Ireland in

the EU
The impact of 50 years
A special report in
association with the
Department of Foreign
Affairs

THE IRISH TIMES

Friday, 27th January, 2023
 A
s we mark 50 years of
membership of what is now
the European Union, it is right
to reflect on how EU
membership has shaped our
country’s development over five decades.
It is the story of an extraordinary
transformation, as contributions to this
special supplement recall. I hope it will
offer inspiration to those countries now
looking to join the EU – from Ukraine to
the western Balkans.
Today Ireland is a modern, prosperous,
and progressive country. As this supple-
ment shows, it is impossible to talk about
trade and the economy, farming and food,
the green agenda, peace on this island, or
the development of civil rights without
reference to the role played by our EU
membership.
The EU is, of course, first and foremost
built on a set of values. These include
freedom, democracy, equality, human
rights and the rule of law. These fundamen-
LEO
tal, shared values cut across all the union’s
activities and are set out in law and agreed
upon by every member state.
They are the vital building blocks that
VARADKAR underpin the sharing of sovereignty and
the deep-rooted co-operation between
member states that the union embodies.
If the case
They create a union of legal certainty,
and they have a profound practical value.
We have seen how the solidarity, partner-
ship, and co-operation of our partners
have transformed Ireland from one of the
for Irish least developed member states to where it
is today.
membership This year also marks the 30th anniversa-
ry of the single market which has been
central to Ireland’s economic success.
was compelling It is now the cornerstone of the Europe-
an economy and a driver of innovation and
50 years ago, prosperity, reducing transaction costs,
aligning regulatory standards and rules
and opening access to a market of more
it is even more than 450 million people. Membership of
the euro, our common currency, also
so now, writes allows for a more seamlessly integrated
single market.
Funding provided through the EU
An Taoiseach budget helps less wealthy member states
reach their full potential as Ireland’s
experience over many decades demon-
strates.
Regional, structural and agricultural
funds, in particular, have helped provide
vital investment in essential infrastruc-
ture, our rural and farming communities,
and in the education and training of our
people.
Today they are helping drive the green
agenda, Europe’s ambitious plans to deal
with climate change.
Ireland is proud of what we have
achieved in the EU and of what we have
contributed to shaping the union we live in
today.
Our economic progress means that we
are now net contributors to the union’s
budget – paying in more each year than we
take out – supporting the progress and
2 January 27, 2023
development of our EU partners, as others
supported us. Inside
Our experience also drives our wish to
see the opportunities we have enjoyed
made available to the wider European
family.
We not only stand with the people of
4
Ukraine in their courageous defence of
their country and their values, which we
share. We also stand with them in their
wish to see Ukraine become an EU mem-
ber state.
We believe that EU membership could
also drive peace and prosperity in the
countries of the western Balkans. After50yearsintheEU,our
Founded in the aftermath of the devasta- tradesurplusisover¤60
tion of the second World War, the EU was billionandwehavea
conceived as a peace project, and as many diversifiedexportbase
European countries as possible should be acrossproductsandmarket
able to benefit. That commitment to peace destinations,writes
has been clearly demonstrated on this DeaglándeBréadún
island, where the EU has been a dependa-
ble partner throughout the peace process
and remains resolute in its support for the
6
Belfast Agreement, which will mark its
25th anniversary this year.
The new Peace Plus programme, which
will have a budget of more than ¤1 billion,
will be a further contribution to strength-
“
This year also marks the
30th anniversary of the
single market, which has
Irelandhassignedupto
theEU‘GreenDeal’,the
ambitiousplantoleadthe
worldonclimatechange,
writesDanielleBarron
been central to Ireland’s
economic success 8
ening peace, reconciliation, and cross-
Border co-operation in Ireland.
Throughout the last five decades,
Ireland has sought to be a constructive,
credible, and positive member state. Our Throughoutthepast50
contribution across the full range of union
policies has been to the benefit of Ireland
years,theEuropeanUnion
hasbeenasteadfast
and to the EU as a whole.
The greatest challenges we face today –
whether Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine
partnerinpeace,says
Tánaiste,Ministerfor
ForeignAffairsandDefence,
and its economic consequences or the
urgent need to take action on climate
MicheálMartin
change – can be confronted successfully
only by working together with our EU
12
friends and partners.
If the case for Irish membership was
compelling 50 years ago, it is even more so
now.
The European ideal has always been
inspired by a spirit of optimism and a belief
in a better future. Recent crises have Academics,lobbyistsand
tested this ideal, but they have not broken positivechangeadvocates
it. speaktoRitadeBrúnabout
Today’s EU is bigger, more diverse and theEU’simpactonsocietal
deeper than the one we joined in 1973. It is changeinIreland
our home that we have helped to build
together with our partners, and its founda-
tions are strong. ASpecialReportby
We can look to our next 50 years of THEIRISHTIMESinassociation
membership with confidence and ambi- withtheDepartmentofForeign
tion. Affairs,editedbyEdelMorgan
 EXHIBITION
How decision to
join the EU has
shaped our lives
A new exhibition presents
the story of Ireland in Europe,
curator Miriam Nyhan Grey
tells Gemma Tipton
I
f a week is a long time in politics, what
about 50 years? As an intriguing new
exhibition shows, while some events
from the early days of Ireland’s EU
membership feel as if they have come
from the deep mists of time, others seem
like they only happened yesterday. A black
and white photo of two cardigan-clad wom-
en in sensible shoes, going to vote at a rural
polling station looks like something from
the 1940s or ’50s, rather than 1972; while
president Mary Robinson, resplendent in a
red suit to meet European Commission
president Jacques Santer, seems complete-
ly contemporary. In fact, it was taken in
1995.
Historian and author Dr Miriam Nyhan
Grey, who curated the exhibition, trawled
the archives of the commission, as well as
the National Archives, the Royal Irish Acad-
emy, the National Library, the
archives of newspapers – includ-
ing this one, and more; to source
images and documents that tell
the story of Ireland in the EU
over the last half century.
“What I’ve tried to do is take a
magazine- style approach to how
the EU has shaped our lives,”
Nyhan Grey explains.
Presented across 12 panels, the exhibi-
tion gives the lie to the idea that EU mat-
ters are typified by images of anonymous
men in suits. Instead we begin with posters
campaigning for a Yes vote in the accession
referendum, as well as evidence of the cam-
paign against it. Nyhan Grey has an engag-
ingly eclectic eye, and that storyteller’s abil-
ity to create a narrative through docu-
ments and photographs, which marks out a
good historian. QR codes bring a further
layer, linking to relevant pieces from the
RTÉ archives.
Alongside all this, short texts add more
background, such as the fact that while we
don’t always agree on everything in this
country, just more than 50 years ago we al-
most all agreed on one thing: joining the
then European Community was a very
good thing. The Irish Farmers’ Association
urged “Yes” with a sketch that threatened a
return to the poverty of subsistence farm-
ing if we didn’t join; while in a letter to work-
ers, Gordon Lambert of Jacob’s warned his
biscuit workers that change was coming re-
gardless, and that growth would only be
possible through access to tariff-free Euro-
pean markets. Sinn Féin and the Labour
Party lined up on the No side, but the vote
was carried by an astonishing 83.1 per cent.
Subsequent panels explore farming and
fisheries, human rights, equality, the role
of women, the Irish language, culture, edu-
cation, European enlargement, the
various treaties and Ireland’s
role on the international stage.
Brexit is there, including in its
impact on the Belfast Agree-
ment, and the role of the EU in
mitigating the effects of this.
“It’s not exhaustive,” says
Nyhan Grey. “But it does explore
the main ways in which being part of
the EU has formed us, and how we see
ourselves today. We entered the EU 50
years after independence, 50 years ago, so
it’s recent history in that sense.”
A theme throughout is identity, and how
our identity as Irish people sits surprisingly
comfortably alongside the identity of us as
Europeans. “The ease with which we wear
a sense of being European, with our Irish-
ness is very interesting,” Nyhan Grey says.
“One of the fears was that this journey
would somehow water down our sovereign-
ty, and our sense of Irishness and national
identity. But actually, it just became part of
another layer of how we see ourselves. It
shows the complexity of us as humans, to
see ourselves in multiple ways. That’s one
of the big takeaways.”
While noting her historian’s warnings
against oversimplifying things, she points
out how EU membership shifted Ireland’s
focus from the UK and the US, adding an-
other dimension to our sense of place in the
world. Did those proposing accession real-
ise this would be an outcome, she wonders.
