Cork is in the south.

[johfal]

Tá Corcaigh sa theas. Tá Corcaigh sa deisceart. Are they both saying the same thing? GRMA

[Hugo]

Tá Corcaigh sa theas. Tá Corcaigh sa deisceart. Are they both saying the same thing? GRMA

‘Tá Corcaigh sa deisceart’ is fine. ‘Theas’ is an adjective and adverb – not a noun -so you can’t say “sa theas”. Another way to say ‘C is in the south’: ‘Tá C ó dheas’, though this can also mean “to the south/southwards”. I’m not sure if ‘Tá C theas’ just on its own is ok.

[donailin13]

They mean the same thing. Tá Corcaigh sa deisceart, tá Corcaigh sa theas, or tá Corcaigh i ndeisceart na hÉirinn

[Aengus]

Hugo is correct – “theas” isn’t a noun, so you can’t say “sa theas” – it just doesn’t make any sense in Irish.

Apart from the grammar, from a phonological point of view it’s also uncomfortable to say, because words that start with “t” don’t take a séimhiú after “sa”, (you say “sa teach” or “sa tuaisceart”, for example), so “sa theas” just feels wrong, (even though the “h” in “theas” is just a normal part of the word, and “theas” isn’t the noun “teas” (heat/warmth) with a séimhiú).

You can say:
Tá sé ina chónaí theas i gCorcaigh.
Tá Corcaigh sa chuid theas den tír.
Tá Corcaigh taobh theas de Tiobráid Árann.

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