Brexit a warning to official Ireland, claims Councillor

RESIGNATION British Prime Minister David Cameron is resigning due to the result of the Brexit Referendum.

Anton McNulty

The shock result of the UK referendum to leave the EU should be a ‘warning to official Ireland’ to listen to the ordinary population, according to an Independent councillor.
The decision by the British electorate to vote to leave the EU by 52 percent to 48 was described by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny as a ‘political earthquake’ and the stakes were higher for Ireland than any other EU country.
The Brexit referendum result was raised by some Mayo County Councillors with some contrasting views on how it will affect the county. While Independent councillor Gerry Ginty said he viewed the result as ‘an opportunity’, Cllr Gerry Coyle said he was ‘disappointed’ with the result.
Ballina-based councillor Gerry Ginty said that while commentators were saying that Brexit was a bad thing for Ireland, he said he saw it as an opportunity and a warning to those in power.
“People underestimate the ability of the British people who are well able to look after themselves. Some say it was the people of less intelligence who voted for Brexit. I do not think that way at all, this is a warning to official Ireland, who think they know it all,” he said.
A differing view was taken by Erris based Fine Gael councillor Gerry Coyle who expressed his disappointment at the result and said positives of the EU outweighed its negative aspects.
“There is a massive challenge to democracy from the extremes on the left and the right who are pulling at the threads of democracy as we know it. Whoever thought of the EU should be canonised. It is only a short few years ago they were killing millions in wars in Europe … not demonised for a better standard of life. It saddens me when people criticise it and yet thousands are risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean to come here,” he said.
Cllr Frank Durcan said nobody knows what the next 12 months has in store following the Brexit referendum and he felt they could be the most difficult times the country has seen since the last World War.