[casinobonyanes]

Yes, that summarises things well.

It is the fact that it took hundreds of years for people to decide to get on with each other rather than constantly to re-open ancient wounds that makes me think the issues were silly ones.

In any place under the sun people have found ways to get themselves mixed together. And there will be reasons why some can then claim to be dispossessed by others.

Finding ways to co-operate pays off, resting on rights rooted in the past doesn't.

Anyway, as a Brit living in England I am mighty glad the Irish are looking to bury the hatchet. And I give some of the credit to the Union. It was founded with the intent of reducing the reasons for war between nation states in Europe and if it turns out, as I think is happening in Ireland, to reduce the sort of nationalist passions felt in N. Ireland or the Basque country or Brittany or wherever then that is all to the good.