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President of Ireland

Today marks 70 years since Ireland became a republic

This meant that Ireland left the Commonwealth, and formally ended the statutory role of the British monarchy in Ireland.

IT’S BEEN 70 years since Ireland officially became a republic.

After the divisive Anglo-Irish Treaty was adopted in 1922, what’s now known as ‘Ireland’ was a 26-county Irish Free State. Bunreacht na hÉireann, or the Irish constitution, was then ratified by the Irish people in 1937, which is remains as the fundamental law of the State, and can only be altered by referendums.

At midnight on 18 April 1949, Easter Monday, Ireland officially became a Republic and left the Commonwealth. At the time, a declaration of a republic ended Commonwealth membership, a rule that was changed afterwards.

“On this day in 1949, the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, signed into law by President Seán T Ó Ceallaigh on 21 December 1948, came into force, formally ending the statutory role of the British monarchy in Ireland,” the President of Ireland Twitter account said.

An article from the Irish Times from that day, which describes 21-gun salutes fired from O’Connell Bridge in Dublin, among other celebrations, can be read here.

Ireland became a member of the UN in 1955, and joined the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the EU, in 1973, the same year the United Kingdom joined. 

The UK government referred to the country as the “Republic of Ireland” until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, where it used its official, legal name “Ireland”. 

Tweet by @Sen. Neale Richmond Sen. Neale Richmond / Twitter Sen. Neale Richmond / Twitter / Twitter

When asked on Newstalk Breakfast whether Ireland has been a successful republic, Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said “yes, we have”.

He said there were still challenges to be solved, including children living in hotels as their home, and the challenges in the health service.

“If we look at the overall span of history, we’ve gone from exporting our people to exporting our ideals and our values,” Donohoe said.

He said that Ireland should acknowledge that progress has been made, as well as facing the challenges that remain.

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93 Comments
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    Mute pete
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    Apr 18th 2019, 8:59 AM

    Not a republic anymore! EU vassal state…

    245
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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:01 AM

    @pete: Go back to Russia!

    311
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    Mute pete
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:14 AM

    @Ricky Spanish: What a very intelligent response!

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    Mute Mushy Peas
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:25 AM

    @pete: by dismissing you with such a childish remark he doesn’t have to contend with the arguments and realities.

    38
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    Mute John Kelly
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:30 AM

    @pete: jaysus Pete what a pile of rubbish .. point me out the eu dictator who is ruler for life .. point out all the negatives if being a member of the biggest free trading block in the world …

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    Mute Philip Kavanagh
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:34 AM

    @Mushy Peas: What arguments? What realities? Pete made an over the top, melodramatic comment. It deserved to be met with derision.

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:36 AM

    @pete: Could you any more predictable Comrade? Wakey, wakey, it’s 2019.

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    Mute Mushy Peas
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:37 AM

    @John Kelly: well for starters he never mentioned a dictator, you did, so stop trying to expand the argument by indicating one thing means another thing.

    Germany appears to now be the ruler for life, if you want us to point to one.

    Negatives? For starters the currency has been a managed disaster and Dáil Éireann is no longer fully capable of implementing legislation to suit Irish needs. That is the whole point of a democracy.

    A free trading block does not need to be a political union, which is what the EU is. Let’s define it properly when making arguments.

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    Mute Mushy Peas
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:41 AM

    @Philip Kavanagh: what arguments??… If you can’t identify that there is just reason and logic behind Euroscepticism then I can’t argue with you.

    Have you noticed the third “biggest” member is attempting to leave the EU?

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:42 AM

    @pete: Like we were ever able for it. State of us.

    7
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    Mute pete
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:54 AM

    @John Kelly: I don’t recall dictators or free trading block being mentioned etc…. But the good thing here is “facts don’t care about your feelings”. If you read over the post its very transparent.

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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:16 AM

    @Mushy Peas: the realities are that the EU has benefitted Ireland tremendously since we joined. Our country has been transformed.
    More generally the EU is a unique institution in world history where countries have chosen to come together, integrate their economies and regulations for he benefit of all its citizens. There is truly nothing like it and while it’s not perfect by any means it is something we should be proud of.
    Thats the reality.

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:28 AM

    @Mushy Peas: Pete’s remark was as dumb as phook. It deserves nothing but ridicule.

