Is Ireland Free?

This is a question I've been toying with since Andra asked a variation on it in this post. She inquired, "Do you think that your [] countr[y] ha[s] gained full and complete independence? Does Ireland still depend on England? Would they be able to do anything if England decided they wanted to occupy Ireland again?" which I transformed into the title of this blog, but I digress.

In all honesty, I don't know if Ireland is free. On one hand, the facts speak for themselves.
-On April 18, 1949 Éire became the Republic of Ireland, effectively freeing itself from any formal allegiance to England, but the two countries were still very much connected. British citizens in the Éire were given the same legal rights and vice versa.
-On December 14, 1955, the republic joined the U.N.
-In the 1960's and 1970's, emigration finally declined, due in large part to the meeting of economic goals and general economic improvement.
-The IRA was denounced for its terrorism early on in the mid-20th century.
-In 1972, Ireland joined the European Community and ended the "special constitutional status of the Roman Catholic church."

On the other, how does one define freedom? Ireland governs itself, but will it ever be free of English influence? Here, once more, I think of traditional, non-European colonization. Look at Buenos Aires? It is forever a mark of European influence in Argentina. What language is more commonly spoken in Ireland, Irish or English?

So my response? Ireland is free, politically, but, by virtue of geographical proximity and cultural ties, not to mention historical involvement, Ireland will never be able to fully shake off England's presence.

(Source)