Joining EU was inflexion point in Ireland's progress

Our success owes much to joining the European Community 50 years ago, writes Mark Henry

EU and Irish flags in Brussels. In contrast to the poor living conditions that drove waves of people out of Ireland in the 1950s and 60s, today 97% of us say that we are happy we live here. We must be thankful to our European neighbours for helping us achieve that. Picture: Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images

The first of January marks the 50th anniversary of Ireland’s accession to the European Economic Community (EEC), the forerunner of today’s EU. It was one of the most important decisions ever taken by the Irish people and foundational to our subsequent success.

The accession itself occurred 50 years after the formation of the Free State. The promised benefits of an independent Ireland had not been experienced by the population at large.