Ireland: Neutral?

[DocHorror]

I was watching an interesting TV debate last night (It was on Questions & Answers if there are any other Irish people here) which brought up the use of Shannon Airport by the US.

Many Irish people still regard Ireland as being neutral, the Government states that Ireland is still neutral, but is it?

My opinion, I am not Irish but my family is, is that Ireland has never been neutral and any claims to this effect are just that. Claims.

I would be interested in the opinions of the rest of the board, especially any other Irish forumites.

[Col. Crackpot]

The US and Ireland are more allied then the Taoseach and the Dail would like to admit. Even during Vietnam the US armed forces used Shannon Int'l. For that many in the US Government turned a blind eye to money being channeled acrossed the Atlantic from seedy bars in Boston and Chicago to alleged IRA operatives. That isn't tolerated anynore, almost everyone sees the IRA for what they are, terrorists and the bulk of British troops in Ulster have long gone. There still is quite a bond though. You ask the average American what they think of Ireland and the Irish people and the response is almost unanimously positive. Also now the Irish economy, the fastest growing in Europe with the lowest or near lowest unemployment is heavily infused with American investment and American multi-national Corporations. They wan to be percieved as the loyal friend and maybe perhaps make some money off of the US-France rift. Bertie Ahern is in a bit of a pickle though, popular sentiment in Ireland is against any non-UN sanctioned war.