While the final outcome of yesterday’s general election is yet to emerge, one winner has already been confirmed.

In domestic policy the three main parties argued over who could spend the most, but on foreign policy there was unanimous silence.

In the entire election campaign, no-one mentioned the n-word: neutrality.

Before the election, the Dublin government announced its intention of no longer seeking UN approval before Ireland can engage in war.

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Patrick Murphy: Whoever wins the election, the real winner was NATO

That decision would now rest solely in Dublin, overseen by Brussels. Surprisingly, none of the opposition parties made that an election issue.

Meanwhile, the US continues to use Shannon airport as a refuelling stop for planes carrying army personnel and, for all we know, equipment to Israel and Ukraine.

That suggests that Ireland is heading for some form of military association with the US, the EU and Britain.

This means that the clear winner in the Irish general election was NATO, an American-led military alliance of 32 countries.

Welcome to the new, aligned Ireland, which in this general election has been sleep-walking into........

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