An Island at the Edge of Europe: How Ireland’s geographical position shapes feelings of belonging to the EU.

Ireland sits on the western edge of Europe, physically separated from the continent by the Irish Sea and historically shaped by centuries of British colonial rule. Although the Republic of Ireland joined the European Union (EU) in 1973, its status as an island state without a land connection to mainland Europe might suggest a weaker sense of European belonging. This physical distance is reflected in everyday realities, including non-participation in the Schengen Area, and a political culture still strongly influenced by the United Kingdom and the United States. In many cultural respects, Ireland can appear somewhat detached from continental Europe, such as limited foreign language education. Despite this, Irish levels of attachment to the EU remain high at 70% (European Commission, 2024). This apparent contradiction raises an important question: how does physical distance generate both detachment from and commitment to the European identity?

The Sea as A Border

Ireland’s location, as an island, means that the sea not only functions as a physical boundary, but as a political one too. Unlike most EU member states, Ireland has no land connection to mainland Europe, reinforcing a sense of separation. This has also shaped its access to mobility and economic resources. Wood and Gilmartin note that geographical structural constraints have heavily influenced Ireland’s integration pathways. For years, the United Kingdom functioned as a land bridge allowing goods and travellers to pass through Britain before reaching EU markets. This dependence positioned Ireland at a remove from the continental core (Wood & Gilmartin, 2018). Laffan and O’Mahony describe this through the lens of peripherality, where states that are smaller and more geographically isolated experience integration different from those at the centre (Laffan & O’Mahony, 2008). This separateness is further reinforced through ongoing land tensions between Ireland and the UK, meaning that Ireland is not part of the Schengen area. Instead they are both part of the Common Travel Area (CTA), which allows for passport-free movement between the two countries, in order to prevent a hard border with Northern Ireland. Butler and Barrett highlight how the CTA means that movement to other EU states requires more formal border procedures, creating a different mobility experience. Having another separate border check and area in most airports, signals to travellers that they are entering a new space, rather than moving within a shared one (Butler & Barrett, 2018).

Impact of Brexit 

Brexit has created a large challenge for the island of Ireland given that there is now a border between an EU member state and a non-EU state. The difficulties the Republic of Ireland faces surrounding the questions of trade and travel between the Republic and the North have been helped and guided by the EU. Michel Barnier, the chief negotiator of Brexit stated that “Irish issues are EU issues” (Wood & Gilmartin, 2018). The guidance that the EU has provided for the Republic showcases that Europe’s strategy is to focus on member states’ positions in political crises. Brexit was an unprecedented political challenge faced by the EU, with direct effects to Irish policy, which thus explains the strong focus on Ireland during this period.

The connection Ireland has to Europe could be seen in the increase of Irish passport requests after Brexit. Irish passports can be granted to anyone that can prove Irish ancestry, or, for those in Northern Ireland, Irish citizenship may be assigned through the rights granted by the Good Friday Agreement. Due to the entitlements granted by the EU being taken away after the Brexit vote, many across Britain, including in Northern Ireland, applied for Irish citizenship in order to retain these rights, such as freedom of movement and work. Whether the applications reflected a wider sense of a specifically Irish identity or not is something to keep in mind;still, what can be seen is that Ireland’s membership to the EU allows for rights and advantages that non-EU citizens do not have. Ireland’s power being connected to the benefits of EU membership shows that there is a connection between the island and the opportunities and cultures of countries on the continent and the project of the EU (Wood & Gilmartin, 2018).

Between Europe and America

Ireland as a small, island state on the periphery of the continent holds a unique position in the EU, with its connections to both Europe, but also a strong bounding to the United States (US). Throughout modern history, several Irish people emigrated to the US during the famine period and moments of economic peril. Therefore, the US has a large Irish diaspora and cultural connections to the country. With the post-independence building of the Irish economy, American investment was, and continues to be, a large factor in Irish political policy. This in turn has also created a space of strong American cultural influence, much more than countries on the European continent. 

