Re: The fly in the ointment?
"It's fantasy to think Ireland would leave EU."
It isn't. There's a lot of anger in Ireland over water charges, and especially in the centenary of the Easter Rising there's a lot of discomfort regarding how much of Ireland's power in self determination is being lost to the EU. I think when the stock markets crash again (due any time now) you'll see more than the UK and Ireland clamoring to leave the EU. The EU has to make itself look attractive to it's member bodies or risk losing other countries. The UK haven't taken that in to consideration, so any talk of getting a great deal from the EU is fantasy.
"If Ireland stays in the EU and the UK and Northern Ireland leaves then we're either going to have to have a United Ireland (at last!) or a war. The noises from Scotland suggest they will leave the UK so I think a United Ireland is on the cards - there's a silver lining to the cloud."
I remember as a 10 year old boy being told to hush for the news in Easter. It came on the news then that there would be a power sharing agreement and other such like. The news wasn't taken very well, it was the first time I saw both my mom and dad swear and be that disappointed together. Was a very surreal moment, and when I read back on it now as an adult about what happened, to some a United Ireland was a very real possibility at that time.
However, a United Ireland may depend on Ireland's EU membership. NI And Scotland both voted to stay in the EU overwhelmingly. But it'll be a sweet sweet day when Ireland is a country of 32 counties again. And it will happen.
Tiocfaidh ár lá!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