If so, they were visionary. Another huge,
and positive impact has been on the lives of
women, as another illuminating panel in
the exhibition shows. Headlined by that im-
age of president Robinson, the panel also
includes a circular from the Department of
Foreign Affairs noting the Treaty of
Rome’s requirement that member states
“implement and maintain the principle of
equal pay for men and women” . The circu-
lar is dated 1971. Some would argue that
we’re not there yet.
Nyhan Grey points out other key figures
in the story of Ireland in Europe. There’s
former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, and
Peter Sutherland, who had been variously
attorney general, a UN special representa-
tive and European commissioner. As she
describes Sutherland’s role in bringing the
Erasmus study and work abroad pro-
gramme into being, Nyhan Grey expands
§ Arrival of Garret FitzGerald, the then
minister for foreign affairs, at Brussels
Council, Charlemagne, in July 1975
when Ireland held its first presidency of
the European Council. Inset: Dr Miriam
Nyhan Grey MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTIAN
LAMBIOTTE, © EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 1975
into a narrative of other key figures in the
story, from John Hume to George Mitchell
and Jean Monnet, regarded by many as
“the father of the Europe”. They come to
vivid life in her descriptions, and in this fas-
cinating series of glimpses into the people
and events that have shaped all our lives
over the past 50 years.
IntoEurope:IrelandandtheEU1973-2023
is a Documents on Irish Foreign Policy pro-
ject, curated by Dr Miriam Nyhan Grey, and
presented under the auspices of the Royal
Irish Academy, the Department of Foreign
Affairs and the National Archives.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Af-
fairs and Defence Micheál Martin
launched the RIA exhibition in Iveagh
House on January 24th. The exhibition will
now be on display throughout the year in
venues across Ireland and also worldwide
via the Embassy of Ireland network. For
more information, see ireland.ie/eu50
January 27, 2023 3
 TRADE
Trading up
After 50 years in the EU, our trade surplus is
more than ¤60 billion and we have a diversified
export base across products and market
destinations, writes Deaglán de Bréadún
T
he more creative side of the EU
was in evidence at the European
Innovation Council (EIC) sum-
mit in Brussels just over a year
ago when the European Commis-
sion announced the winners of the annual
EU Prize for Women Innovators. The
award is given to the most talented female
entrepreneurs from across the European
community and associated countries who
have founded a successful company and
brought innovation to the market.
A total of 21 firms were shortlisted and
no less than seven of them were Irish. As it
turned out three companies from Den-
mark, the Netherlands and Israel won the
main prizes, worth ¤100,000 each. But an
Irish business was chosen for the Rising In-
novator prize, which includes ¤50,000
cash, awarded to exceptional innovators
under the age of 35.
The winners were Ailbhe and Isabel
Keane, founders of Izzy Wheels, which cre-
ates fashionable wheel-covers for wheel-
chairs. Recalling the great occasion recent-
ly, Ailbhe Keane told The Irish Times:
“Winning the award was a huge dream for
us. We put so much love and hard work into
building our brand, so it was incredible to
receive such enormous recognition from
the EU. We are deeply motivated to create
valuable products and collaborate with ex-
ceptional people in order to foster a more
inclusive world.”
Izzy Wheels began as a college project in
2016 when Ailbhe was in her final year at
4 January 27, 2023
the National College for Art and Design in
Dublin. She recalls: “I created a collection
of colourful wheelchair wheel-covers that
matched my sister’s outfits. Izzy, my young-
er sister, was born with spina bifida and has
used a wheelchair all of her life.
“She always felt that her wheelchair was
the first thing that people noticed about
her, but it wasn’t a reflection of her person-
ality. As soon as she put the colourful wheel
covers on her wheelchair people began in-
teracting with her in a really positive way.
Strangers would stop her on the street to
compliment her wheels.”
Ailbhe described how Izzy Wheels has
grown from the kitchen table into a global
brand, shipping to over 60 countries – “and
most importantly, it has provided an outlet
for expression and individuality to wheel-
chair-users all over the world”.
There was more good news for Irish
women innovators when the prizes for
2022 were announced at the European In-
novation Council summit in Brussels on De-
cember 7th last. Dr Ciara Clancy, founder
and CEO of Beats Medical, a digital thera-
peutics company specialising in the treat-
ment of neurological and CNS (central
nervous system) conditions, was one of the
three winners of the main EU Prize for
Women Innovators. Niamh Donnelly,
co-founder of Akara, a company develop-
ing robotic and artificial intelligence ap-
proaches to issues such as disinfecting hos-
pital rooms, was one of the three winners in
the Rising Innovators category.
The competition is funded by the EU’s
Horizon Europe programme for research
and innovation, and managed by the Euro-
pean Innovation Council and the Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises Executive
Agency (EISMEA). The State agency En-
terprise Ireland is involved and promotes
Irish engagement with the funding pro-
gramme.
More generally, Enterprise Ireland
works in cooperation with Irish companies
from across the spectrum to win export
sales. A spokeswoman explained that op-
portunities in this regard in the European
Single Market are enhanced by lower costs
and unfettered access to 26 other member
states with a total EU population of almost
450 million and gross domestic product
(GDP) of ¤15 trillion thanks to the absence
of customs, tariffs and borders and the posi-
tive advantages of free movement of peo-
“
20 member states with a total
population of 350 million and
GDP of ¤13 trillion have
adopted the euro as their
currency, leading to increased
transparency and the absence
of foreign exchange-related
costs for Irish firms
ple and products as well as increasing regu-
latory alignment.
At this stage 20 member states with a to-
tal population of 350 million and GDP of
¤13 trillion have adopted the euro as their
currency, leading to increased transparen-
cy and the absence of foreign exchange-re-
lated costs for Irish firms when selling to
the other euro-zone countries. Enterprise
Ireland has 13 offices in 11 EU member
states
Despite being an island off the coast of
mainland Europe, Ireland’s connectivity is
strong, with over 1,300 flights a week to Eu-
rope from Dublin airport alone. One of the
more positive outcomes of Brexit is that
maritime connections with mainland Eu-
rope have greatly increased, eg, weekly
crossings to France have gone up from 12
to 50 in the past two years.
Fifty years ago, when Ireland joined
what was then called the European Eco-
nomic Community, total Irish exports at a
global level were ¤1.1 billion, most of them
to the UK. Enterprise Ireland says that its

client exports to the euro zone are almost
six times this total trade and have grown by
almost 85 per cent over a 10-year period,
from ¤3.27 billion in 2011 to ¤6.04 billion
in 2021.
The latest figures available for the num-
ber of people employed by Irish companies
across the EU is 234,327 and many of these
are working for our larger multinationals
such as CRH, Kingspan, Smurfit Kappa,
Kerry and Icon which have operations in
mainland Europe.
Asked to comment on the results of our
half-century in the EU, Fergal O’Brien of
the Irish Business and Employers Confed-
eration (Ibec) said: “The Irish economy has
been transformed by the trade opportuni-
ties provided by our 50-year membership
of the European Union. Both access to the
EU Single Market and the benefit of EU
trade deals with the rest of the world have
opened up many new and prosperous mar-
ket opportunities for thousands of Irish
businesses.
“When we joined the EU in 1973 Ireland
had a significant trade deficit, was reliant
on the UK for 55 per cent of merchandise
exports and had a very narrow export base
which was predominantly agriculture-
related. Some 50 years later our trade sur-
plus is over ¤60 billion and we have a diver-
sified export base across products and mar-
ket destinations.
“The UK remains a key trading partner
but the diversification benefits of EU mem-
bership means that it now accounts for just
10 per cent of goods exports. Ireland’s
membership of the EU also helps to attract
substantial levels of foreign direct invest-
ment, which supports the development of
small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) and strong ecosystems in a com-
plex range of innovative high-tech manu-
facturing and services enterprises.”
A spokesperson for the Industrial Devel-
opment Agency (IDA Ireland), which is re-
sponsible for the attraction and retention
of inward foreign direct investment (FDI)
to this country, said: “Many of the world’s
leading businesses have chosen Ireland as
an attractive location from which to access
the EU Single Market. The numbers of peo-
ple directly employed in the IDA-support-
ed multinational sector in Ireland has now
reached 301,475, which is the highest FDI
employment level ever and a 9 per cent in-
crease on 2021. Fifty-two per cent of the in-
vestments won in 2022 were for regional lo-
cations, with employment growth record-
ed in every region of the country. As a mem-
ber state Ireland benefits from EU market
access rights and client companies note
Ireland’s unwavering commitment to
EU membership.”
Prof Iulia Siedschlag of
the Dublin-based Eco-
nomic and Social Re-
search Institute
(ESRI) believes
that, overall, our
presence in the
EU has im-
proved our eco-
nomic and so-
cial wellbeing.
