The Republic of Ireland should consider rejoining the Commonwealth as the British Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, Ulster Unionist Party leader Tom Elliott has said. Mr Elliott said Queen Elizabeth's visit to Ireland last year suggested a new relationship between two states that are "so close geographically but are maybe so apart in other circumstances". "It may actually encourage the Republic of Ireland to look at the possibility to rejoin the Commonwealth once again," he added. The Republic left the Commonwealth in 1949 and since then has sought to align itself to Europe, embracing the Common Market in a fashion aimed at reducing Ireland's reliance on Britain. The UK is still the Republic's major trade partner. In May last year, the British Queen visited Ireland, the first British monarch to do so since independence in 1922. She visited the garden of remembrance for Irish republican dead who took part in the 1916 Easter Rising against Britain in Dublin and expressed sympathy for those who suffered as a consequence of "our troubled past" during a keynote speech in the capital. She also toured Cork to a warm reception from local traders and customers. Democratic Unionist party leader and Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson paid tribute. He said: "I am convinced that everyone in Northern Ireland will respect the significant role played by Her Majesty the Queen over such a significant period of time. She has brought a wise head to difficult situations, always there to give sound counsel to those who have audiences with her." While Sinn Fein abstained, in a silence described as "stony and churlish" by unionist MLA Jim Allister, the nationalist SDLP acknowledged the Queen's achievement. SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell said: "We all must recognise that our (image) of ourselves and of our future changes in time and we hope and believe that that is for the better. "The visit of Queen Elizabeth the second to Dublin and the work of president McAleese was another important step forward in a process of reconciliation between the peoples of these islands."
If only you knew what it is i love your comment might have some actual relevance. But plastic paddy my original comment has nothing to do with ROI joining the commonwealth Just you pretend it does though that will save us both time
