[barry-cotter]

Yes, but the Irish-British common travel area has been in existence since the instant there was a Republic. Our (Ireland's) visa policy on EU citizens is to all intents and purposes formulated in London because we're not going to have more than minimal border checks with the North and the UK isn't going to have internal border controls between the North and Britain.

Not as weird as the fact that Irish people without UK citizenship, resident there can vote in all elections, and that UK citizens resident in Ireland can vote in all elections bar for President (seeing as Irish people in the UK don't get to vote on the Head of State.)