Irish talks with UK on Brexit set to defy EU demands

Ireland looks set to defy the EU by beginning bilateral talks with Britain on the Brexit fallout.

These discussions, which will focus particularly on the future of the North and are set to begin in the coming days, appear to go against the demands of German chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders that no negotiations should begin until the British government triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

It comes as the 27 member states will meet over breakfast this morning without British prime minister David Cameron, after a marathon European Council meeting ended at 10.20pm last night at which members discussed Brexit implications.