Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Ireland, esp. as ould Sod.

1793		W. Macready Irishman in London II i: He vexes me so when he speaks congrumshously about the sod [...] I have made Cymon blind drunk in love with Ireland.
1803		C. Dibdin Britons Strike Home 10: Erin go bra is the song of the sod, And adds zest to each Irishman’s toast.
1804		Sporting Mag. July XXIV 215/2: ‘Why,’ says a son of the sod to his brother, John Bull, ‘why is fire ungrateful?’.
1851		‘Paddy Miles’s Boy’ Irish Songster 13: What Irishman ever sprung from the Green Sod, could think of living without enjoyment of those illigant accomplishments.
1868		‘Paddy Miles’ My Young Wife and I Songster 59: I made up my mind for to leave the ould sod.
1879		C.J. Kickham Knocknagow 84: Indeed [...] that love of the ‘old sod’ evinced itself in what some might consider a ludicrous manner at her last moment. [Ibid.] 591: But ye’re all lavin’ Ireland – all lavin’ the ould sod.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 13 May 2/1: The Irish tenant has enough wrongs to right In the metropolis before he talks fight on the ‘ould sod’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 20 June 6/4: We once knew a converted Irishman, and we reckon that he was a fair specimen of the regenerate sinner. His name was ‘Tip’ M’Grath, the front portion of which modesty referred to his birth place in the ‘Ould Sod.’.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 8 Feb. 2/3: As is the custom in the ould sod, [...] he sought subscriptions from his neighbours.
1895		Indian Advocate (Sacred Heart, OK) 1 Apr. 15/1: Tho’ every shamrock has with blood been wet, / There’s life, thank God, within the old sod yet.
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 8 June 1/3: [A] well-known hotelkeeper, a real sporty son of the Old Sod.
1908		J. Guinan Soggarth Aroon 48: The Widow Moran’s house was as emerald as ‘th’ Ould Sod’ itself.
1927		C. Sandburg Amer. Songbag 33: The Ould Sod.
c.1930		(ref. to late 19C) N. Kimball Amer. Madam (1981) 204: She was a huge Irishwoman [...] ‘from the auld sod’ as she put it.
1931		Ade Old-Time Saloon 114: If three sons of the sod got together, the business before the house was to recite ‘Shamus O’Brien’ and free Ireland.
1952		M.F. Caulfield Black City 162: We’ve got to get the British out of Ireland, from every last inch of the sod.
1955		J.P. Donleavy Ginger Man (1958) 35: I’ll give you the jug to remember me when I’m gone from the ould sod.
1964		J.A. Lee Shiner Slattery 168: He could talk of the ould sod. He could dance an Irish jig.
1975		J. Ryan Remembering How We Stood 105: Sure if it isn’t the bould Paddy Kavanagh he sel’ that’s after wandering over from the four fair green fields of the ould sod itself.
1982		G.V. Higgins Patriot Game (1985) 189: The IRA’s [...] running guns back to the Old Sod.
1999		Guardian Editor 18 June 12: Postcards from the Old Sod.
2000		Indep. on Sun. Culture 21 May 6: The largest festival of culture from the Auld Sod ever held anywhere.