Left: Ailbhe and Izzy Keane from
Izzy wheels, winners of an EU prize
for women innovators.
Above: Niamh Donnelly from Akara.
Below: Many of the world’s leading
businesses have chosen Ireland as an
attractive location from which to
access the EU single market. MAIN
PHOTOGRAPH: PAUL SHARP/SHARPPIX
“Ireland’s EU membership has led to in-
creased trade and efficiency gains associat-
ed with a better allocation of resources in
line with comparative advantages and in-
creased specialisation. Pro-competitive ef-
fects associated with market openness
have led to lower prices and a greater varie-
ty of goods and services available to Irish
consumers, increased investment and
greater economic growth and prosperity.
Ireland’s trade integration with the EU has
incentivised and enabled Irish firms to en-
hance their innovation, exports and pro-
ductivity.
“Ireland’s access to the EU Single Mar-
ket has been an important factor for its at-
tractiveness to foreign direct investment
particularly by multinationals with head-
quarters in the US.”
She cited a recent analysis by the Europe-
an Commission which found that if the EU
Single Market didn’t exist the combined ef-
fects of higher trade barriers and less com-
petition would have led to worse economic
performance in the long run in all EU mem-
ber states. “In Ireland’s case the GDP
would have been lower by 13
per cent, consumption lower
by 23 per cent, investment
lower by 24 per cent, ex-
ports lower by 17 per cent,
imports lower by 22.5 per
cent, the capital stock low-
er by 19 per cent and em-
ployment lower by 2
per cent . The esti-
mated negative ef-
fects on Ireland’s
economic out-
comes are
above the EU av-
erages.”
January 27, 2023 5
 FARMING
The evolution of
Irish agriculture
Barry McCall looks at the
triumphs and challenges for
the farming and food sectors
since Ireland joined the EU
P
rior to EU membership, Irish
farmers were paid world market
prices or below for their pro-
duce, while European prices
were significantly higher. Access
to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
and its price support mechanisms saw Irish
farmers receiving much higher prices for
their output.
That led to what many look back on as a
golden age for Irish agriculture during the
1970s – not that it was without its challeng-
es.
“The first decade was transformative
and delivered huge benefits to farmers,”
says Teagasc head of economics and sur-
veys, Trevor Donnellan. “It was an infla-
tionary time overall but there were mas-
sive increases in farm incomes. Farmers
were getting much higher prices for what
they produced, and this allowed agricultur-
al incomes to converge much more to-
wards industrial incomes.”
That saw a lot of farmers borrowing to in-
crease output to take advantage of the high-
er prices. “The 1980s brought very high in-
terest rates,” Donnellan adds. “Some farm-
ers had expanded quite aggressively and
built up very substantial debts. That looked
fine while interest rates were low, but they
got caught with much higher debt repay-
ments in the 1980s.”
And there were changes at EU level as
well. The price support mechanisms which
delivered those higher incomes also pro-
duced huge food surpluses, with butter and
beef mountains and wine lakes becoming
headline news. Farmers across Europe
were paid a guaranteed price for their out-
put with no limits on production. When
there was a surplus on the market, the EU
bought the products into a scheme known
as intervention to prevent the excess sup-
ply creating downward pressure on prices.
This resulted in massive overproduction in
sectors such as dairy.
This led to a slow reform process. A milk
quota regime was introduced to put a ceil-
6 January 27, 2023
ing on dairy output and eliminate butter
mountains. The aim was to achieve a gradu-
al convergence with world market prices.
The quota regime was abolished in 2015
and farmers could again produce as much
as they wished, as long as they had buyers
for it.
There was also a decoupling of supports
from production. Instead of paying a subsi-
dy per unit of output, the Single Farm Pay-
ment scheme supports farm income on a
per hectare basis. This reduces the poten-
tial for price distortion.
Those changes were not always wel-
come, as evidenced by farmer protests in
Ireland and across Europe over the years.
But the overall impact of EU membership
on Irish agriculture has been positive, ac-
cording to Teagasc director Frank
O’Meara.
“Irish agriculture is very, very different
now to what it was 50 years ago and gener-
ally in a very positive way,” he says. “The
amount of food produced has increased,
the standard of that food in terms of quality
and its health and safety aspects is much
higher. And the variety of food produced
has improved greatly. Farm structure has
been transformed. We now have bigger
and far more mechanised farms. And the
level of education of people coming into
farming is also much higher.”
The story for Ireland’s food industry of
EU membership has been overwhelmingly
positive, according to Paul Kelly, director
of Ibec trade association Food Drink Ire-
land.
“One of the areas you always have to look
at is exports,” he says. “Food and drink ex-
ports from Ireland reached ¤13.5 billion in
2021. Roughly one third to the EU26, one
third to the UK, and the remaining one
third to other markets including the US
and so on. We are exporting ¤4.5 billion
worth of food and drink products to the
EU26 every year. We have seamless access
to that market. There are some cultural
and language differences, of course, but in
theory an Irish food company can sell in Slo-
venia as easily as it can in Sligo. Without
EU membership we would be left with an in-
ternal market of 5 million people instead of
440 million.”
That access has given the industry an out-
size presence on international markets.
“Ireland accounts for 5.7 per cent of all EU
food and drink exports,” Kelly points out.
“For a country with slightly over 1 per cent
of the EU population, that’s an incredible
achievement. Ireland also has access to
markets around the world where the EU
has free trade agreements, including the
Trade & Co-operation Agreement with the
UK.”
There are challenges ahead, however,
particularly those relating to sustainabili-
ty. The EU Farm to Fork Strategy aims to
accelerate the transition to a sustainable
food system that will, among other things,
have a neutral or positive environmental
impact, help to mitigate climate change
and adapt to its impacts, and reverse the
loss of biodiversity.
This will see farmers reducing fertiliser
and pesticide use and adopting other meas-
ures to lower emissions and improve biodi-
versity. “The next phase of the transforma-
tion is to deliver on all of this without com-
§ The milk quota regime was
abolished in 2015 and farmers could
again produce as much as they wished,
as long as they had buyers for it.
PHOTOGRAPH: ISTOCK
promising food security,” says O’Meara.
“It will hurt some sectors more than oth-
ers. Forestry will grow and organics will
grow. Ireland is very competitive at
grass-based milk and meat production.
That’s where our competitive advantage
lies. A lot of our land is not suitable for till-
age. Tillage and crop production requires
scale. Also, the demographic of our farm-
ers probably means they are not going to
switch, even if they had the money, due to
their stage of life.”
On the other hand, agriculture will con-
tinue to benefit from our thriving food in-
dustry. “Ninety per cent of Ireland’s agricul-
tural output is purchased by food industry
companies,” Kelly points out. “This com-
pares to the EU average of 70 per cent.
Food and drink manufacturing accounts
for half the economic expenditure of all
manufacturing. That has a multiplier ef-
fect with the money flowing back into the
economy, particularly in rural areas.”

EU has helped drive
Ireland’s green agenda
Ireland has signed up to the EU
‘Green Deal’, the ambitious plan
to lead the world on climate
change, writes Danielle Barron
E
ven the most neutral of observ-
ers will agree that Ireland’s com-
mitment to environmental is-
sues was almost non-existent pri-
or to our membership of the Eu-
ropean Union. Indeed, it wasn’t until 1977
that the word “environment” was attached
to a government department.
The European Commission’s first envi-
ronmental action programme was pub-
lished in 1973, the year Ireland became a
member of what was then the EEC. Since
then the comprehensive body of environ-
mental policy developed by the EU has
served to transform Irish environmental
policy, which now not only keeps pace with
broader EU policy but in some cases out-
strips it in terms of innovation and ambi-
tion. Currently, there are 200 pieces of en-
vironmental legislation in Ireland, mostly
derived from EU environmental law, regu-
lating key environmental dimensions such
as water quality, waste management, na-
ture preservation, chemicals, air quality,
the environmental effects of agriculture
and industry, and pollution of our water-
ways.
“If we look back over the past 50 years ac-
knowledgment has to be given that EU envi-
ronmental policy has driven many of the
positive changes we have seen in Ireland in
the environmental area,” says Barbara No-
lan, head of the European Commission’s
representation in Dublin.
But that path hasn’t always run smooth-
ly. Nolan admits there have been “ten-
sions” regarding Ireland’s implementation
of EU environmental legislation. “If we go
back to 2006 or 2007, Ireland was one of
the member states with one of the highest
number of environmental infringement
cases,” she says. “All member states have
infringements of EU law across the board
but Ireland has a particularly bad record
with environmental laws.”
Recent years have seen an improve-
ment, however, with a significant reduc-
tion in the number of infringement cases.
