(pronounced )'s the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name. Etymology The modern Irish Éire evolved from the Old Irish word Ériu, which was the name of a Gaelic goddess. Ériu's generally believed to have been the matron goddess of Ireland, a goddess of sovereignty, or simply a goddess of the land. The origin of Ériu has been traced to the Proto-Celtic reconstruction *Φīwerjon (nominative singular Φīwerjō). Thi… (More on Eire)