Had to laugh at this

This is why when an individual like Eamon Gilmore says a UK exit from the European Union would be bad for the two countries’ relations, the British public listens.

Do you actually think the British public listen even know who Eamonn Gilmore is

WHen you read statements like this, you have to question the whole article

“Conservative Party Candidate in British local elections” Journal.ie is really scraping the barrel.

Furthermore the idea that the Brits giving “us” a loan (A LOAN!) was to “help” us is ridiculous. It was to look after it’s own interests (fair enough), if Ireland were to go bankrupt Britain would have been fecked, such was the exposure their banks had to ours.

Yes the relationship between the two countries is better but it is wrong to be slapping ourselves on the back or engaging in colonial cringe. There are many outstanding issues and agreements which the British government have reneged on, such as Weston Park and the commitment to hold an inquiry into the murder of Part Finucaine. There are many unanswered questions over collusion, from the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, Finucaine’s murder as well as the MRF – we have only seen under the edge of the carpet and Britain continues to cover up its misdeeds in Ireland.

If there is to be a proper friendship based on mutual respect and equality Britain must release all the information it has (such as the files on the Dublin/Monaghan bombings) about military activity and collusion in the north AND prosecute its soldiers and military and political leaders (were applicable) for their crimes.

Adams doesn’t claim that the process of changing the relationship between Ireland and Britain hasn’t started yet, as you suggest. He clearly sees the Belfast Agreement as an important step in the process. He suggests however, that the process isn’t over, and that a reunited Ireland might be a future progressive step in the two countries ever-improving relationship.

While good relations are welcome and expected I think you have missed Gerry Adams point. He is trying to put the issue of partition on the agenda while the mainstream parties here are happy to ignore it. All the other positives that are a consequence of normal relations are happening off course.
There is also a lot of naivety in the points made, the bilateral loan issued to Ireland was more in Britain’s financial interest given the amount of bank debt exposure to British banks. Britain stands to make 0.5b pounds in profit from the loan. The nice language used in offering the loan may be genuine but how else would it be sold to a British public themselves going through austerity.
I sometimes think that these good relations are more a consequence of our government agreeing to let sleeping dogs lie over some of Britains most underhanded activities during the troubles ( Dublin/Monahghan bombings). Also you get the impression that we make more of a fuss of the historic occasions that the they do given that Queen Elizabeth’s visit got very minor coverage in Britain.

Good article and correct in my opinion. My great Grandfather came from Galway as did my Great Grandmother, I’ve lived in Dublin for nearly 14 years now ( longest ever in the same place).
I feel at home and welcomed here, of course I get slagged but give as good back. I have seen the growing bond between both nations. One big difference when I moved over I would occasionally be asked in England if there was any prejudice against other Brits and myself, I haven’t been asked that question for I don’t how long.
Dream is when that minority of eejits on both sides are finally able to exist never mind live with each other, and to respect their different opinions.
My God even the Scots and the English get along with each other ( sort of, LOL) can’t those few in NI do so?

@ ryan: With all due respect, you are running as a candidate for the very party which interned Irish people without charge (an Illegal act) and sent plain clothed army units to murder innocent Irish civilians. Also, Judging by your age from your photo, I would hazard a guess that all of this happened before you were born. So, thanks for the article, but a quick read, coupled with the authors background, shows it to be lacking in any credibility altogether.

Great Article. Addresses all the key issues in a logical fashion.

We all speak English, we all watch coronation street, we all follow the premiership

Time to go back into the United Kingdom

Maybe time to have a mature and rational debate about the inter relationships within the island of Ireland and Britain?

If we could start now with a view to having a referendum by 2016 we could use it as a good foundation to move forward from.

I would also like to have a referendum on us rejoining the UK and or the Commonwealth.

Absolute rubbish….all media hype and not living in real world…omg the 1916 leaders are turning in their graves as we speak…no to the commonwealth…no to joining Britain in anyway..business is business is business. .the British do not give one feck about Ireland..wake up idiots!!!!