    19
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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:32 AM

    @Mushy Peas: Have you any idea what you’re talking about? Have you any idea why the “third biggest” nation is leaving the EU? Have you totally swallowed the nationalistic book of yesteryears fairytales? Are you a skinhead? :-)

    17
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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:48 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: ehh because they voted on a bunch of lies??

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    Mute Mushy Peas
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:05 AM

    @Ricky Spanish: Ireland has probably been the most beneficial member. I fully agree and don’t deny it, and I’m not advocating that we should leave the EU (as the current political landscape lies).

    However, I am just accepting what it is. You don’t seem to accept what it is and the negatives of the EU.

    The integration of economies is a noble idea but has an serious flaws that need to be addressed.

    4
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    Mute pete
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:08 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: Highly knowledgeable sophisticated authority on worldly affairs aparently! Proceed with caution deeply opinionated! Conflates a number of different economic, political, and social issues. Resorts to name calling when challenged. Beware. If you don’t agree you could be called a skin head.

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:12 AM

    @GerryCummins: Exactly. Because they swallowed the nationalistic book of bullshit.

    7
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    Mute Mushy Peas
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:14 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: I think I know what I’m talking about (through my opinion), but others can make up their own minds up.

    I’m not a nationalist for the record, but I believe in the idea of the nation state, and its ability to determine its own legislation based on democratic principles. The very same democratic principles that enabled an Irish government to join the EEC.

    But with these principles comes responsibility.

    Do I have any idea why the UK is leaving? I think so, and it’s nothing to do with a bus in 2016; my view is seen through a fisheye lens back to before Maastricht and the ERM catastrophe.

    Why do you think they are leaving?

    7
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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:17 AM

    @pete: Cheers. You’ve just described yourself perfectly. Although you left out the words ‘die hard living in the past nationalist’.

    4
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    Mute Dan Jacobson
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:24 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: y

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    Mute Dan Jacobson
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:25 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: are you referring to the article and separation from the Commonwealth?

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:35 AM

    @Mushy Peas: They’re leaving because the majority swallowed lies from Ukip, Nationalists, Fear inducers, pub knowalls and Eurohaters. They’re leaving because many are racists and bigots. They’re leaving because many actually didn’t understand the question and decided change might bring happiness ever after. They’re leaving because of blind ignorance. They’re leaving because they still believe they should ‘rule the waves’.
    See any parallels?

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    Mute Mushy Peas
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    Apr 18th 2019, 12:00 PM

    @TellingItAsItIs: I wrote a reply but it appears not to have registered and it was too long to redo.

    2
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    Mute Mushy Peas
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    Apr 18th 2019, 12:01 PM

    @TellingItAsItIs: so exactly like the people who voted No to Lisbon at first attempt?

    4
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    Mute Fiachra Ó Raghallaigh
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    Apr 18th 2019, 12:10 PM

    @pete: We’re the EU member state, the UK is soon to be the EU vassal state.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Apr 18th 2019, 12:17 PM

    @Mushy Peas: So you won’t point out what your problem is beyond “but brexit” ? We have to guess what you’re on about, and if we guess wrong then we are sheeple or brainwashed by the evil Germans ?

    5
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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 12:22 PM

    @Mushy Peas: Forget Lisbon. Keep up with the conversation and don’t go all nationalistic on us again.

    4
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    Mute Hydro Tendon Man
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    Apr 18th 2019, 1:23 PM

    @pete: We were a sod of turf before joining the EU, get a hold of yourself.

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    Mute LARRY SNEEG
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:59 PM

    @Ricky Spanish: yes because you took out more than you paid in,

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    Mute LARRY SNEEG
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    Apr 18th 2019, 3:00 PM

    @TellingItAsItIs: what a load of cock

    1
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    Mute Brendan McCaffrey
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    Apr 18th 2019, 4:58 PM

    @pete: f f sake.

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 7:12 PM

    @LARRY SNEEG: Nice one leisure suit Larry. Pure prose.

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    Mute Valthebear
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    Apr 19th 2019, 8:06 AM

    @Ricky Spanish: except it is isn’t. The free trade opportunities offered by the EEC certainly helped. But a lot of this was happening anyway via the likes of GATT and the WTO. Social change was always going to occur anyway. Remember we gave away so much to secure EU membership. Debate now needs to be about what EU will become post Brexit. What’s going to happen to our tax rate, PESCO etc. We need a mature debate without the silly ‘Russian’ jibes

    1
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    Mute Cal Mooney
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:02 AM

    Today we have FF and FG fumbling in their greasy tills. Was it this that the brave men laid down their lives in 1916? Over 3,500 children homeless and nothing constructive being done about it. People suffering heart attacks waiting on ambulances for over an hour and dieing unnecessary due to the crumbling health service, while people who can afford it get the best drugs to treat their illnesses, while those who can’t afford it suffer unnecessarily.

    186
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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:10 AM

    @Cal Mooney: Yes like every other country this is not a utopia but it’s better than most in the world.

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    Mute Michael Nolan
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:28 AM

    @Cal Mooney: fg does what it says on the tin I blame FF for giving the the power to trample all over the irish Republic …when it’s election time il be waiting with baited breath at the front door for FF to call as for fg I always just shut the door in there face

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:46 AM

    @Cal Mooney: and transport, insurance, etc. we fall over nearly every hurdle. A small underpopulated island barely managing to make life better for themselves, through generations of short sighted decision making.

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    Mute Jake Kelly
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:23 AM

    @Cal Mooney: it could be worse, we have some freedoms that were beyond the minds of those in 1916 like divorce and same sex marriage and a greater divide between church and state than we had even 30 years ago. Ireland isn’t perfect and there’s a lot that could be improved but compare our complaints of a underfunded health service with those of other nations of the world like Syria or a lot of African countries where they barely even have hospitals. Our health service may be failing but at least we can go to the hospital without fear of the place getting blown up and at least a lot of us can still afford at least the basics of food and water. Life can always always be worse

    23
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    Mute owen kirwan
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    Apr 18th 2019, 6:15 PM

    @Cal Mooney: do you ever get tired of the same FF/FG cr@p it gets boring

    1
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    Mute Elizabeth Hourihane
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:05 AM

    And what a mess we made of it all.

    95
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    Mute John Kelly
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:31 AM

    @Elizabeth Hourihane: no we have not
    . Ongoing issues for sure .. but the amount of opportunities available for my children is incredible …

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    Mute Michael Nolan
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:37 AM

    @Elizabeth Hourihane: we didn’t fail it the politicians fail us with their mock War of FF v fg for 50 years and labour doing a lanagans ball… they wer just taking turns holding the wip while they and the friends got fat off the land…

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    Mute Joe Bloggs 1980
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:38 AM

    @Elizabeth Hourihane: seriously!?!?

    We ranked 4th in the UN’s Quality of Life survey https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/ireland-ranked-fourth-in-the-world-for-living-conditions-un-report-finds-1.3629707%3fmode=amp

    and we also ranked as one of the top countries in the world in the OECD Better Life Index – http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/ireland/

    The worlds a pretty messed up place, so while it’s not perfect and certainly there are problems here, relatively speaking is absolutely fantastic!!!

    We have gone from one of the poorest counties in Europe to one of the wealthiest in the world in that timeframe

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:00 AM

    @Joe Bloggs 1980: Basically the only time we were winning was 90′s to 08, outside that, in our entire history we’ve been crap. (a lot of that wasn’t exactly by choice) in the time since the republic perhaps yes we’ve all become much wealthier but we’ve really got nothing to show for it, which is sad. It’s more important to have 2 diesel cars than say a high-speed electric train and thats the psychology of the people, “my shiny”.

    8
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    Mute Seamus Murphy
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:07 AM

    @Elizabeth Hourihane: I still reckon most of us would rather be here than in the U.K. at the moment

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    Mute Seamus Murphy
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:08 AM

    @thesaltyurchin: you obviously aren’t old enough to remember the 60s

    5
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    Mute Joe Bloggs 1980
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:09 AM

    @thesaltyurchin: n

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    Mute Joe Bloggs 1980
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:11 AM

    @thesaltyurchin: nothing to show for it?

