The previous checks were for prevention of smuggling and then, during the Troubles, as anti-terrorism procedure. There was no requirement for a passport. For instance, flying from Glasgow to Dublin was like flying from Glasgow to Manchester. The only difference was that there seemed to be less Irish in Dublin!
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Acorn. I come to the UK about every 3 months to visit my mother. I get asked for my passport both on entry to UK and on my return to Ireland at Cork Airport.
Faugh-a-ballagh
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Re: Border checks between Britain and Ireland proposed
No score for this post
July 25 2008, 5:04 PM
I remember the days when you didn't need your passport to fly to Ireland from the GB - it was like taking an internal flight or going to the Isle of Man or Jersey; indeed, when you arrived in Dublin, you [as a UK passport holder] were herded via a separate channel which brought you out the other side of passport control, missing it completely.
I felt miffed at this (I'm talking about 1991 here) and so doubled-back and knocked on one of the back windows of the passport control booths and asked for a stamp. The guy said "Ach, you'll get me in trouble..." [with a wink], before stamping a "security cleared" stamp on the very last page of my passport.
It's different now of course: nowadays you need picture ID - not necessarily your passport - to check onto the flight and then we now have to clear [as with all other EU citizens] Irish passport control.
______________________________________________
"Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat its mistakes..."
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
Re: Border checks between Britain and Ireland proposed
No score for this post
July 25 2008, 5:07 PM
Telegraph quote:
"A Home Office consultation paper said it was putting forward "a substantial change" to the passport-free zone known as the Common Travel Area (CTA), which was set up in 1925 after Irish independence.
Immigration checks between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will also be stepped up to catch non-British and non-Irish nationals who travel illegally between the two countries, the paper said."
Just like to point out that NI is not a country: it's a province - like Yorkshire or the Midlands.
______________________________________________
"Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat its mistakes..."
Scoring disabled. You must be logged in to score posts.
