Thousands died in the transition from being England’s first colony, to an Irish Free State and finally an independent Republic. The ironies arising from the situation in Ireland are many. Joining the Euro, hugging the state tight to the whole European project and Dublin’s politicians slavishly obeying their new masters in Frankfurt has ended in disaster. Why fight the English for 400 years for sovereignty only to surrender it to Germany?

O’Connell, de Valera and Collins must be turning in their graves as the heir to the Baronetcy of Ballentaylor, in County Tipperary, and Ballylemon, in County Waterford, contemplates rescuing the Irish Republic with English pounds. The heir normally prefers to go by the name of George…