Hear, hear. I endorse what you say. This guy is just a stirrer, and an agent provocateur...he gets a kick out of us rising to the bait. I personally think we should ignore his posts.

The alternative would be infinitely worse. Ireland and Northern Ireland have benefited greatly from membership, as have all other member states. We have extremely short collective memories and attention spans....I can remember the bad old days prior to our joint entry into what was then referred to as the EEU or Commonmarket. I’m sure you can too, if you care to. It needs reform and a review of its bureaucracy, but that’s because it has admitted so many more countries...all of whom begged to be allowed entry...including the UK! Now there’s irony for you!!

I'm only with it as far as it was the EEC. That was a great idea. Now I think it is a monster.

@brentan Ireland has benefited greatly from the EU, in a material sense anyway, as has Scotland. I agree that the EU should be reformed, but a monster ? Don't think so. The rise of "populism" and the longing for this mystical thing called "sovereignty" may destroy it which would be a great shame.

@Marionville I agree

@brentan Ireland is probably the biggest beneficiary of being in the EU....I remember how impoverished and backward it was in the 1970s when I came to live in Northern Ireland. When we went south it was like going back a century! You were dominated by the Catholic Church, and the roads were like in a third world country....we talked about going down “ the rocky road to Dublin”. Ireland was a nett recipient of EU money for decades, and has been turned into a modern, well educated, forward looking country, which could never have happened without membership of the EU. Reform is necessary, but to call it a monster is ridiculous, it would seem a tad ungrateful to me.

@Marionville I doubt if gratitude is required. The Irish paid for it heavily in 2008. Now we have a monster economy of homelessness, hopeless and soul-destroying jobs incapable of ever allowing families to earn a decent living and own their own home and a healthcare system lacking in beds. Add to that the soullessness of the drugs and alcohol epidemic, the corruption of the police force etc. And no one is accountable because the buck is passed to the European parliament. So, I look forward to the death of this monster and the return to accountability on the national level.

@brentan Good luck with that!

@Marionville It's work in progress all across Europe. Hence the article.

@brentan I meant good luck in being more prosperous on your own.

@Marionville If it works, it will be a prosperity that isn't just measured by economic growth.