Gneiss, No doubt that Ireland would be an independent country by now but they definitely weren't ready for it in 1921.
You need more than a pathological hatrid for the Brits to make a country work. Eire was basically a Catholic theoracy with a government which under de Valera had fascist sympathies. When Hitler died de Valera hot footed it to the German embassy to sign a book of condolescence.
In such a society women and children tend to suffer the most. Somehow I doubt the poor, unmarried women cruely confined in the Magdalene laundries were going "Yeah, but its great we are free of the Brits"