50 Years of Ireland in the EU
News
09 May 2023
Ireland joined the EU on 1 January 1973. It was a decision which changed the country forever, for the better, supporting prosperity, peace, and new possibilities for the Irish people.
On 8 May Ambassador Haughey delivered a speech on Ireland’s 50 years in the EU to students at the University of Warsaw, and took part in an extremely engaging question and answer session.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Haughey highlighted the hugely positive impact that EU membership has had on Ireland, transforming it from a country where incomes were just 61 per cent of the EU average, to a thriving modern economy today. He also praised the EU’s contribution to peace, notably in Northern Ireland, and recalled the description of John Hume in his 1998 Nobel Peace Prize lecture, that the EU is “the best example in the history of the world of conflict resolution.”