Lecture: “Ireland’s Call How Brexit Got Done” by Stephen Collins

Brexit altered the relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom in a profound way and led to the resignation of four British prime ministers. It took four years for the UK to leave the European Union after the 2016 Leave vote and another four before the outstanding issues relating to Northern Ireland were finally settled in February, 2024.

Ireland’s Call tells the inside story of how Irish political leaders and officials waged a diplomatic campaign to persuade the EU that whatever the outcome of the Brexit talks there could be no hard border on the island of Ireland. Through interviews with senior figures on both sides of the Irish Sea and in Brussels the author reveals how the campaign was devised and pursued to a successful conclusion.

Praise for Ireland’s Call

A tale of shrewd politicking and diplomacy in Dublin told soberly and judiciously. A timely and occasionally eye-opening reminder of how Britain got into the mess. Rory Carroll, The Guardian

Stephen Collins has written a taut aide-memoire. Ireland’s Call provides handy historical context and interesting navigation of Brexit as seen from an Irish perspective. Jude Webber, Financial Times Stephen

Collins’s valuable book about the Brexit negotiations manages to fashion the highly complex events into a coherent and readable narrative. Bobby McDonagh, Irish Times

If you need a reminder of the twists and turns of Brexit, the ineptitude and miscalculations it’s all here, in all its gory detail. David McCullagh, RTE