One country that has really embraced being part of the EU and the whole idea of Europe is that of Ireland. Whilst still closely linked to the United Kingdom in trade and language the Irish have been quick to take on many aspects of the EU’s influence to truly cement the country’s independence as a Republic. It became a republic on the twenty ninth of December in the year nineteen thirty seven after many years of struggle. It had gained a degree of autonomy when it became the Irish Free States in 1916 and was fully ratified and a total Republic by 1949. However the turning point came in 1973 when it joined the European Common Market and began to play a much greater role rather than further links with Westminster.
To begin with the Republic was affected deeply by the OPEC crisis of the late nineteen seventies. It became harder for the successive governments to “balance the books” between spending and borrowing from the public purse.
However with political bargaining and EU assistance by the end of the century the Country had recovered to being a contributor to the EU to the EU budget as opposed to taking from it. Successive Governments had taken on all of the EU regulations and joined the Euro currency systems, removing the Punt, and integrating all of the directives with little comment.
It has also benefited from other EU initiatives such as the City of Culture award and having it’s Tourism greatly boosted as being a place for European visitors to go to. It has also helped greatly with trade allowing the purchase of Mens Aran Sweaters from Shamrock Gift.