Spanish-Irish Relations: A Personal View

Abstract

The former Spanish ambassador to Ireland exposes his family links with Ireland, his experiences as a student in University College Dublin and his activities as ambassador between 1987 and 1991. Shows how easy is to establish contacts and friendship between the people of the two countries, from the president of the Republic —Patrick Hillery or Mary Robinson— to a school-teacher in a small village of Conamara. He reminds the various acts celebrated all through Ireland on the occasion of the IV Centenary of the unwanted presence of the Great Spanish Armada in Ireland, describes the adventures and disadventures of captain Francisco de Cuellar and comments on the different attitudes of the Irish people toward the survivors of the Armada shown by the English establishment, the local chieftains and the ordinary people. The ambassador considers that, despite the rich historical experience shared and the mutual empathy shown by the people of the two countries, neither the Irish know Spain, nor the Spaniards know Ireland, although there are many Spanish student in Ireland and many Irish tourists in Spain. They usually have a topical idea of the respective countries and of their people, alien to their present reality. He maintains that there are no real problems between Spain and Ireland —not even in fisheries— and both countries share interests and goals within the European Union. The Brexit in going to raise serious problems to Ireland, the exit of Great Britain —which never had much European feeling may become a positive opportunity to develop the process of European integration.