Brexit will damage the Irish economy. But, as a former leading Irish civil servant explains, it is the threat to its fragile peace that has dominated reaction on the island of Ireland

Brexit will damage the Irish economy. But, as a former leading Irish civil servant explains, it is the threat to its fragile peace that has dominated reaction on the island of Ireland

The unfolding of the drama of Brexit across the British political landscape has exercised an appalled fascination in Ireland. That Ireland is central to the British political stalemate which has triggered a constitutional crisis means that this is not a matter for detached observation.

There is genuine regret in Ireland at the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union and concern for the consequences, in equal measure. Since joining the European Economic Community – or the Common Market, as it was widely known – on the same day, 1 January 1973, and despite shared approaches to many European issues since, membership has had radically different connotations in the UK and Ireland.

For Ireland, joining was part of the process of opening up to the world and emerging from the shadow of Britain. Pooling sovereignty through the European project was seen as positive. For the UK, the Common Market provided economic benefits at the price of a diminution of its former superpower status.

It is easier for small countries to accept the need for transnational solutions and for adapting to global trends and the behaviour of powerful neighbours. That is not to say that the consistent, strong Irish support for EU membership represents starry-eyed optimism about the place of small countries in Europe. However, the foundational EU commitment to securing peace and liberal democracy, together with the tangible benefits of the single market, have made EU membership integral to Irish political identity.

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