It is not now a home nation. It was once. The original post referencing it as a footballing home nation remains valid, because it was.
Imagine Ireland is Dalian Atkinson.
One day, Dalian Atkinson is part of Aston Villa's lineup. Then, time and circumstance catches up with him and he is replaced, by say, Bosko Balaban or Northern Ireland.
It would be fair to say Dalian Atkinson was an Aston Villa striker. You can argue that because he isn't now means he isn't now and I could argue that because he was means he was. I, and nobody else, is claiming that he remains an Aston Villa striker. But, we are all saying he was.