Ireland or United Kingdom? If you dislike extreme temperatures and you take kindly to wind and rain, you will find Ireland a pleasant place. The rain has made the land so green, it is often called the Emerald Isle. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean west of the larger island of Great Britain. Unfortunately, there have been some conflicts going on within their own little island that has created a division among the Irish people. It has also created friction between them and Great Britain. About two-thirds of the people on the island live in the republic of Ireland. The remainder live in Northern Ireland, which is a part of the United Kingdom.