50 years and four days in the European Union today

Maybe you are right, maybe I should soften my stance.

There is no evidence that we can govern ourselves based on our history since the foundation of the state.

Ah well. Speaking of "cultural chinks" or quirks that is a strong one at times, the negativity or catastrophising.

Ireland is the worst (at x/for y), Irish are the MOPE, the politicians here are uniquely corrupt divils, and (though as I said, I have not had personal experience of Irish people taking it this far, as it seems to edge towards bigotry or maybe self hate) "we can't govern ourselves"...

Your last paragraph is pure and utter fantasy.Post Brexit Irish support for the EU is the strongest its ever been. It's not an issue outside of a few barstool and Boards cranks.

It reminds me of something a poster said about the National Party "2% of the population support the party and 98% of that 2% is on Boards".

I don't know - there's good and bad being in the EU. And whenever we've had a related referendum both sides get a good airing. I've voted both ways in the past in those referendums depending on the arguments put forward.

Excuse me....are you a mod?

Are you accusing me of hating my own country, or is your problem that I am referencing a dysfunctional era in our shared history?

Ah ok, we have avoided authoritarianism...mightn't have felt that way if some priest was beating the s**t out of you for writing with your left hand in schools across the country but I understand you point, we aren't all bad. And I have already stated why I am pro EU, it has been a huge reason we became an open country. It's nuts we completely avoid being critical of our past, especially given our past, sometimes I think we haven't changed a bit (in terms of our tendency toward intolerance) which concerns me.

There's nowhere perfect.

We have had endemic corruption in our Capital city. Our Taoiseach was found to be in possession of sackfuls of cash, I don't need to mention the Haughey era, or the tribunals or the Church sex abuse scandals. Hard boiled nonsense you say?? Tell that to the victims.

I'm not trawling through 6 years of the Brexit thread for something that stupid and no sane poster would expect me to.

But it happened and plenty remember. One time you had us all counting down to the next Monday when Boris and Mogg had promised to rip up the NIP. Monday came and went like every other.

I’m broadly in favour of membership but what I loathe is the absolute derivation of responsibility our useless political class love to attribute to the EU when it suits them to do nothing. Some crap about they couldn’t reduce VAT on fuel as the “EU won’t let them”. I mean what the actual fcuk? If that’s the case then why not just abolish Dáil Éireann and run the lot directly from Brussels.

I really feel our political class love to deflect as it waters down any attempt for direct responsibility- I have a major problem with that tbh

None of those concerns involve our membership of the EU though.

Who is next in line to join? Serbia, Bosnia herozgovnia ,Montenegro Albania?

I think Montenegro and possibly Serbia are next in line to join.

A major positive of joining was it raised the standards of the country so we could compete properly- we were an uncompetitive economic basket case pre joining. We had to raise our game

And Kermit

You have gone off the deep end and dived into a barrel of horseshit now Dyr. We have 100 years of big decisions behind us now, some correct and some incorrect but all made by our own elected governments.

You have given specific deadlines at least 5 times in the Brexit thread. There was 1 in particular about 3 years ago were you said we would definitely be out within 6 months. I challenged to make a bet in favour of a nominated charity, about 10 other people offered the same bet and you disappeared.

Montenegro are the only close one according to this report (from 2017 though)

This one from 2021 is more positive but politics is getting in the way for many with no breakthrough in sight

Blah blah, you just don't like anyone with a different opinion to yourself. There is a word for that incidentally associated with a maniacal force that tore through the continent but I'll show restraint.

I take it you still haven't reconciled yourself with the decision of your fellow compatriots more than half a decade later.

He wants a free trade area where we get green passports and a unique Irish pint symbol on our glassware 🤣

I see you deleted this post.

What makes you think i'm not a liberal? You do understand that many people are a lot more nuanced in their views than you seem to appreciate. I'm very centrist in my views generally.

Oh and let's not forget your rather right wing Tory party view of Ireland and our history either on display recently. Quite at odds with your pro-EU so-called liberal hat.

What 'Q' stuff. What are you on about? All you seem to be doing is trying to transpose the UK's polarised Batman vs the Joker politics on here.

No you don't want those 2 things Kermit. You want Irexit and you have wrapped that wish up in fantasies and lies for over half a decade now.

even if your fantasy came true, inspections at the border between ireland and europe won't be an issue because it will b only for products originating from the UK for which the costs will be bore by the customer and the business selling them.

ireland will not be exiting the single market or the EU and we definitely won't be re-alining with a now failed state.

your fantasy is just that, a fantasy.