“This is an indication of how Ireland has
progressed,” Nolan says.
In some of those cases – for example, the
ongoing infringement procedure on the
protection and conservation of raised and
blanket bogs – there has been an attitude of
decrying what is perceived as unnecessary
European interference on Irish traditional
or cultural practices. “What people forget
is that Ireland is part of the EU and has a
role in shaping these laws too,” Nolan
points out, although she admits that some
environmental issues have more “rele-
vance” to Ireland than some other member
states.
Sharon Finegan, director of the EPA
with responsibility for the Office of Envi-
ronmental Sustainability, tells The Irish
Times that Ireland’s environmental policy
has been shaped “hugely” by its member-
ship of the EU. She explains that prior to
the establishment of the EPA in 1993, the
responsibility of implementing EU direc-
tives had largely lain with local authorities,
who often did not have the expertise to deal
with environmental infringements.
The ongoing role of the EU in ensuring
that pollution is prevented is one that is
overlooked, Finegan says. “The directives
are constantly evolving because the best
available techniques [for pollution
prevention] are constantly evolving. It’s
not very sexy but it’s really, really impor-
tant.” She also highlights the tangible im-
pact of the Waste Framework Directive,
noting that prior to its introduction in
2008 there were over 300 active landfills
in Ireland. Today there are just three. “The
amount of waste going to landfill here in
Ireland has decreased by over 75 per cent.”
Irish waterways had been transformed
thanks to the Water Framework Directive,
which requires member states to operate a
river basin management system. But in re-
cent years Irish water quality has once
again been declining; the most recent EPA
assessment for the period 2019-2021 found
that nearly half of Ireland’s water quality is
§ European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen addressing a joint sitting of
the Dáil and Seanad. During her visit she said Ireland has the potential to become a
‘renewable superpower’. PHOTOGRAPH: MAXWELL PHOTOGRAPHY
substandard. Farming run-off is a major
driver of this, as is the discharge of poor-
ly-treated sewage, says Finegan. “There is
a real need for investment in the urban wa-
ter treatment – that is a key pressure.”
In more recent years climate change has
become a key focus for EU policy, says Fine-
gan, functioning as an integrated objective
that encompasses the overall suite of envi-
ronmental challenges. The EU has consist-
ently taken a leadership position in rela-
tion to the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions, she says, noting that the emis-
sions trading scheme (ETS) has been a key
mechanism for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions from key sectors such as electrici-
ty generation and industry.
Although an EU project of common in-
terest, the 575km Celtic interconnector be-
tween Ireland and France will strengthen
the security of our energy supply, and the
war in Ukraine has imbued the race to
phase out fossil fuels and rapidly scale our
renewable energy capacity with additional
urgency. During her recent visit to Ireland,
European Commission president Ursula
von der Leyen told the Dáil that “sitting on
the edge of the Atlantic, Ireland can be a re-
newable superpower”.
Jim Dollard, executive director, Genera-
tion Trading ESB, notes that Ireland has
transitioned very rapidly from being an al-
most totally fossil fuel-based economy to a
point where on average over 40 per cent of
all electricity is provided via renewable en-
ergy. Inclement weather means that can be
CLIMATE
closer to 60 per cent, but, says Dollard, “re-
newables by their nature are intermittent –
it isn’t sunny or windy every day”.
The ESB believes the answer lies in
green hydrogen, as do many European
countries, says Dollard. “This means in pe-
riods of surplus wind you create a car-
bon-free gas such as green hydrogen and
you can either burn it or use it to regener-
ate electricity. It is an old technology but
one that is being deployed on a growing ba-
sis.” This approach will require significant
investment in renewables, including off-
shore wind farms.
By devising an ambitious green hydro-
gen strategy, Dollard agrees with Von der
Leyen’s assessment of our potential as a
“renewable superpower”.
“Ireland has significant renewables ca-
pacity already, having built a lot of onshore
wind farms, but we have one of the biggest
and best coastlines and wind resources in
Europe on the west coast,” he says. “If we
can harness it – and we believe we can –
then we can export it just like gas.”
Looking to the future, Ireland is fully
signed up to the EU “Green Deal”, the un-
ion’s ambitious plan to lead the world on cli-
mate change which demands immediate
and significant action by member states,
says Nolan. “The EU has shown it is the
global leader on this, and with the Climate
Action Plan Ireland has now put in place
the legislation and policies to ensure that
these objectives are reached. This is our
‘moonshot’.”
January 27, 2023 7
 PEACE
While peace is made by people,
it is underpinned by institutions
Throughout the past 50
years, the European Union
has been a steadfast
partner in peace, says
Tánaiste, Minister for
Foreign Affairs and
Defence, Micheál Martin
I
often reflect on the wise words of the
late, great John Hume in his Nobel
lecture, when he said that in his own
work for peace he was strongly in-
spired by his European experience.
He spoke of meditating on the bridge be-
tween Strasbourg, in France, and Kehl, in
Germany, on how 30 years after conflict,
both countries, with others across the conti-
nent of Europe, were working together in
common interest.
Hume described the European Union
“as the best example in the history of the
world of conflict resolution”. His genius
was, in part, to see how with both Ireland
and the United Kingdom within the EU,
there existed new possibilities to reframe
relationships on the island of Ireland and,
also, between this island and Britain.
Common EU membership gave genera-
tions of leaders from across the traditions
on this island, and from across these is-
lands, the opportunity to focus on what
united us, rather than what divided. These
relationships were essential to achieving
the Belfast Agreement, 25 years ago next
April.
Engagement in Brussels meant that new
political friendships between politicians
and civil servants were facilitated, often ce-
mented by Dublin and London working to-
gether on issues of mutual concern. It
opened up new relationships with deci-
sion-makers from other European coun-
tries. All these relationships were vital to
the political progress of the 1980s and
1990s, which culminated in the Belfast
Agreement.
For much of that period, also, the Euro-
pean Parliament was the only place where
8 January 27, 2023
elected representatives from Ireland and
the UK sat and worked together – creating
in particular, a space within which Hume
co-operated with unionist MEPs, including
Ian Paisley and John Taylor, on certain is-
sues. The relations they built transcended
their political divisions, showing the way
forward.
Shared EU membership also meant that
both parts of the island shared a body of
law and practice, particularly following the
introduction of the single market on Janu-
ary 1st, 1993, that saw the Border dimin-
ished both physically and psychologically.
The Belfast Agreement saw the rebuild-
ing of bridges across the Border, enabling
communities in the North and South to ben-
efit from the opportunities for trade and
co-operation underpinned by shared ac-
cess to the EU’s single market.
The EU had recognised the costs of divi-
sion on both sides of the Border, and was an
early contributor to the International Fund
for Ireland. INTERREG funding has also
been vital to allow for change in the Border
region. Successive PEACE programmes
have developed the capacity of people from
the grassroots to transform their communi-
ties for the better. The new PEACE PLUS
programme, with a budget of more than
¤1 billion funded by the UK, the EU and
Ireland, continues this important work, re-
affirming that shared commitment to
strengthening peace, reconciliation, and
cross-Border co-operation on the island.
While peace is ultimately made by peo-
ple, it is underpinned by institutions. Euro-
pean support for the people and institu-
tions of peace has been steadfast over 50
years, facilitating an environment open to
dialogue and ultimately a peace agree-
ment, to providing tangible support for rec-
onciliation on our island.
That long-term commitment is essen-
tial.
It has been particularly important over
the past few years following the UK’s deci-
sion to leave the EU.
Given how our shared EU membership
was part of the inner core of the Belfast
Agreement, underpinning much of the
North-South strand but also facilitating
East-West relationships, the UK’s decision
has had consequences for Northern Ire-
land.
This Government is continuing to work
§ Tánaiste and
Minister for
Foreign Affairs
and Defence,
Micheál Martin:
The EU recognised
the costs of
division on both
sides of the Border
together with our EU partners to manage
the impacts for Northern Ireland. I want to
acknowledge the EU’s unwavering solidari-
ty and support for Ireland as a member
state, including the recognition of the
unique circumstances of the island of Ire-
land made possible by giving formal expres-
sion in the protocol agreed with the UK to
mitigate the impact of Brexit on the full im-
plementation of the Belfast Agreement.
European Commission president Ursula
von der Leyen reaffirmed this support dur-
ing her visit to Dublin last month. I am con-
scious, too, about the concerns that have
been raised with the current arrange-
ments. I want to assure everyone that there
is a collective commitment at political level
across the EU to find an agreed way for-
ward and with a shared spirit of flexibility,
progress can be made.
