Why those Brexity Brits have put me off England again

As his book 101 Reasons Why Ireland is Better than England hits the shops, Pat Fitzpatrick looks at how his feelings about England have changed over the years

I put up Union Jack flags when Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson in 1986. It was my job, as a barman in the Duke of York, near Victoria Station in London. I think the owner was trying to get me away from the bar because it was my first day and I’d lied about having previous bar experience and the regulars were getting animated about the dire pints I was putting up in front of them.

Eleven days later, I walked out the front door and down the road to Victoria Coach Station and the overnight ‘Supabus’ back to Cork. There wasn’t much ‘Supa’ about it, but at least I was going home. I’d hated my first visit to London.