Fintan O’Toole writes on the rhetoric of Irish government leaders during the Celtic Tiger period, with former Tanaiste Mary Harney stating that Ireland is “spiritually closer to Boston than Berlin”. Statements like this showcase the reliance and relationship between Ireland and the US, while Ireland simultaneously is a part of the EU. As time went on, and with the increasingly shaky relationship between the US and EU, Ireland has been following along the lines of Europe, further integrating not just economically but culturally as well. While the economic relationship with the US is strong, O’Toole highlights the European nature of Irish history and local culture. Ireland’s passion for retaining and reviving the Irish language is a passion present across different parts of Europe, especially other small states such as Estonia and Lithuania also promoting their own native languages. With Christianity in Ireland being tied strongly to the tradition of writing, Irish scholars had a strong impact on intellectual and religious influence across the continent. As Ireland had a delayed modernisation process due to the legacy of British colonialism, the speed at which Ireland grew in modernity was greatly supported by the EU (Hayward, 2013). In this sense, while there remains a deep attachment to the strong traditions of old Ireland, there is also a clear connection to Ireland’s place and cultural impact in Europe (O’Toole, 2002). 

Education and Integration 

There is, however, a lack of concrete knowledge of the role and powers the EU has amongst the Irish population. Ireland consistently ranks among the highest of member states that approves of EU membership, but when it comes to understanding the complexity of EU policies, such knowledge lowers. There is therefore a nuanced reasoning behind certain positions Ireland takes to European politics. According to Simpson, Irish people are more likely to understand the EU in reference to its economic factors, as opposed to its policy-making role. This is why referendums on European policy initiatives outside of economic issues have generally had low turnouts and negative results (Simpson, 2019). 

As Simpson states: “Pro-European groups and political parties in Ireland have consistently relied upon the permissive consensus and the fact that individuals in Ireland appreciated the considerable benefits Ireland derived from EU membership thus little effort was made to explain the issues at stake for the Irish electorate”(Simpson, 2019). This is something which should be addressed at the state level in Ireland, with further public initiatives on informing the public on the EU. With Ireland becoming president of the Council of the European Union in July 2026, this is the appropriate time to get the general public involved and interested in the policy making powers of the EU.

Conclusion

Despite Ireland’s physical distance from mainland Europe and its enduring cultural ties to Britain and the US, geographical peripherality has not weakened its sense of European belonging. Rather than creating isolation, Ireland’s position on the edge of the continent has shaped a distinctive relationship with the EU, one that is grounded in political cooperation and economic interdependence. Events such as Brexit have further reinforced this connection, demonstrating the practical and symbolic value of EU membership for the Irish state. Ireland’s experience suggests that belonging within the EU is not determined solely by geography, but by shared interests and the cultural benefits that integration provides.

Bibliography 

Butler, G., & Barrett, G. (2018). ‘Europe’s “Other” Open-Border Zone: The Common Travel Area under the Shadow of Brexit.’ Cambridge Yearbook of European Legal Studies, 20, 252–286. https://doi.org/10.1017/cel.2018.10

European Commission, Directorate‑General for Communication. (2024). Standard Eurobarometer 102 – Autumn 2024: Public opinion in the European Union. Brussels: European Commission. Available at: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3215 (Accessed: March 1 2026)

Hayward, K. (2013). Irish nationalism and European integration. Manchester University Press.

Laffan, B. & O’Mahony, J. (2008). Ireland and the European Union. Bloomsbury Publishing 

O’Toole, F. (2002). ‘The Clod and the Continent: Irish Identity in the European Union’, EurUnion Irish Congress of Trade Unions, accessed at: https://www.ictu.ie/sites/default/files/publications/2021/essay1.pdf

Simpson, K. (2019). ‘European Union crises and Irish public opinion: continuity and change in patterns of support’, Irish Political Studies, 34(4), 507-529. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/07907184.2019.1647171

Wood, P. B., & Gilmartin, M. (2018). Irish enough: changing narratives of citizenship and national identity in the context of Brexit. Space and Polity, 22(2), 224–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562576.2018.1543824