Throughout the last 50 years, the EU has
been a steadfast partner in peace. For this,
we are profoundly grateful. I know that the
EU remains committed to protecting the
Belfast Agreement and to the process of
genuine peace and reconciliation on this is-
land, and that it will remain so for the next
50 years, and beyond.

Irish art and
culture through
a European lens
The EU is often associated with red tape but
the irony is that it has removed it for many
Irish artists, writes Gemma Tipton
O
ne thing artists do well is trav-
el. Roaming for inspiration, to
find conducive places, and to
seek out the company of in-
triguing people: from James
Joyce to Sam Beckett, Mainie Jellet to
Mary Swanzy we have a great legacy of get-
ting out of here. While many left, many also
returned with new ideas and new connec-
tions. All these have added to the rich sense
of what art and culture means today.
Imagine, in a pre-internet age, the sur-
prise in Ireland of Jellet’s take on modern-
ism and abstraction, gleaned from her time
spent in Paris with Evie Hone, learning
from Cubist master Albert Gleize. The
theme of learning continues today with the
EU Erasmus programme, championed by
Ireland’s former commissioner Peter
Sutherland, which enables students to
study, train or work in another member
country. Back in the day, however, travel
was a trickier business, and not just be-
cause of the older modes of transport and
communications. Those with longer artis-
tic memories will recall the difficulties of
customs dockets, checkpoints and reams
of red tape.
It’s ironic that the EU got a reputation
for adding red tape when, in fact, it did
away with so much of it for Ireland’s artists.
The impact of Brexit has presented some
with an unwelcome reminder of the bad
old days of border carnets. “We did a show
at the Barbican,” says Pan Pan Theatre
company’s Gavin Quinn, who describes
sending suitcases of props and costumes
through a London airport. “We had to go
into the airport, ring a man to find an air-
port security man to bring this very outdat-
ed-looking green and yellow paper, in tripli-
cate, down to another man who said he’d
never seen one before. We assured him:
‘No, since Brexit, we have to get it signed.’
You have to pay a bond of ¤5,000 and if you
don’t get a signature, you lose the bond,”
he explains.
Quinn’s stories of touring Europe with
Pan Pan’s lauded theatre shows include
tales of driving across the continent in a
van, aided by a grant from the then cultural
relations committee, now Culture Ireland.
“Sometimes we’d be stopped in Germany,
and they’d laugh at our Irish tax disc, be-
cause it was so old-fashioned looking. But it
was amazing to be able to do it. You could
just load up and drive to Europe. We per-
formed at all kinds of festivals there.”
Interestingly, Quinn says that language
wasn’t a barrier. “The first time we did an
international tour, it was actually pre-Pan
Pan, and we went to Lyon. We did this
show, which had very few words. Based on
the Dada writings of Tristan Tzara, it was
called Negative Act. In Dublin, the audi-
ence didn’t really get it. I think someone
stormed out and said it wasn’t theatre.
Then we went to Lyon, and we got all this in-
terpretation. The French audience was in-
terpreting things we’d never dreamed of.
So there’s a creative mirror we didn’t even
know existed – because of a foreign, or dif-
ferent audience.”
Describing Europe as a “bigger family”
for Pan Pan’s work. Quinn also talks of the
different theatre systems, and levels of sup-
port to be found in different countries, but
also of the universal interest in good thea-
tre, from whichever country it may have
originated. There’s generosity at play too,
as ideas are shared, co-productions initiat-
ed, and mentorships organised. Pan Pan
has recently donated their archive, includ-
ing documentation of their International
Theatre Symposium workshops, which
were supported by grants from the EU, to
the University of Galway library.
In Paris, the Centre Culturel Irlandais
(CCI) will be celebrating Ireland’s half-cen-
tury as part of the European Union with its
Saison EU50. Running throughout the
year, the programme includes artistic pro-
jects in collaboration with sister organisa-
tions representing other EU member
states. There will be music from John Spill-
ane and Rioghnach Connolly, work by art-
ist Niamh McCann, and poet Catriona
O’Reilly. Opening at CCI in April, Anita
CULTURE
§ Pan Pan Theatre’s Laura Sundermann
in The Tempest (Der Sturm) by William
Shakespeare at the Kammerspiele,
Bonn. FILE PHOTOGRAPH: THILO BEU
Groener’s major new exhibition explores
ideas of migration, safety and home.
“There’s huge potential to tour work in
Europe,” says CCI director Nora Hickey
M’Sichili. “For so long, we have been fo-
cused on the English-speaking world, and
now there’s a shift.”
The CCI is a member of Eunic, the EU
National Institute for Culture, based in Par-
is, which builds and supports creative and
cultural networks across Europe, through
the belief that culture helps to build trust
and understanding. Irish Museum of
Modern Art director Annie Fletcher also
notes that sharing culture opens eyes and
minds. She recalls seeing the work of
French artist Christian Boltanski at the
Douglas Hyde Gallery. “I was just finishing
college, and having these key European
artists coming was incredible.”
A stint on a curatorial training pro-
gramme in the Netherlands coincided with
a shift in attention from obvious art world
centres, to art made in places such as Bul-
garia and Romania, as the European Union
expanded, and with it, came fresh ways of
thinking. She draws attention to the Euro-
pean Capitals of Culture programme, and
how they can function to shift “the tired old
cultural traffic from the old art world. It’s
interesting”, she continues, “culturally, to
think about cities of a similar scale”, consid-
ering connections between Cork and Za-
greb, for example. “Obviously, for me, the
excitement of bringing links together is re-
ally important.”
She draws attention to the networks of
cultural organisations, such as L’Interna-
tionale, which is co-funded by the EU’s Cre-
ative Europe programme, which also sup-
ports film, music, writing, and creative in-
novation. “It’s incredibly important to lo-
cate Ireland within that European dia-
logue,” Fletcher concludes.
January 27, 2023 9
 AN GHAEILGE
An Ghaeilge
faoi bhláth san
Aontas Eorpach
Aistear dúshlánach a bhí ann, ó thús
corrach go stádas iomlán rathúil ar
deireadh thiar, a deir Pádraig
Breandán Ó Laighin
B
a gheall le bheith ag Oireachtas é
freastal ar Éigse na Bruiséile ar
an 13-15 Bealtaine 2022 – lé-
achtaí agus seoltaí leabhar,
seisiúin cheoil i measc sluaite,
agus Gaeilge bhlasta á labhairt ag cách.
Ach ní cóisir ar mhaithe le cóisir amháin a
bhí ar siúl, ach ceiliúradh freisin ar theacht
in aois na Gaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil oi-
bre den Aontas Eorpach, ar comhchéim
leis na 23 theanga oifigiúla eile. Faoi dheir-
eadh, bhí aitheantas tugtha don chaipiteal
teanga Gaeilge a bhí sealbhaithe ag daoine
ó dhúchas nó ón scolaíocht. Agus ar scála
níos leithne, an bheocht agus an
chruthaitheacht a bhí le sonrú le linn na hÉ-
igse, ba scáthán iad ar shaol úr forásach
phobal na Gaeilge i gcoitinne, in Éirinn féin
agus thar lear.
Thairg an Comhphobal Eorpach lánstá-
das don Ghaeilge le linn na hidirb-
heartaíochta sa bhliain 1970, ach dhiúl-
taigh Rialtas na hÉireann glacadh leis.
D’fhill toscaireacht an Chomhphobail le
comhréiteach a d’ainmneodh an Ghaeilge
mar theanga oifigiúil agus oibre, ach go
gcuirfí maolú i bhfeidhm a laghdódh méid
na reachtaíochta a chaithfí a aistriú. Dhiúl-
taigh an Rialtas dó sin freisin. Sa deireadh,
géilleadh do mholadh na hÉireann nach
n-ainmneofaí an Ghaeilge mar theanga oifi-
giúil agus oibre, agus nach ndéanfaí ach na
Conarthaí a aistriú. Dá dheasca sin, ní rai-
bh an Ghaeilge ar liosta na dteangacha oifi-
giúla sa Chonradh Aontachais a shínigh an
Rialtas, cé gur mhaigh an Rialtas níos dé-
anaí, ina Pháipéar Bán roimh reifreann
faoi bhallraíocht, go raibh an Ghaeilge á
haithint mar theanga oifigiúil, ráiteas a bhí
bréagach ina chomhthéacs agus míthre-
orach.
Tháinig an crú ar an tairne ag deireadh
na bliana 1972 nuair a fógraíodh líon mór
10 January 27, 2023
postanna sa Chomhphobal d’Éireannaigh,
ach go gcaithfeadh iarrthóirí Béarla agus
teanga amháin oifigiúil eile a bheith acu –
Danmhairgis, Fraincis, Ollainnis,
Gearmáinis, nó Iodáilis. Nuair a rinneadh
gearán leis an gComhphobal faoin
nGaeilge a bheith in easnamh, fuarthas
freagra gonta cruinn gurbh é sin an socrú a
bhí iarrtha ag Éirinn le linn na hidirb-
heartaíochta, agus curtha i bhfeidhm leis
an gConradh Aontachais.