“Arguably this is the untold story of Kenny’s and Cameron’s leaderships, one that must be applauded.” OK I get the fact that Ryan has to make his boss look good but the GFA wasn’t brought about by either of them and they sure as hell didn’t persuade the PIRA to decommission so they basically have rode on the achievements of others.

While there is a much better relationship between the two countries I think that Ryan doesn’t realize that the North is still a powder keg waiting to happen. The MI5 terror alert is at severe and the only reason that it isn’t higher is that the various Republican factions haven’t got their act together. Another bunch of lunatics have set up “Camp Twaddell” so that the can enforce their “right” to hurl insults at the neighbours. It will only take a small chain of events to kick the whole thing off again and this time it could actually be worse. With no political party representing Republican paramilitaries there will be less of a worry about tactics to keep MLA’s in seats. It will be a pure military campaign without the restraint of political insight fought against British security forces baked up by their Loyalist /Unionist paramilitaries.

When you get 3 of 5 political parties agreeing to move on with the Hass proposals and 2 parties effectively walking away (they’d march if they could) you can see that sooner or later no matter what politicians say or do won’t make a difference.

I would really like a referendum by 2016.

Besides the accents there is no difference between the Irish or the English.

You all support the EPL, you all dress the same as the English, you all watch the same things on TV and all have council flat dwellers walking around in track suits, on the the dole with 10 kids, just like England.

Curiously the Irish Government can sort of issue UK currency.

The Bank Of Ireland (in the North) is one of 14 banks which can issue sterling and the Irish government has a 15% stake.

Of course they’d never do so in practice, you’d hope.

Ryan ignored the big elephant in the room – that his boss and our one -Enda were asleep on the job last week when Mr Haass and others failed to get a deal in Belfast.

Adams didnt ignore the progress that has been made in recent years – he in fact was making his case on the back of it and said it was time to address partition now as part of that progress. lets face it, no other leader is looking at the bigger picture as he is.

Cameron and Kenny are in fact late comers to this process and not only should not be given medals for this progress for other peoples hard work, but should be reprimanded for sitting back and taking their eyes off the ball like they did last week at stormont.

Ryan came across there like a stand-up comedian when he told us the people of the UK tend to stand up and take note of Eamon Gilmore when he tells them leaving the EU would be bad for them. (joke of the century)

and Ryan, like a true Tory must think we Irish are all fools if he thinks we are swallowing the line that the UK came to our rescue with a wee bailout when we needed it. A neighbourly gesture -maybe, – but more an act of protecting ones own financial interests in Irish banks – not to mention the large profit to made from the loan itself. But Ryan isnt alone in taking us all for fools around the bail-out/banking fiasco, sure hasn’t Enda and FF before him tried and largely succeeded in that too!

In general this is a good article which is representative of mainstream political opinion both in Ireland and the UK. By mainstream political opinion, I mean the people who support and who constitute the major political parties in Dail Eireann and the House of Commons with the exception of Sinn Fein and possibly the DUP. Anglo-Irish relations have improved greatly since the Good Friday Agreement and are now probably better than at any time in history. However, I tend to agree with those who say that very few people in the UK know or care who Eamon Gilmore is or indeed who the major Irish political leaders are with the exception of Enda Kenny and Gerry Adams. They are well known but for different reasons.

Wrongs were committed on both sides by various parties etc… Nothing to be gained, except giving a small orgasm to the armchair historians, for the truth is lies and lies are the truth….

@Ryan you are the one that is wrong Ireland is not and has not been reliant on the UK for exports but rather interdependent for a long time now, research shows that in 2011 just 17% of Irelands exports went to the UK. I think that before you write an article arguing that someone is wrong maybe it might be a good idea to also do your homework first.

Adams has been sidelined and is trying to be noticed.

Wonder why comment not published.

Exports = US 17.9%, UK 17.3%, Belgium 15.6%, Germany 8.4%, Switzerland 5.8%, France 5% (2012)
Imports = UK 39.8%, US 13.2%, Germany 7.6%, Netherlands 5.7% (2012)

Should have a nice fire down,and make themselves comfortable!,!,!??