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Nicola Sturgeon’s visit to the Irish Seanad turned into a love-in for Scottish independence today after senators spoke in favour of a UK split.

Politicians of all major Irish parties defied convention and commented on a foreign state’s domestic issues by backing the First Minister’s goal of creating a Scottish nation state at a historic reception in Dublin.

And they gave the SNP leader a rapturous reception as she became the first serving head of government to speak to the Seanad, the upper chamber of Ireland’s parliament.

(Image: PA)

Sturgeon only briefly referred to independence in her speech, which largely focused on the challenges posed to Scotland and Ireland by Brexit.

But the Scottish national question dominated subsequent questions to the First Minister from the senators.

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Former Irish deputy prime minister Michael McDowell set the tone by explicitly backing an independent Scotland and predicting the nation would “benefit” from self-government.

And his point was repeated by a large number of other senators.

Singer-turned-politician Frances Black told Sturgeon: “I do wish you all the best in fighting for independence for your country.”

(Image: Twitter)

And even Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin - whose Irish Labour Party is a sister party to UK Labour - said it is now “inevitable” that “Scotland will take its place in the nations of the world”.

Senator Mark Daly, from Fine Fail, simply asked Sturgeon what his party and Ireland could do to help her achieve independence.

The Irish public has long been sympathetic towards Scottish independence but high profile politicians from the Republic largely avoided voicing their support during the 2014 referendum.

But the result of the EU referendum in June - and the constitutional chaos it has caused in all parts of the British isles - appears to have made them more outspoken on the issue.

Fine Fail leader Micheal Martin has already backed fast-tracked membership of the EU for an independent Scotland.

And Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny risked the wrath of the UK Government by agreeing to speak up for Scotland with other EU leaders in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit result.

Sturgeon appeared surprised by the strength of backing for independence in the Seanad.

“This is a historic occasion which will live with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

She added: “I could not agree more with the comment that independence for Ireland was transformational for the country.

“And my nationalism, my belief in independence, is in exactly the same vein. Independence for Scotland is not an end in itself but a means to an end.”

(Image: Getty)

The First Minister’s visit to the Seanad was the culmination of a two-day trip to the Irish capital aimed at strengthening ties between Scotland and Ireland in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Scotland voted to stay - by 62 per cent to 38 per cent - with every single council area backing the Remain camp.

Sturgeon said how the UK responds to the referendum result will define Scotland for generations to come.

“If the path that the UK takes turns out to be deeply damaging to Scotland’s interests - to our economic, social, cultural and interactional interests - then the people of Scotland must have the right to choose a different future,” she told senators.

“We understand - acutely understand - none of what lies ahead is easy, but nothing about Brexit is going to be easy.”