Ireland is an island.
Ireland ( [ ˈaɪərlənd ] Éire [ ˈeːɾʲə ] ; Ulster-Scots : Airlann [ - scoˈɑːrlən ] ) is an island in the North Atlantic . In 2011 , the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million , ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain . The island was Christianised from the 5th century onward . Northern Ireland ( Tuaisceart Éireann [ ˈt̪ˠuəʃcəɾˠt̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ ] ; Ulster-Scots : Norlin Airlann ) is a country of the United Kingdom located in the north-east of the island of Ireland .