German pressure on neutral Ireland to deny Europe Democracy

The headline to this posting sounds like something that might have been published in some of the gravest hours of Europe's past during the dark days of German oppression in World War II. Unhappily it relates to a headline from this very day in 2008 - and just a taste of one of many in both the South and also the North of Ireland:

Merkel in Dublin to push for 'yes' vote in Lisbon poll