As an Irishman, I’ve yearned all my life to see a united Ireland. It’s a obviously an extremely complex matter that can’t be explained a single post but there are a few issues we could touch on.
1. First and foremost, under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, a majority of voters in both the North and the Republic would have to vote for it. In the North, that majority is not there yet. In the South, it probably is but not as overwhelming as the outsider might think.
2. The Unionists in the North have, unfortunately for them, become an aberration. Britain no longer wants them, the days of Thatcher and Paisley are long gone. The so-called Conservative and Unionist party has proved that it is willing to break up the union to realize their Brexit ambitions. Obviously I would love if they would get on board with being Irish rather than British but asking someone to change their very perception of themselves and their sense of nationhood is a very tough ask.
3. Brexit could well be the catalyst for a united Ireland. The EU will not agree to a trade deal with the UK that closes the border in Ireland. The border will have to be in the Irish Sea. This will put the North in a separate legal and customs situation to the rest of the UK. It could be this will lead if not to a united Ireland, then maybe a kind of federal United States of Ireland.
Ultimately, I wish for peace and prosperity for all who live on our island. As a Republican, I think the best way to achieve that is by uniting, but I understand why Unionists and Loyalists might not agree.
