by Stephen Kirwan

Created on: February 19, 2007   Last Updated: May 24, 2012

Jean Monnet and Jaques Delores dedicated their life to it. Thatcher and deGaulle in affect rubbished key aspects and idologies of it (such as CAP and the european monotary union). But the truth is the European Union has provided the necessary economic structure and grant aid to aid the recovery of a stagnant, weak Europe still suffering a hangover from the damage of World War II inflicted by the surge of Hitlers foreign policy and the slow division of Europe into two separate blocs. But the European Union proved to many skeptics to be more then just a cheap gimmick to warn off Communism. It proved to be the cornerstone to the Economic prowess of it's elite members and the key in the rebuilding the pride of Europe by re-unifying and building bridges rather then scourging and blaming suspiciously.

In the Republic of Ireland (my home country) the positive effects are still seen today. There was a fear that the acceptance of our small rural Catholic country into the immoral world of interdenominational society where nationalism, culture and language which was struggled for 800 years, would see our country lose it's identity. Yet the opposite has happened and it has allowed us economic fortune and change, yet keep our long-loved affinity with national pride.

The year was 1973. The generations of brain drain and diaspora were becoming noticeable. The youth couldn't find work and the older generation were too tired to do it as farming or factory work remained the only option for the average family still stuck on a diet of dirty homegrown potatoes, cabbage and a swig of porter. We voted to join Europe's elite.

The Social and Common funds were first to help. The relocation of continental business to Ireland in part with corporate tax- concessions increased employment and in part encouraged an education revival. More people stayed in school and continued to third level education as prospects began to rise due to the fact they were no longer needed on the farm as much as they previously were. The Common Agricultural policy (CAP)gave guaranteed prices to farmers ensuring that the over-dependence on local markets were now much less as these farms began to send produce all over Europe guaranteeing sales and much needed money. Because of guaranteed prices, a definite income was secured and in-line with the Irish governments "free-education policy" youngsters often continued to 3rd level where previously they would have avoided it.

The Structural fund also helped transport in recent years and the National Roads authority has helped the standard of roads that previously would not have been there. It brought Ireland out of the Stone Age of broken and dismal 3rd class roads and granted us with proper roadways linking key towns effectively. In recent years this has become a god-send as the Celtic Tiger (the world class economic fortune of Ireland) has seen a 4000 per cent increase in cars over the past 30years.

Ireland has changed. The freedom of travel granted to EU citizens have seen the likes of Polish workers coming to our shores in the hope of sharing some of our economic success. But if it hadn't have been for the EU, our small Catholic, rural island would still be backward and lost in the throws of isolation from the rest of the world. Yet now 34 years later, we are one of the richest nations per capita on this earth. Thank God for the EU.

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