Irexit Too?

Irish professor Anthony Coughlan writes for the CapX website that if a real Brexit occurs, with the U.K. leaving the E.U., this greatly increases the likelihood of the Republic of Ireland later doing the same. This is a view not much heard in the discussions of Brexit’s nitty-gritty implementation.

A change of Irish attitudes to the EU is inevitable if a real Brexit happens because EU membership would no longer be of significant benefit to the Irish State without the UK beside it as a fellow EU member.

For one thing if Brexit were to be followed by an “Irexit” the Irish land border would no longer be an EU one too. Anglo-Irish relations would again be a matter exclusively for the British and Irish Governments, as was the case from 1923 until both States joined the EC/EU. The Irish Border would no longer be a cause of problems with the EU, either economically or politically.

Secondly, leaving the EU following the UK’s departure would save the Republic money as it has become a net contributor to the EU Budget since 2014.

Dublin is closer economically and culturally to Boston than Berlin. Ireland, North and South, is naturally part of the English-speaking world. A Britain that is half-in and half-out of the EU would not be Ireland’s interests. If the UK takes back control of its law-making and public policies, it would make every sense for the Republic to do the same.

I find his argument persuasive. I wonder if the Irish can get past their historically justified latent Anglophobia and do what makes sense in the 21st century?