Seismic change - Low-key and harmonious

Sometimes the most remarkable things pass by almost unnoticed in the day-to-day rush of our lives.

Though there are extensive security arrangements in place for the visit of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla to Cork and Kerry over the coming days the furore around the visit, the attention it has won in public consciousness could hardly be described as seismic. This is, as Irish people of a certain age will immediately recognise, a huge change.

This is not because the visitors are unwelcome, rather very much the opposite. The absence of drama or any sense of threat is a very welcome indication of how our relationship with our neighbours is far more positive than it once was. Harmony prevails.

That harmony may be challenged by Brexit, especially the hard Brexit beloved of the hinge-eyed Tory fantasists, but yesterday’s resignation of Conservative minister Phillip Lee over his government’s “irresponsible” approach suggests that the fat lady has yet to sing her final notes on that looming disaster. Harmony prevails and it may endure too.