Interesting argument from Conn Corrigan over at OurKingdom:
The Republic of Ireland has come along way towards being somewhere which unionists might be willing to live. But there is obviously a lot more to do. All political parties in the south are ostensibly committed to a united Ireland (with perhaps the exception of the Green Party). But they all need to be more creative in the way in which they try to persuade unionists to come around to their way of thinking. I would make one suggestion: Republicans should call for Ireland to rejoin the commonwealth.
A very long comments thread over at Slugger includes some cogent arguments as to why many Irish nationalists will be doubtful about this proposal.
Although the Commonwealth now includes a number of republics, The Queen remains the lifetime head of the institution. That is something that Ireland should seek to change if it is to consider rejoining.
Such a stance would be in accord with the approach adopted during Ireland's previous period in the Commonwealth, which saw the Free State joining forces with French-Canadians and Afrikaaners to secure independence for the dominions with the Statute of Westminster.
On the whole though, I think that this is not necessarily the moment to embrace a version of British identity that is in the process of being radically altered. If Scotland becomes independent for example, the most important 'British' institution might be the British-Irish Council, of which Ireland is already a member.
