Eoghan Harris: Pointless southern Brit-bashing about Brexit only benefits Sinn Fein

Does he not realise that he, and many others like him in the Republic, are wasting their energy by shouting polemics at the distant crew of the long departed Brexit, a ship that has sailed away from the EU, and is not likely to return?

Or does the continual Brexit bashing in southern media conceal a secret wishful conviction that the UK will have to do a humiliating U turn and return humbly, cap in hand to the EU ?

Let me explain why this won't happen to my bewildered fellow citizens of the ROI, most of whom are still genuinely baffled by Britain's decision to turn its back on the economic benefits of EU membership.

First, we know Britain has declined economically but it's not all due to Brexit. Poor education decisions and a lack of industrial investment are Chief amongst other factors.

But Brexit didn't start in 2016, it started in 1952 when Britain refused to join the Iron and Coal Union. You night argue that the seeds of it were at the Council of Vienna and that it's godfather was Canning. But the first modern isolationist move was not Brexit in 2016 but back in 1952 when Britain refused to join the Iron and Coal Union.

Second, the fact is that Britain is not going back to the EU. Ever. Of course it's true that if there were a referendum on returning in the morning, it would be the reverse of 2016- probably 52% to rejoin and 48% to stay out. But a second vote would tear Britain apart again. And Europe would be subjected to yet another fit of paralysis as Britain again agonized over Europe.

Finally, let's stop regarding Brexit as an aberration, a once-off rush of blood with no precedent. On the contrary, Britain has angsted about Europe many times in the past 50 years: 1975 (EEC membership), 1979-85 (the rebate), 1988 (Bruges); 1992 (Single European Act). Surely no party in the UK, other than the SNP and SFIRA, wants to open up that bag of snakes again?

What most of us in the ROI- who rightly extol the economic benfits of EU membership- refuse to grasp is that for English Brexiteers it's not lust about economics- it's about sovereignty. Four hundred years of history has shown that England will not coalesce with Europe. Even if, as we ca. see, thr price English Brexiteers may have to pay is the sundering of the UK and possibly the loss of Scotland.

But If that's the price England is willing to pay, then they are entitled to hold their isolationist views without us in the ROI hectoring them about their economic losses -especially since 100 years ago we in the South made the same sacrifices for our own sovereignty , no matter what the economic cost. That pointless Brit-bashing only benefits Sinn Fein.Unlike a psychologically and historically isolationist England, the Republic is tailor-made for the EU. We have always been part of some empire- the British Empire, the Church of Rome empire, and now the Franco-German led EU. The big decisions are made for us- and that may be just as well when you watch some of the petty farces in the Dail- like Sinn Fein's hypocritical posturing over Paschal Donohoe's election posters- which are often reminiscent of an upper tier county council.We can be reasonably sure that before the end of this decade, facilitated by an act of parliament, Britain will come back to the edge of the European orbit - but only at arms length and for purely trade reasons. Some sovereignty will necessarily have to be ceded for the implementation of compliance- but then Britain already yields some sovereignty through its NATO membership.

These developments will create an outer European concentric circle based on trade. This can grow, bringing in more Eastern European countries, and it will create a new European stability. Unless you're an obsessive Brit basher like O'Toole, you will see that such diversity is to be welcomed. A two-speed Europe will provide both choices and stability. And once the UK recovers economically , who will benefit more than Ireland?

The ROI is in a uniquely favourable position in Western Europe. There is much for us to cheer about. So why can't we just enjoy our own good fortune without gloating over the high price England is willing to pay for its sovereignty?

High time we in the ROI stopped fixating on our neighbor's decisions -after all it's their country. High time too that Fintan took his wagging forefinger finger out of British faces.