Category Archives: British-Irish relations

Brexit: a novel agricultural opportunity as the nightmare approaches?

Posted on Wednesday, 25 October, 2017 by andypollak

As October ends all is confusion and uncertainty over Brexit:  the first round of UK-EU talks on the exit bill, citizens rights and Ireland are stalled; Brussels is worried that Britain’s weak prime minister and feuding Conservative leadership will mean … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, Cross-border cooperation, General, Ireland, Europe and the world, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | 1 Comment

Flailing around in the fact free zone that is Brexit

Posted on Sunday, 25 September, 2016 by andypollak

We are now in the phoney war period between the Brexit vote and the British government invoking Article 50 of the European Union Treaty to begin negotiating to leave the EU. And nobody – neither citizens nor governments – knows … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, Cross-border cooperation, General, Ireland, Europe and the world | 1 Comment

Can we have a bit of realism about the border, please?

Posted on Thursday, 25 August, 2016 by andypollak

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am one of those rare Irish people – outside Sinn Fein – who thinks quite a lot about the border. I don’t talk about it much: there’s nothing more likely to … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, Cross-border cooperation, General, Irish reunification, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | 2 Comments

Post-Brexit confessions of an anglophile Irishman

Posted on Saturday, 25 June, 2016 by andypollak

So Brexit has happened. Fear, lies and stupidity won the day (although these were not only on the Leave side) and dangerous new forces of right-wing populism and English nationalism were unleashed in the British body politic. It was gratifying … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, General, Ireland, Europe and the world | 6 Comments

Will the future be British and/or Irish federalism?

Posted on Tuesday, 26 May, 2015 by andypollak

The big story about the British general election – alongside the surprise overall majority for the Tories – was the extraordinary spectacle of all but three seats in Scotland being won by the Scottish National Party. If anybody thought after … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, General, Northern Ireland | 1 Comment

British-Irish friendship and the marginalisation of Unionism

Posted on Tuesday, 6 May, 2014 by andypollak

The big international news story about Northern Ireland this week – the first for many years – is Gerry Adams’ arrest and questioning in connection with the Jean McConville murder case. I have just returned from nine days abroad so … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, General, Protestantism, unionism and loyalism | Leave a comment

While Britain and Europe’s tectonic plates move, we argue about Orangemen and Ardoyne

Posted on Tuesday, 8 April, 2014 by andypollak

What is the strategic issue causing senior people in the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to lose their sleep these nights?  In the week that Michael D. Higgins pays the first ever state visit by an Irish President to Britain, … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, General, Ireland, Europe and the world | 1 Comment