Sa bhliain 2005, mar thoradh ar fheach-
tas ón mbun aníos agus ón mbarr anuas,
ainmníodh an Ghaeilge mar theanga oifi-
giúil agus oibre den Aontas Eorpach, le
maolú a laghdódh méid an aistriúcháin.
Tháinig an stádas sin i bhfeidhm ag tús
2007, 37 mbliana i ndiaidh an socrú céan-
na a bheith tairgthe agus diúltaithe. Agus
sa bhliain 2015, tar éis tuilleadh idirb-
heartaíochta, aontaíodh go gcuirfí
deireadh leis an maolú ar bhonn céim-
nithe, agus go mbeadh lánstádas ag an
nGaeilge ón gcéad lá d’Eanáir, 2022.
D’ainneoin na ndeacrachtaí a bhain le
líon foirne a mhéadú in achar gairid,
d’éirigh le Seirbhísí Gaeilge an Aontais
foireann iomlán a chur le chéile in am do
thús na bliana 2022. D’éirigh thar barr leo
sa chéad bhliain sin den chomhstádas, agus
an obair chéanna á láimhseáil acu agus a
rinne na seirbhísí teanga eile. Mar ghné
den neartú foirne, bhunaigh an Coimisiún
fo-aonad aistriúcháin ar an nGráinseach i
gContae na Mí. Thart ar 180 duine ar fad
atá ag obair leis na Seirbhísí Gaeilge. Aist-
ritheoirí is ea a bhformhór, ach freisin tá
cúntóirí ann, profléitheoirí, ateangairí,
dlítheangeolaithe, agus bainisteoirí. Tá a
bhformhór ag obair sa Bhruiséil, agus thart
ar 70 i Lucsamburg agus 12 i gContae na
Mí.
Tá córas teanga an AE dírithe ar chu-
marsáid le saoránaigh. Cuirtear faisnéis
faoi réimse leathan ábhar in iúl do shaorán-
aigh i dteanga a thuigeann siad. Pléann
suíomh gréasáin Pharlaimint na hEorpa,
mar shampla, le saincheisteanna sóisialta,
polaitiúla, reachtúla, slándála agus comh-
shaoil, le scéalta nuachta agus físeáin suas
chun dáta, trí mheán na Gaeilge – acm-
hainn luachmhar do dhaltaí meánscoile
agus ollscoile. Freagraítear comhfhrea-
gras i dteanga an chomhfhreagrais. Glac-
tar le reachtaíocht i ngach ceann de na tean-
gacha oifigiúla: mar thoradh air sin, bíonn
sé níos éasca ag an Rialtas treoracha ón AE
a thrasuí sa dlí Éireannach ar bhealach a léi-
ríonn meas ar stádas na Gaeilge sa Bhun-
reacht, mar go dtagann na treoracha sin
chugainn i leaganacha Gaeilge agus Béar-
la.
Ó ainmníodh an Ghaeilge mar theanga
oifigiúil agus oibre den AE sa bhliain 2005,
tá réabhlóid tarlaithe i gcás na teanga féin.
Ní hamháin gur ardaíodh a stádas náisiún-
ta agus idirnáisiúnta, agus gur aithníodh í
mar theanga amháin den dá theanga atá ri-
achtanach chun post d’aon chineál leis an
AE a fháil, ach chuir an stádas nua go mór
le féidearthachtaí na teanga féin, agus lena
cumas, mar theanga chomhaimseartha Eo-
rpach, dul i ngleic le saincheisteanna casta.
Cuireadh cúrsaí nua aistriúcháin agus ate-
angaireachta ar bun. Tharla forbairtí éach-
tacha i gcúrsaí téarmaíochta, go háirithe
§ Léirsiú ag Dáil Éireann i mBaile Átha
Cliath sa bhliain 2004 mar chuid den
fheachtas chun stádas mar theanga
oifigiúil agus oibre den Aontas Eorpach a
bhaint amach don Ghaeilge.
mar thoradh ar an tionscadal GA/IATE,
faoi stiúir Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge in
Ollscoil CBÁC, i gcomhar leis an AE, agus á
mhaoiniú ag Rialtas na hÉireann. Faoi lár
2021, bhí breis is 70 míle iontráil so-
láthraithe don bhunachar Eorpach. Tá
ailíniú déanta ar théacsanna reachtúla mar
thoradh ar chomhoibriú idir Éire agus an
Coimisiún. Agus le blianta beaga anuas, tá
inneall meaisínaistriúcháin Gaeilge á fhor-
bairt mar chuid de chóras eTranslation an
Choimisiúin. Leis an gcóras sin, is féidir
doiciméad a aistriú go huathoibríoch ó aon
cheann de na 24 theanga oifigiúla go haon
cheann eile, an Ghaeilge san áireamh. Tá
breis is 9 milliún mír Ghaeilge ar fáil sa
chóras. Beidh gá i gcónaí le haistritheoirí,
ach tá suaitheadh an nua buailte linn sna
cúrsaí seo.
Trí chéile, is scéal dearfach atá le hinsint
againn maidir le stádas na Gaeilge agus 50
bliain de rannpháirtíocht san Aontas Eor-
pach á cheiliúradh againn.
*Is socheolaí é an Dr Ó Laighin. Foil-
síodh an leabhar is déanaí uaidh, Pobal na
Gaeilge: Daonra, Institiúidí, Stádas, agus
Cumhacht, sa bhliain 2022.

GAA clubs
booming
across Europe
There are around 106 GAA clubs
throughout Europe and the number is
growing at an unprecedented rate,
writes Paul Keane
T
hey’re trying to make a camogie
player of Maeve Killen in Berlin
but she is not sure how that will
pan out.
“It’s difficult for a Dub with a
passion for football,” smiles the Ber-
lin-based Department of Foreign Affairs of-
ficial whose love of the big ball game was in-
culcated at the St Sylvesters club in Mala-
hide. She has played with both Berlin GAA
and Stockholm Gaels.
Truth be told, they will probably twist
her arm just enough to relent because
while the sport itself is important, it’s all
about the connection and the camaraderie
when playing so far from home.
There are around 5,000 others beyond
Ireland and Great Britain, scattered
throughout Europe and playing Gaelic foot-
ball, hurling and camogie. There are even
five rounders clubs.
Gaelic Games Europe, an official arm of
the GAA, caters for 106 clubs in all with
around 95 of those located in the EU prop-
er. From Oulu in Finland, about 100 miles
south of the Arctic Circle, to Bucharest
Gaels in Romania, to the Azur Gaels club
on the French Riviera to the Portugal club
in Lisbon, there is hardly a corner of the
continent that the GAA hasn’t taken up
some form of residence in.
What began initially when five clubs got
together in 1999 to form the European
county board is now expanding at a rate of
eight new clubs per year.
“There wouldn’t be any other GAA unit
in the world experiencing that sort of
growth,” says Tony Bass, another Dubliner
from the Cuala club who moved to the Neth-
erlands almost 20 years ago.
In that period, he has been European sec-
retary for a decade and chairman for three.
He has refereed games in around 70 differ-
ent cities too and understands what is driv-
ing the growth – free movement.
“First of all, there’s a lot more Irish peo-
ple finding their way to more diverse parts
of Europe, primarily through the free
movement within the EU,” says Bass, one
of the founders of Maastricht Gaels who
have a full size all-weather GAA pitch.
“The other thing which has been very sig-
nificant for us over the years is the Eras-
mus programme in universities which has
actually been one of the most successful
things in the European Union.”
A more recent phenomenon, linked to
the cost of living crisis in Ireland, is that
many students now choose to complete full
degree courses in cheaper areas of Europe.
“We have three or four here in Maas-
tricht doing full bachelor’s degree pro-
grammes,” says Bass. “Then we’d have
clubs in Warsaw and Budapest, and there’s
a new one just coming onstream in Bydgo-
szcz, and those would be almost 100 per
cent comprised of Irish students. A big pile
are doing veterinary studies in Warsaw,
there are a lot of physiotherapy students in
Groningen, and so on.
“EU rules mean that when they go to
these countries, they have to be treated the
same as any local, so they pay the same
fees, which are obviously a lot cheaper in
the likes of Poland and Hungary. It’s cheap-
er to live there too, so many students are
taking up this option.”
