As a history graduate I am an unabashed fan of European integration and the European project, and the vote on the Lisbon treaty today was a lost opportunity, for Ireland.

Committment to the European project has been lost in a fog of mistruths and lies from far left and far right. A sad day for representative democracy which demonstrates the lack of leadership by mainsteam politicians.
Who are the dark side? Sinn Fein as an anti military alliance group, various Catholic fundamentalist organisations and a new entrant who profess themselves as pro European but are the puppets of neo con US interests. All combining with the growing influence of the Murdoch press.