The main consumer attractions at British Trade Fairs are smoked salmon, shortcake, whisky, oat biscuits, Angus beef (a few years ago,alas), Dundee cakes and marmalade, etc.

These products are, of course, all Scottish and have an international reputation for high quality. They are marketed much more successfully than their Irish equivalents, which are only recently starting to raise their profile.

Commercially the Scots have benefited from membership of the UK. The Irish are only catching up since joining the EU.

Culturally speaking, I have the impression we Irish are running out of steam. The creative wave of the 80s and early 90s seems to have petered out.