The Republic of Ireland is surrounded by an ocean.
Ireland ( [ ˈaɪərlənd ] Éire [ ˈeːɾʲə ] ; Ulster-Scots : Airlann [ - scoˈɑːrlən ] ) is an island in the North Atlantic . Republic of Ireland . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to the south , Saint George 's Channel to the south-east , and the Irish Sea to the east . The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe .