British-Irish relations

British-Irish relations is a term traditionally used to describe the diplomatic and governmental relationships between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the two Irish states that have existed since 1922, namely the Irish Free State (1922–1937) and the Republic of Ireland (1937–present).

The usage of the term has been reflected in some legal treaties signed by both states, namely the

* Anglo-Irish Treaty (1922)
* Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985).

Meetings of the British Prime Minister and the Irish Taoiseach are generally referred to as Anglo-Irish Summits.

History

Early history

Due to close proximity to each other there have been relations between British and Irish peoples for millennia. The Romans (who occupied Britain) for instance maintained a trading post near the location of modern Dublin. During the Dark Ages Ireland was critical to the re-Christianisation of Britain.

With the Hiberno-Norman invasions of Ireland the two islands' destinies became ever more entwined and for the majority of the second millennium AD Ireland's relation with England varied between large areas of the island being under direct control to a dangerous threat under strong continental influence. For much of the millennium however English rule was kept to The Dublin Pale with the rest of the island being ruled over by various local rulers and descendants of the original Norman invaders. England's Kings were awarded the Lordship of Ireland by the Papacy in 1171, but the degree of influence and control the English crown exercised in Ireland fluctuated over the centuries. In 1542, The Irish Parliament acceeded to the demand of Henry VIII of England to be declared 'King of Ireland', a title held by his successors on the English, and later the Great British thrones, but with Ireland remaining a separate Kingdom linked to England (and later Scotland) only by a personal union.

United Kingdom

With the Act of Union of 1800, Ireland joined the United Kingdom as its third constituent kingdom. Irish Independence was a fairly major political issue in Britain over the late 19th and early 20th century eventually the third home rule act was passed in 1914 however World War 1 delayed its implementation causing extremist elements in Ireland to take a more violent route to independence resulting in the Irish War of Independence and establshment of the Irish Free State in 1921.

Independent Ireland

Relations at first were shaky with events such as the Anglo-Irish Trade War. Ireland also remianed neutral during World War Two, refusing to allow Britain to use its important territorial ports which were a door to the Atlantic. These events led to a cooling in relations between the two nations and Ireland further stampted its independence when it withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations in 1949. Eventually friendly terms were restored.

The Troubles

Though an independent country for most of the 20th century Ireland remained well under Britain's sphere of influence often following the UK in many enterprises such as EU entry and decimalisation. The Troubles were a major event of this period during which both governments co-operated to combat terrorism.

Modern Era

The late 70s saw the beginning of Ireland's breaking away from British influence. This included Ireland deciding to join the Euro currency even when Britain refused to do so. Whatever Britain did, Ireland did the opposite was the main policy of previous Irish governments for decades after independence. The countries remain close today, however. For a long time, many Irish people had sought some sort of recognition from the British government for the immense loss of life in Ireland during the Famine caused by the Laissez-faire policy of the then British government, it was only when Tony Blair became P.M and apologised to the Irish people, this helped progress the British-Irish relationship to the next stage. The next stage would eventually lead to the Good Friday Agreement, a lasting peace in Northern Ireland and the amelioration of British-Irish relations, with the setting up of the British-Irish Council and North-South Ministerial Council. An estimated 10% or 6 million Britons are of Irish descent. In the Irish Media, the British are portrayed as the closest partner of the Irish within the EU. In 2008 it was reported that the French government were considering proposing that Ireland and the UK share an EU Commisoner because of the "similar culture and language" between the two states. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/2517866/Nicolas-Sarkozy-Britain-and-Ireland-should-share-one-European-Commission-seat.html]

References

See also

* Anglo-Irish
* Irish community in Britain