In 1952, the Council changed its own name from "Irish Olympic Council" to "Olympic Council of Ireland" to reinforce its claim to represent the whole island of Ireland rather than merely the Republic. Its team competed as "Eire" in 1948 and "Republic of Ireland" in 1952 before reverting to its preferred name "Ireland" in 1956 after Lord Killanin secured the agreement of Avery Brundage. The OCI and BOA have an agreement that Northern Irish sportspeople may compete for either team although in some sports, including rugby and tennis, Northern Irish athletes are barred from the British team.
The OCI's name change in 1952 aimed to represent all of Ireland, including Northern Ireland. The OCI competed under different names before settling on "Ireland" after a deal with Avery Brundage. Northern Irish athletes can compete for either team but are excluded from some sports like rugby and tennis when representing the British team.