It is nothing to do with values. The name of the country is Éire, or in the English language, Ireland. It is clearly stated in the constitution of the country.
The Republic of Ireland is the legal description of the state.
Southern Ireland was the official name given to an autonomous Home Rule region (or constituent country) of the United Kingdom. It was established under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and covered the same territory as the present day Irish state.
Southern Ireland was superseded in law on 6 December 1922 by the establishment of the Irish Free State. The term Southern Ireland does not have any official status today.
Indeed, and that is why I think it is important to refer to that island and the two jurisdictions of it using the naming conventions that they use themselves.
True, but there is no harm in people using "the South", when in England we are happy to refer to Scotland as "north of the Border", or London as "the Smoke", or England as "Blighty", or "Great Britain" when we really mean the whole of the UK (see the Olympic team etc).
Nobody is going to collapse and die because the Ian Paisleys of the world use "the South", or because people like my father (a republican) say "Free State".
The sooner we group the differences in Irish nomenclature into a big pen labelled "Interesting, Fascinating, Discuss, Share" rather than a pen labelled "Wrong, Offensive, Threatening" the better.
Irish unity matters a great deal to me. I do not see Irish unity as simply rubbing out a line on a map, but rather the reconciliantion of all Irish people who can agree via consensus the best route forward. I don't see that telling unionists that They Are Wrong is going to help with that.
Indeed, and that is why I think it is important to refer to that island and the two jurisdictions of it using the naming conventions that they use themselves.
"They" includes unionists.
The Ireland football and rugby teams include players from Northern Ireland (indeed, NI doesn't have a rugby team...) but the football team is called just "Republic of Ireland", the Irish FA has the exclusive jurisdiction of Northern Ireland, etc, etc etc.
It is no big deal.