Brexit represents the single greatest economic and foreign-policy challenge to the Irish state since the Second World War. There is hardly any area of Irish life that won't be affected.More than any other journalist, RTE's long-time Brussels correspondent Tony Connelly has been helping the public make sense of the implications of Brexit for Ireland. Now, he tells the dramatic untold story of the Irish response to this political and economic earthquake and lays out the agenda for the uncertain years ahead.
Drawing on unprecedented access to insiders in Dublin, London, Belfast and Brussels, Brexit and Ireland is full of insights about how the EU actually works, and of colourful and revealing stories from the corridors of power. Connelly talks to the business leaders, farmers and entrepreneurs on the front lines of the crisis, and traces the various ways in which Brexit is likely to change our lives. Brexit and Ireland is an entertaining and revealing account of this ongoing drama, and a must-read for anyone who cares about Ireland's future.
'Required reading ... As Ireland navigates its way through Britain's withdrawal and the new Europe taking shape, this fine book offers an indispensable guide to the hazards and the opportunities along the way' Denis Staunton, Irish Times
'Excellent ... It ought to be read in every European capital ... Connelly examines how Brexit will affect every part of the Irish economy' John Bruton, Sunday Times
'One of the most enticing aspects of Connelly's book is his promise to tell you the inside story of the Irish response. This is delivered on ... He has an eye for human details that enrich the book: not only does he bring you into the room at Number 10 when Theresa May and Enda Kenny were engaged in the high-wire dance of working out the post-Brexit reality, but he tells you what they had for dessert ... The first-hand account of the mass mobilisation of Official Ireland's soft and hard power after the result, as negotiations got into gear, is engrossing' Jack Horgan-Jones, Sunday Business Post
'Magisterial ... Connelly has encyclopaedic knowledge of European diplomatic processes and the political realities of the border, and is able to use them to great effect' Donal O'Donovan, Irish Independent
'I was completely absorbed by Tony Connelly's Brexit and Ireland ... Connelly shows that the implications for the Irish Republic extend to the entire economy and its relationship with the EU' Brendan Simms, New Statesman Books of the Year
'A valuable guide through the Brexit labyrinth' Sunday Business Post Books of the Year
About the Author: Tony Connelly has been reporting on Europe for RTE since 2001, firstly as Europe Correspondent, and more recently as Europe Editor. He lives in Brussels.
