What to Know to Utilise Ireland’s EU Membership in the Face of Brexit

While both nations entered the European Union in 1973, the Republic of Ireland has never been afraid of forging its own path on the international scene. In 1922, the Irish War of Independence granted much of the island sovereignty from the United Kingdom, benefitting the nation over the last seven years while their neighbors voted for, attempted to create a deal for, and continue to suffer from Brexit.

Still an upstanding member of the EU, Ireland offers a great many opportunities to its fellow Union members. From titbits about its history to doing business and even living in Ireland, here are some things that its fellow EU citizens should know.

A Celtic safe haven

To this day, Celtic history and its traditions remain fairly strong in Ireland when you consider how faded other ancient civilizations became across the continent. Thought to have migrated from Britain around 600 BCE, the new land of the Celts was put under threat by the ever-extending shadow of the Roman Empire. Under Julius Caesar in the 1St Century BCE, the Romans washed across the north of the continent and, eventually, to Britain.

While cities were built and more advanced societal staples were established across Britain, the Celtic people couldn’t be completely conquered by Rome. Not only did the tribes to the north stop the Romans in their tracks, but they also failed to get across to the Irish Sea. This allowed Celtic traditions to live strong in Ireland as well as pockets of Wales and Scotland.

The Celtic tribes of Ireland then managed to beat back the Norsemen and later engaged in a centuries-long war with the Anglo-Saxons to keep the land Irish. While Ireland would become a part of the United Kingdom in 1801, there was also a strong sense of independence in the land.

Doing business in Ireland

Ireland has recently become a very exciting place to do business, particularly in the tech industry. As noted by the IDA, most of the world’s top global tech companies have moved to the country to anchor their European operations. Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, and Intel make up a few of the 16 companies in Ireland that also make up the top 20 tech firms on the planet.  

Your business doesn’t have to be a tech colossus to call Ireland home, but you will want to consider tweaking your domain. Making an Ireland-specific offering is key, which is why, when the online casino Ireland natives gravitate towards first set up here, it added an /en-ie extension. This way, the welcome offer can be naturally presented in euros, and the slots and live casino games can be tailored to the Irish audience.  

While many covet the .com domain, as the online casino does so as not to limit its reach, there are benefits to using a .ie TLD (top-level domain) extension. It’s been found that customers in France, Germany, and the UK are much more likely to buy from a website with their local domain, in these cases being .fr, .de, and .co.uk. So if you’re setting up business in Ireland, consider adding an ie extension.

It’s one of the best countries to live in

Above all else, Ireland consistently ranks among the best countries in the world to live in, according to the United Nations. The 2021/22 Human Development report saw the nation land in eighth among the top 10 countries, boasting a .945 score. The only nations ahead of Ireland in the rankings of places to live were Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Hong Kong, Iceland, Norway, and the leaders, Switzerland.

Ireland is a fantastic nation to call home or to do business with, boasting a rich history and a distinctly European persuasion.