    Have you ever been out side of the top 10% of countries in the world? Then you will realise how good we have it

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:25 PM

    @Joe Bloggs 1980: The trick is to compare yourself to the best and aim for the same heights. Yes and you are right, we have manage to crawl out of our past but we could have been building along the way, we’re still only beginning to plan further than the end of our noses and that’s proving impossible too! The shoulder shrugging, defeatist, nihilist, Irish attitude is so frustrating.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Apr 18th 2019, 2:27 PM

    @Seamus Murphy: Nope. Was the country still riddled with train tracks or were they pulled up by then?

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    Mute Joe Bloggs 1980
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    Apr 18th 2019, 4:29 PM

    @thesaltyurchin: certainly agree with that statement – we plan to plan but forget about it somewhere along the way

    1
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    Mute Pseudonym
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:01 AM

    A banana republic

    84
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    Mute Michael Nolan
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:31 AM

    @Pseudonym: was in America a few years ago out for a few drinks with some lads from wall st the night was flowing and when I proudly stated rthat Ireland was a Republic I WAS LAUGHED OUT OF THE PLACE THEY SAID IT WAS RUN BY MAFIA IN SUITS …still hurts to this day thinking about it …I wised up pretty quick after that

    54
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    Mute Pseudonym
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:37 AM

    @John Deed: go back to bed there like a good lad, you’re still drunk

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:41 AM

    @Michael Nolan: The Yanks couldn’t find Ireland on a map. They’ve been educated by Hollywood. cherry picked newspaper headlines and ignorance since birth.

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    Mute Seamus Murphy
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:10 AM

    @Michael Nolan: so you listened to a crowd of mouthy yanks in a bar and it shaped your outlook for life?

    32
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    Mute No One Important
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    Apr 18th 2019, 1:21 PM

    @Pseudonym: leave Ireland ☺

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Apr 18th 2019, 8:09 PM

    @Michael Nolan: are you sure they didn’t ask you where you were from and you gave them Republic of Ireland? The football team? Not the name of our country Ireland or Éire, they may have been right to laugh at you ! As I do at so many fools who think RoI is the country’s name!

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    Mute Jimmy Carroll
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:07 AM

    Ireland 21 century a failed entity to what our freedom fighters fought for

    81
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    Mute John Kelly
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:32 AM

    @Jimmy Carroll: no it’s not… the freedom fighters got their freedom .. what happens after that is like any other democracy on the planet

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    Mute Joe Bloggs 1980
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:54 AM

    @Jimmy Carroll: 4th in the UN’s Quality of Life Survey and one of the top countries in the world in the OECD Better Life Index.

    From one of the poorest countries in Europe to one of the wealthiest in the world within a 70 year period. This country, in spite of its undeniable problems is relative to most of the world, an incredible success storey!

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    Mute Patrick Nolan
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:54 AM

    @Jimmy Carroll:
    We got what we voted for.

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    Mute Jake Kelly
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:28 AM

    @Jimmy Carroll: yes because we failed those who fought so that Ireland could democratically elect its own leaders…. by democratically electing our own leaders. And we’re hardly a failed entity stop with that carry on is there a civil war going on in this country like in Syria?, are we being starved into oblivion like Venezuela? no we are not we’re just a country with problems like every other nation on Earth let’s stop acting like we’re the only ones with flaws

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    Mute Bill Clay
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:06 AM

    Republic- the abuse of power for personal gain by fffg, the mockery of democracy for 70 years.

    And yet they still get voted in – go figure..

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    Mute Clifford Brennan
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:09 AM

    @Bill Clay: Democracy makes a mockery of democracy?

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    Mute Yorkie1892
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:21 AM

    Should be more importance about this date! It’s a big day in Irish history! Would like more events about it. Or a holiday ;)

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    Mute james r
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:35 AM

    Corrupt corporate governance dictatorship. Ireland 2019

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    Mute Renton Burke
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    Apr 18th 2019, 8:59 AM

    remember… a republic called Ireland. nothing else.

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Apr 18th 2019, 8:05 PM

    @Renton Burke: not per the Constitution! Ireland or Éire!

