General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

As I remember, originally to travel between Britain and Ireland, you did not need any form of identification, you literally bought your ferry ticket, and got on to the ferry, because the 'Common Travel Area' which exists between Britain and Ireland, allows both countries citizens, to travel, live and work in each other's respective country.

This was the case up until the 1970s and 80s when due to the 'troubles' and particularly when the IRA started bombing mainland Britain, under anti terror legislation, ID checks were made compulsory, when travelling between Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain, to thwart the terrorists who were bombing Britain, but the ID had to be photo ID, and under the anti terror legislation, ferry companies had to, and as far as I know now, still have to, send lists of the names of people who are crossing the Irish Sea, they have to send those names to the British authorities.

But going back to before photo licences were issued, the only ID most folk had with a photo on it, was a passport, but now photo licences are an acceptable form of ID when travelling to Ireland.

Under the Brexit thing, one of the first things to be decided, was to reinstate the 'Common Travel Area' between Ireland and Britain.