Ireland more like Britain than we think

I am somewhat bemused by the furore over the Starbucks “British” gaffe.

Over the past few years, I have had reason to travel through Dublin Airport on numerous occasions. While other airports invariably use television and DVD to promote the landscape, culture and industry of the nation, the Dublin Airport Authority, whom one would have thought should promote the national broadcaster RTÉ, appear to have a policy of wall-to-wall Sky television news, which is invariably British-orientated.

On my last visit, there was effusive live coverage of the British Royal Jubilee celebrations, interspersed with cricket. In short, apart from the Irish language signage, there was little to distinguish the airport from Gatwick or Heathrow.