The Republic of Ireland is near Great Britain.
Ireland . Politically , Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland ( officially named Ireland ) , which covers five-sixths of the island , and Northern Ireland , which is part of the United Kingdom , in the northeast of the island . Ireland ( [ ˈaɪərlənd ] Éire [ ˈeːɾʲə ] ) , also described as the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ) , is a sovereign state in north-western Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of Ireland . The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , a part of the United Kingdom .