The continent was regionalised for GAA
purposes in 2006 into Benelux, East and
Central, Iberia, North West and Nordic,
vastly reducing the amount of travel re-
quired to the various tournaments which
gather teams together each season. A com-
petitive game could still involve crossing a
number of international borders though.
GAA
§ The Azur Gaels club on the French
Riviera. Inset: Maeve Killen
Last Autumn, for example, Killen and
her Berlin GAA colleagues jumped on a
train for a tournament in Zurich, about
850kms away.
Perhaps surprisingly, around half of
those playing Gaelic Games across Europe
are non-Irish. Darmstadt GAA in Germany
is a case in point, founded in 2014 by Jakob
Feldmann who fell in love with hurling
while on a secondary school placement in
Carlow.
Former GAA president Sean Kelly, a
member of the European Parliament for
Ireland South, has a similar story.
“I had a girl working for me, Jelena Rada-
kovic, she’s from Serbia but she came to
Brussels and got involved in camogie and
football and became very, very good at
them,” says Kelly, who is honorary presi-
dent of Belgium GAA.
“She actually became secretary of the
club and got very involved in it all.”
Many games in Europe are played on
an 11-a-side basis, on soccer or rugby
pitches, though 10 clubs entered last sea-
son’s 15-a-side men’s football champion-
ship.
Amsterdam won it and qualified for
the AIB Leinster club junior football
championship, losing out narrowly to
Laragh of Wicklow in a cracking encoun-
ter in October.
“In the ladies, we play off against Britain
for an All-Ireland junior quarter-final
spot,” adds Bass.
Youth sections are popping up all the
time and Killen reports a thriving one at
the nearby Setanta Berlin GAA.
“A full European championship, country
versus country, is something I think that
should be a long-term project,” suggests
Kelly. “It could have many fantastic bene-
fits.”
January 27, 2023 11
 SOCIAL CHANGE
EU brought
about ‘rapid
and profound’
social change
in Ireland
Academics, lobbyists and positive
change advocates speak to
Rita de Brún about the EU’s impact
on societal change in Ireland
I
n considering the impact of the Euro-
pean Union on social change in Ire-
land, it helps to remember Ireland as
it was, immediately before our acces-
sion in January 1973.
1972 was the year when Muhammad Ali
– he who could float like a butterfly and
sting like a bee – boxed at Croke Park. The
year when Pelé kicked for delighted
crowds at Dalymount Park. The year of
Bloody Sunday.
Socially, this was a time when Bartley
Dunne’s was one of the few gathering plac-
es in Ireland where LGBT+ people would
meet. A public house for sure, but also a sa-
cred, if secret-shadowed place. So much so,
that it was also a popular meeting place for
heterosexuals conducting clandestine af-
fairs. These were dark times when it wasn’t
safe to come out.
Asked about the positive impact of EU
membership on LGBT+ rights in Ireland,
Brian Finnegan, ILGA-Europe’s director
of communications, says “it’s difficult to
quantify”. Then referencing the gains
made by David Norris (without whom ho-
mosexuality might still be a crime in this
country) and Lydia Foy (the trans woman
who fought and won so much for gender
recognition), he points out that their cases
were brought to the European Court of Hu-
12 January 27, 2023
man Rights, (ECHR) which is not part of
the EU.
Of the Norris and Foy victories he says:
“The seeds for these, along with the 2015
constitutional recognition of same-sex mar-
riage, were planted when Ireland acceded
to the EU.” This, he says, showed that Irish
core values were aligned with those of the
EU in terms of dignity, equality and free-
dom.
“This is not to say that Ireland is an
LGBT utopia,” he continues. “We may
have gender recognition but access to
healthcare for trans people remains woeful-
ly lacking.”
Although there are shortcomings, we’ve
gained much from our EU membership.
Imelda Maher, Sutherland European law
professor at UCD, puts it this way: “The sin-
gle market has transformed our lives: from
what we eat to where we work, holiday and
study.”
Describing the EU’s impact on Irish so-
cial policy, Liam Herrick, executive direc-
tor at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties
(ICCL) says: “It was slow at first, through
the 1970s and ‘80s, but rapid and profound
in more recent decades.”
He says the development of EU equality
law alongside decisions from the ECHR
has had an enormous effect in advancing
both minority and women’s rights. “It is dif-
ficult to overstate how increased travel and
study on the continent and participation in
the EU institutions has shifted the mindset
of Irish policymakers and lawyers away
from the Anglo-American frame of refer-
ence that was dominant before accession.”
Travel
Since 1973, lockdowns aside, travelling
freely to and living in other member states
has become a normality. ‘Freely’ is an accu-
rate description here. But it describes only
part of the journeying, resettling and re-
turning that has become commonplace.
The increased affordability of travel is also
key, and for this – eco-consequences aside –
Ryanair played its part.
Dr Laura Bambrick believes that women
workers, “particularly married women”,
have been the biggest beneficiaries of our
EU membership. As head of social policy
and employment affairs at the Irish Con-
gress of Trade Unions she is well versed on
the topic.
She says that before Ireland joined the
EU it was standard for a woman to be paid a
lower rate of pay than a man doing the
same work and she lost her job if she mar-
ried. “Her PRSI record was closed and she
had no entitlement to social welfare. Her
husband was now her insurance against
hardship. If she continued working after
marrying, she was only hired on temporary
contracts. She could be sacked for being
pregnant and had no right to return to her
job after maternity leave.”
Dr Margaret Fine-Davis of the depart-
ment of sociology at Trinity College Dub-
lin, and author of Women and Work in Ire-
 § Left: Women on the platfrom of Connolly Station, Dublin in 1971 prior to taking
the train to Belfast to buy contraceptives, which were illegal in the Republic in the
1970s and 1980s. Lydia Foy (above) and David Norris (below) brought their cases on
gender recognition and homosexuality to the European Court of Human Rights.
PHOTOGRAPHS: THE IRISH TIMES AND FRANK MILLER

land: A Half-Century of Attitude and Policy
Change, says Ireland joining the EU gave
additional impetus to the changes already
in train. These include “the removal of the
marriage bar, married women’s increasing
labour-force participation and the begin-
ning of pressure for change in contracep-
tion. It did this through EU directives on
equal pay [1975] and equal employment op-
portunity [1977].”
EU membership exposed Ireland to new
models and ways of thinking, says Dr
Fine-Davis, “notably from the Scandinavi-
an countries but also the French childcare
system”.
“Our married female labour force partic-
ipation rose from 7 per cent in 1971 to over
50 per cent in the following decades,” she
says “and our total fertility rate went from
four children per woman to two. But our
childcare infrastructure failed to adapt to
these changes and it is only in recent years
that it is beginning to catch up at an increas-
ing pace.”
Noting that “EU employment equality
law ended all this,” Dr Bambrick says:
“Irish women workers continue today to
win rights from the EU. Improved family
and carers’ leave, flexible working and the
living wage introduced by the Government
in 2022 all originate from EU legislation.”
Women remaining active in the labour
force and the availability of contraception
brought a tendency towards smaller family
units. In the year we joined the EU, only
3.15 per cent of registered births were out-
side of marriage. In the first quarter of
2022, 43.6 per cent were outside
marriage/civil partnership.
Higher-education enrolment in this
country has exploded in the five decades,
growing from 27,000 in 1973 to 246,299 in
2021, thanks in part to EU support through
the European Social Fund. Also, Erasmus+
programmes have resulted in many stu-
dents finding their freedom and their feet
studying abroad.
EU membership is bringing positive
changes,butmoreareneededandfast.Pover-
ty and social exclusion are still very much
with us. EU research shows that in 2021, 21.7
per cent of the EU population was at risk of
both. That figure was 29.7 per cent for those
aged 16 and over with a disability, compared
with 18.8 per cent for those without.
According to Pavee Point, the suicide
rate among Traveller men and women is,
respectively, seven and five times that of
the general population.
While EU membership has brought so-
cial gains on many fronts, it has also
brought obligations. Liam Herrick of the
ICCL puts it this way: “As a stable liberal de-
mocracy, Ireland should now take on a
greater leadership role within the EU, in
standing up for democratic values and the
rule of law at a time when many members
are moving in the direction of authoritari-
anism.”
Asked about her EU hopes for the fu-
ture, Prof Maher says: “Post-Covid, we now
have the five-year EU recovery plan, Next-
GenEU, which shows a different path from
the sometimes vicious austerities of the fis-
cal crisis. My hope is that this vast fund is
spent wisely in line with the EU values that
we share and of which we must remain vigi-
lant in these uncertain times: human digni-
ty, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule
of law and respect for human rights.”

