Support from US and EU signals stunning successes for Irish diplomacy

They sound such an unlikely duo. Joe Biden's easy American drawl and Ursula von der Leyen's accented English are of different worlds. But they spoke in harmony this week - their words of comfort for Ireland a balm for ­troubled times. Convulsions over Covid regularly knocked the latest Brexit battles from top billing in the news cycle. As a consequence, we may not fully realise these are historic days for ­Ireland's reputation in Britain, Europe, and the US. This week a rubicon was crossed. It's as if this country has come of age by way of finding its place...