Earlier Irish Entry in the EEC?

MrHola

Banned
Ireland had in fact applied to the EEC in 1961.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Lemass

"The programme also paved the way for free trade. In 1960 Ireland signed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), a worldwide agreement to reduce tariffs. In 1961 Ireland applied unsuccessfully for membership of the European Economic Community. Ireland's failure to join was said to be Lemass's biggest regret and disappointment as Taoiseach. Ireland eventually joined in 1973,"

I am not certain as to why the Irish entry was turned down (one would have thought that the French would have actively sought to separate Ireland and the UK) but supposing that the EEC had decided to admit Ireland by 1963. Several more million farmers are added under the Common Agriculture Policy. Does it follow that the economic development of Ireland proceeds apace but just a decade earlier? How does this affect the British entry to the EEC? The UK will not be able to proceed with its application until after de Gaulle leaves the stage. When there is a referendum on EEC entry does the fact that Ireland is already a member help or hinder the cause of EEC membership among the British voting public?
 
I dont see Irish membership influencing British public opinion negativly, unless the Irish govt for whatever reason (historical?) opposes British membership loudly.
 
Ireland may now be richer per capita than it is. (currently 5th).

It is generally accepted (in Ireland at least) that the EU is one of the prime factors in the rise of Irish living standards. Everywhere you look as you drive around there's a sign saying "This (facility) 80% funded by the EU".
 
It is generally accepted (in Ireland at least) that the EU is one of the prime factors in the rise of Irish living standards. Everywhere you look as you drive around there's a sign saying "This (facility) 80% funded by the EU".

In the UK the EU is more of an economic drain.
 
It is generally accepted (in Ireland at least) that the EU is one of the prime factors in the rise of Irish living standards. Everywhere you look as you drive around there's a sign saying "This (facility) 80% funded by the EU".

I noticed that too during my class trip to Ireland a while back.

As for de Gaulle not running for a second term: why would he not?
 
It is generally accepted (in Ireland at least) that the EU is one of the prime factors in the rise of Irish living standards. Everywhere you look as you drive around there's a sign saying "This (facility) 80% funded by the EU".


All that lovely Interrag grants and other funding streams-also done a lot of good in Cornwall and parts of Scotland.

I'm not sure but I don't think the EEC/EU started to offer this sort of funding until the 80s so an earlier entry might not really make that much difference.
 
Is the way (some) people in Britain think about the EU really relevant for the question about what would have happened if Ireland joined the EEC in 1961?
I could give you my theory why France didn't want the UK to join, but that would also be completely irrelevant.
 
Ireland was in a cuurency union with the UK until 1979 when Ireland joined the Exchange Rate Mechanism (and effectively swapped the Pound for the Mark).

Because of this Ireland could not join the EEC unless the UK did also.
 
The ammount we donate to the EU is a pittance compared to how much our industrialists earn as a direct result of being part of a pan-continental free trade area.

ninebucks

Do we have any industrialists left?;) There are advantages in being in a large 'semi-free' market but the fact the EU [as is] has meant so much destruction to our traditional trading market coupled with the large subsidies, both direct and indirect means its a very mixed blessing. Probably the single biggest handicap for Britain is the continued damage the extremists on both sides of the argument do to our stability and hindering our development.

You can't really say whether Britain would be better or worse off without deciding on what parameters change. I could see Britain being worse off outside Europe, especially if we continue to avoid facing up to fundamental social and economic weaknesses. On the other hand the best chances we have of overcoming them is facing up to them which would be much easier without the destructive stance of the hard-line 'pro-Europeans'.

Steve
 
Is the way (some) people in Britain think about the EU really relevant for the question about what would have happened if Ireland joined the EEC in 1961?
I could give you my theory why France didn't want the UK to join, but that would also be completely irrelevant.

Not really but threads tend to wander. A says something, B disagrees, often strongly, then it mutates from there.:)

Might be interesting if Ireland did get accepted at that point and Britain still got vetoed. Would cut the close economic links between the two given that the EEC was even more protectionist at the time. Not sure how that would affect situations in both countries. [In one way the viewpoint of people in Britain on the EEC/EU would be important to Ireland because of the importance of economic interaction between the two.

Steve
 
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