January 27, 2023 13

 YOUTH
Young people are greatest
beneficiaries of EU membership
Children born today have hugely different expectations
of life than those born before 1973, says Minister of
State for European Affairs and Defence, Peter Burke
F
ifty years ago, in 1973, Ireland vot-
ed to make a leap of faith and join
the European Union. In the de-
bate leading up to this decision,
there were plenty of people who
worried what joining would mean for our
future.
And, when you look back and imagine
their perspective, you can understand why
this may have been. You can also under-
stand why those who voted to join – 83 per
cent – could never have dreamed that our
decision to join would, over the next 50
years, work out so well.
But the group that probably benefited
most directly from membership were the
young people of the time. All of a sudden
they could travel, work and live in any oth-
er member state. It was a radical change in
the range of opportunities available to
them.
And today, I think young people are prob-
ably still those who continue to benefit
most from our union. Thanks to EU mem-
bership, young people today can travel
without visas; when they are inter-railing
through the Schengen zone, they don’t
have to worry about borders. Nor do they
have to worry about roaming, or expensive
data or network charges on their phones
and devices.
And today, instead of having the possibili-
ty of living and working in eight other coun-
tries, they can now live or work in 27 other
countries. Children born today have re-
markably different expectations of life
than those born before 1973 and an under-
standing that they can pursue opportuni-
ties in a variety of places, experiencing dif-
ferent cultures and ways of life.
During third level, many experience
what is often a genuinely life-changing ex-
perience through the Erasmus Plus pro-
gramme. For some it is the first real chance
to use the foreign language they studied for
the Leaving Certificate or in college and for
most it is the first time they leave home to
live abroad, discovering all the possibility
and promise this involves.
And I am certain that our young people
14 January 27, 2023
can see the value of being part of a union of
27 countries in order to better tackle the
big challenges of today’s world.
That’s why, as part of the Government’s
EU50 programme, celebrating our 50
years in the EU, together with European
Movement Ireland, we launched the
MyEU50 competition (https://www.euro-
peanmovement.ie/myeu50/). To ask our
young people to think about their Europe-
an Union.
The primary and post-primary version of
the competition wrapped up before Christ-
mas, but not before 5,000 students from
across Ireland had their say on what the EU
means to them. Soon we will be launching
the third-level education part of the compe-
tition. This one will focus on creativity and
debate – students will be invited to make
their submissions through podcasts,
speeches, op-eds or posters.
We’re not being too prescriptive – stu-
dents are free to let their inspiration run
wild and I am excited to see what they come
up with! So, if you’ve been on Erasmus, or
travelled through Europe or have any opin-
ion at all on the EU then I’d really encour-
age you to get involved.
And for those interested in shaping Ire-
land’s future and that of the wider Europe-
an Union, I also encourage you to think
about working for the EU.
Over the past 50 years, Irish people work-
ing across Brussels, Strasbourg and Lux-
embourg have hugely contributed to the
work and the voice of the EU across all its di-
mensions. It is so important to continue
this legacy and to ensure a strong Irish pres-
ence in the EU institutions for the future.
Our young people can play a central role
to improve the lives of future generations
and build on the progress made, so that the
young people who come after them have
even more opportunities in life and in Eu-
rope. So whether it’s law, policy, transla-
tion, IT, engineering or many more disci-
plines, I encourage all graduates to think
about a career in the EU. § Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Peter Burke: “I am certain that
For more information, get in touch with our young people can see the value of being part of a union of 27 countries in order to
us at www.dfa.ie/eujobs. better tackle the big challenges of today’s world.”

The neutrality
question
The trickiest issue for Ireland has
consistently been participation in
European security and defence policy,
writes Deaglán de Bréadún
F
ifty years on how has European
Union membership impacted Ire-
land’s foreign policy and global
reach? Emeritus Professor Brig-
id Laffan of the European Univer-
sity Institute believes that, by and large, it
has greatly enhanced our footprint in the
world since the EU is a significant global ac-
tor and as a member state Ireland has a call-
ing-card in that respect.
Speaking in broad political terms, she de-
scribes Ireland’s foreign-policy profile as
that of “a small northern European state –
akin to the Dutch, Danes, Finns, Norwe-
gians and Swedes”, with particular impor-
tance given to values, especially human
rights and conflict resolution, and she adds
that “there is always an emphasis on Ire-
land’s strong contribution to peace-keep-
ing”.
On the security front Prof Laffan points
out that protocols were added to both the
Nice and Lisbon treaties to say that noth-
ing in the EU would have an impact on Ire-
land’s policy of military neutrality. Howev-
er, this has not prevented Ireland from par-
ticipating in missions led by the EU and the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
(Nato).
She continues: “How Ireland will re-
spond to future developments in this area
remains unclear, and it is also uncertain
where the EU goes from here in relation to
defence. There is and will continue to be
pressure on the EU to complement and sup-
port the development of a European pillar
of Nato, and Nato-EU relations will
strengthen further.”
Critics have long suggested that Irish mil-
itary neutrality has been weakened in an
EU context, most recently in relation to
Ukraine. However, Brigadier General Ger
Aherne (retired), who commanded the EU
Military Training Mission to Somalia in
2013/14, points out that we have not partici-
pated in the actual military campaign by
Ukraine against Russian forces. “To date it
has been only financial, non-lethal equip-
ment and supplies, and an offer of military
training in the future.” He notes that this is
in line with the programme for govern-
ment agreed in 2020 between Fianna Fáil,
Fine Gael and the Greens.
Looking at the broader picture, he says:
“There will never be an EU army within its
conventional meaning. Member states
would never allow it, most particularly in
terms of the EU having an independent,
standalone, full-spectrum intelligence ca-
pability, an essential requirement for such
a force. There will be enhanced EU mili-
tary cooperation, but never an EU army.
“Ireland’s EU military deployments are
An Irish peace-keeping soldier from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. ‘EU development programmes reinforce
significantly the contribution we are making on our own behalf to the achievement of a more equal, peaceful and
sustainable world.’ PHOTOGRAPH: SCOTT PETERSON/LIAISON
limited more by financial issues rather
than policy. Because of the EU’s ”‘Costs Lie
Where They Fall” Athena Process budget
model, each member state is fully liable for
its contingents’ costs. In the EU mission in
Chad, in 2007/08, one year’s deployment
of 450 Defence Forces personnel cost the
Irish Exchequer ¤59 million. As for UN mil-
itary deployments, these are at worst
cost-neutral, and normally cost-positive to
Ireland’s Exchequer.”
Former diplomat Rory Montgomery,
who served as Ireland’s permanent repre-
sentative to the EU from 2009 to 2013,
said: “In the 50 years since 1973 the EU’s
foreign policy role has steadily increased.
The focus of Irish diplomacy (apart from
when we’re on the United Nations Security
Council) moved away substantially from
the UN to the EU, from accession onwards.
“However, notwithstanding the expan-
sion of the EU’s ambitions and structures,
its foreign policy record has been patchy
and below expectations (with the huge ex-
ception of Ukraine).
“The largest member states often prefer
to act in small groups (eg, on Iran and Bos-
nia) and divisions among member states
can lead to lowest common denominator
policies.
“The trickiest issue for Ireland has con-
sistently been participation in European se-
curity and defence policy. So far we’ve man-
aged to balance three considerations in
treaty negotiations and day-to-day: not
blocking those who wish to progress, main-
taining our own red lines and keeping open
the option of joining in specific missions.
“The question is, how far will the
NEUTRALITY
Ukraine experience accelerate a push for
an autonomous European defence capaci-
ty, which could pose serious challenges for
us. However, people have been crying wolf
for decades.”
On EU membership in general, former
political director at the Department of For-
eign Affairs, David Donoghue, says Ireland
has always recognised that its interests and
values would be best served as part of a un-
ion of 450 million people rather than stand-
ing on its own.
“EU membership over the past 50 years
has significantly enhanced our ability to
pursue our foreign policy objectives, in-
cluding global peace and security, the pro-
tection of human rights and the rule of law,
international development and disarma-
ment and nuclear non-proliferation.
“Ireland’s role in helping to shape the
EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy
has enabled us to promote our values in a
much broader framework and to make a
distinctive contribution to Europe’s exter-
nal engagement. We have been able to
punch well above our weight as a small is-
land nation, using our EU and CFSP mem-
bership to acquire influence over key glob-
al agendas and achieve an international im-
pact which would have been unimaginable
prior to accession.”
Donoghue, who has also served as head
of the Irish Aid programme and ambassa-
dor to the United Nations, continues: “EU
development programmes reinforce signif-
icantly the contribution we are making on
our own behalf to the achievement of a
more equal, peaceful and sustainable
world.”
January 27, 2023 15