIrish Football Association inBelfast, Northern Ireland (which undisputedly represented the island before the partition) and theFootball Association of Ireland inDublin, Ireland — named their teams 'Ireland' untilFIFA were forced to settle the dispute and made each side go by distinguishable names. Until FIFA's intervention, many footballersplayed for both Irish representative teams.
Other sports with separate Northern Ireland administration and international recognition includenetball andsnooker.
Similarly to the example of Gaelic games, the term may be used in reference to annual competitions in certain Irish traditional music and art forms:
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It is also used in the titlePrimate of All Ireland, the senior clergyman in each of theRoman Catholic Church and theChurch of Ireland:
MostChristian denominations are organised on an All-Ireland basis, with a single organisation for both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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InIrish republicanism, expression "Counties of Ireland" is often used instead: 32 as distinct from the 26 traditional counties of the Republic and the remaining 6 of Northern Ireland. Those who subscribe toIrish republican legitimatism, the concept that theIrish Republic continues to exist, refer to the All-Ireland Republic to distinguish from the 26 countyRepublic of Ireland.
Republican Sinn Féin hold an Eve of All Ireland Rally ahead of the senior All-Ireland Football Championship final on O'Connell Street, Dublin.
The term is also sometimes used to refer to the cross-border agencies established by agreement between the Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom governments, and whose powers extend to both jurisdictions on the island:North/South Ministerial Council,Waterways Ireland,Food Safety Promotion Board,Special European Union Programmes Body,The North/South Language Body,InterTradeIreland,Tourism Ireland, and theCommissioners of Irish Lights and othernon-profit organisations organised on an All-Ireland basis, such as Uplift (Ireland).
Counties of Ireland differentiates the 32 counties, encompassing both the 26 traditional counties of theRepublic of Ireland and the additional 6 counties in Northern Ireland, from the 26 county Republic of Ireland recognized internationally. The term also refers to cross-border agencies established through agreements between theRepublic of Ireland and theUnited Kingdom governments. These agencies, such as the North/South Ministerial Council,Waterways Ireland,Tourism Ireland, and others, possess powers that extend to both jurisdictions on the island, promoting cooperation and collaboration on an All-Ireland basis in various fields.