Beetle, living with four Paddies must have been quite an experience??
Basically I think the issue is the Ireland is not and was not simply a 'separate EU member state'. Britain almost ignored the fact that Ireland was separate. So everything pretty much remained the same. Irish citizens could vote, work, sign on the dole, enlist in the army or the police just the same as British citizens. We were barely independant, until 1979 we still used the pound sterling.
In fact I remember when I applied to join the RAF. The form specifically stated that you had to be a citizen of the the United Kingdom OR the Republic of Ireland. (That's changed now, ironically, thanks to the EU.)
Vice versa was true as well except that in theory Brits couldn't vote in Irish elections. But I remember an English friend telling me that when a politician came to his door during an election he asked him when they were going to give British people the right to vote in Ireland? A few days later, polling cards for him and his wife were dropped through the door. Shortly after that a law was introduced which gave British citizens the right to vote in Ireland. But it really only legalised what was happening anyway. So you can vote here if you want to.
As for drinking, despite Lazs foul insult
quantity of drink is not so much the attraction as the social aspect. And yes I do always seem to be the last to be thrown out of the pub or nightclub every time. Closing time is only advisory.