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    Mute Melanie Tournier
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:50 AM

    Ireland is powerless against a corrupt financial and banking system at all levels including insurance,
    Also the construction sector is still a cesspit of greed,
    Apart from the odd scape goat , the same corrupt bankers and previously bankrupt developers are back in business and benefiting from state funding,
    Maybe in 70 years time things will be different but there’s little signs of that in the horizon,

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:15 AM

    @Melanie Tournier: melanie get a life … it’s called a functioning democracy and capitalism

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    Mute Honeybee
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:38 AM

    I guess Paschal didn’t get to read the reports in to mother and baby homes yet, how the state/religious orders who ran this country managed to lose so many little people ,no records,no history, no graves. How generations of our people were and continue to be failed by this state who promised to cherish us equally,” a successful republic for who” Paschal,I think that is a closed circle. We have yet to see a tribunal establish guilt for the myriad of failures and the follow up to prosecute those at the helm, it is an unjust and unequal society and it is government policy.

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:46 AM

    @Honeybee: and your point is …

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    Mute Angie
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    Apr 18th 2019, 12:36 PM

    70 years and look how far we have become .Proud of my Country

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    Mute Ismise Máire
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:48 AM

    And how would our leaders who died for us in 1916 and who led us to our independence view the fact that we now kill our children in the name of “choice”. We have nothing to be proud of.

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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Apr 18th 2019, 12:51 PM

    @Ismise Máire: Did you watch the footie last night? Great game.

    That’s not going to a replay either…

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    Mute John Flood
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:40 AM

    What a bunch of trolls and begrudgers. I’m proud of what Ireland has become

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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:39 AM

    Banana republic is harsh. I prefer Full Irish Republic, as a salute to our national dish and creative tax policies. Keep the recovery going. I’ll have sauce on my roll, thanks.

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    Mute Pat Kelly
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:51 AM

    Actually the 24th of April is Republic Day. That’s the day it was declared in 1916. 1949, which I also fully support, was a redeclaration.

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    Mute Ryan Heffernan
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    Apr 18th 2019, 10:06 AM

    Up the Republic! TAL

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    Mute Sega Yolo
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:51 AM

    Well we escaped annexation, then we escaped dominion, but we never quite reached Republic, I dont suppose we ever will, but has anyone ever got there?, even the French. Still, its a good aspirational model even if we do need to operate in a collective.

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    Mute Derek Poutch
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    Apr 18th 2019, 1:05 PM

    I am also proud of my country but I am disgusted at the people who have ran this country since independence.

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    Mute Francis Sally
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    Apr 18th 2019, 1:57 PM

    @Derek Poutch: agreed, I love my country from it’s folklore, traditions and language but the incompetence of successive governments even puts that at risk.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:09 AM

    Why a 21 gun salute ,what’s the significance of the 21 bit ?

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    Mute Darragh
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:19 AM

    @FlopFlipU: Had to look it up!

    ‘In the earliest days, seven guns was the recognized British national salute because seven was the standard number of weapons on a vessel. In that day, gunpowder made from sodium nitrate was easier to keep on dry land than at sea. Thus those early regulations stated that although a ship would fire only seven guns, the forts ashore would fire three shots to each one shot afloat, hence the number 21.’

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Apr 18th 2019, 9:36 AM

    @Darragh: O right thank you a lot of things come from old mariner’s like the cat of nine tail’s and gold earing’s and the like’s

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    Mute No One Important
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    Apr 18th 2019, 1:20 PM

    Please shut Down comment section on articles that give a positive light on ireland or any possible positive view.. All your doing is upsetting the self loathers, who just live in misery.. Never wanting to be happy constantly with whataboutery!!!

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    Mute owen kirwan
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    Apr 18th 2019, 6:27 PM

    The HEROS of 1916 didn’t fight for a welfare state they faught for a free Ireland, not a we want EVERYTHING free Ireland.
    Go into the streets and ask how many of them even know when we became a republic, I’d Imagine you’d be disappointed with the results. Were not perfect but we are only 70 years a republic and an independent country since 1922

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    Mute Adrian
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:31 AM

    Its a bit shameful to be honest, with the incompetence and wastage of our politicians who are making themselves multi millionaires out of it while effing up practically everything.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:37 AM

    And they’re trying to get rid of john delaney then, saying he’s a disgrace, but they don’t realize how extraordinarily similar they all are to him.

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    Mute Josh Hanners
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    Apr 18th 2019, 3:55 PM

    A republic betrayed by self-serving politicians on the make.

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    Mute Simon Conneely
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    Apr 18th 2019, 11:14 AM

    Anyone born before 1949 in Ireland is named a British subject

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