[Closed] Irish Reunification

He would immediately lose his working majority in the Commons when the DUP desert him in disgust?

I don't think you fully grasp the depth of division involved here.

I don't either but I still have to listen, most weeks in the summer,  to thousands of people, very few of whom are Irish, marching up and down  banging drums and remembering events that happened 329 years ago.

Boris can't fix that. He can only make it worse.

You've missed a very important point - do the Republic want the 6 counties back?

You’ve missed a very important point – do the Republic want the 6 counties back?

I'm assuming the ROI would need a referendum too.

You only need to look at a map to see that Northern Ireland has no business being British.

Other than an emotional connection to the people of NI, would anyone on here object?

Not to the idea, but I would to the elements of the loyalist nutjob brigade who would quite possiblty migrate to near me in the west coast of Scotland bringing even more of that sort of nonsense with them. And I don't need any more of that, thanks.

@ loddrik - NI is part of the UK, it is not in Great Britain

The “Irish Troubes” permanently resolved.

Very much doubt that.

If you think Brexit is divisive, it'll be nothing compared to the bloody mess of a NI reunification referendum. No amount of "the will of the people" is going to convince the other side, and worse if it's a tiny majority like Brexit.

The "troubles" were in part resolved or at least put on hold, because of the open border which was facilitated by both UK and Ireland being in the EU. There is no solution with Brexit that keeps this resolved other then revoke Article 50 or Ireland quits the EU and has an open border with the UK (or joins the UK!). Everything else will spark anger somewhere (border in Irish sea, a "virtual" border, border between Ireland and EU, etc. They're all reasons for someone to shove a bomb somewhere).

OR!!!!
Send all the folk who live in NI south of the border, then give the NI land to the Israelis for a Jewish home state and they can leave the Palestinians to their desert fun.

After all, Boris is Britain Trump. He could solve all of these issues, (See no backstop border issue now!), get the whole Korea thing sorted as well and basically out Trump the Donald and be back in time for tea and crumpets. Can-do I say!

Not to the idea, but I would to the elements of the loyalist nutjob brigade who would quite possiblty migrate to near me in the west coast of Scotland bringing even more of that sort of nonsense with them. And I don’t need any more of that, thanks.

Aye fair do's.

Corbyn/Labour are in favour of IR. Polling says the majority of Tories would drop NI in favour of Brexit.

You only need to look at a map to see that Northern Ireland has no business being British.

By this logic Scotland and Wales should cease to exist and the whole island should be England. What about Portugal? Andorra, I could go on.

I suspect that most "unionists" in NI are fed up of it all and would rather be with Eire in the EU than with the UK outside it.

Militant unionists and " the unionist community" are not the same thing. I suspect a decent majority for reunification if the UK crashes out and thus no real nastyness from the unionist paramilitaries - whoa re basically criminal gangs anyway.

The “troubles” were in part resolved or at least put on hold, because of the open border which was facilitated by both UK and Ireland being in the EU. There is no solution with Brexit that keeps this resolved other then revoke Article 50 or Ireland quits the EU. Everything else will spark anger somewhere (border in Irish sea, a “virtual” border, border between Ireland and EU, etc. They’re all reasons for someone to shove a bomb somewhere).

Neither of which are likely to happen. Hence IR being a potential solution.

@scotroutes - for balance, the Tories would sell their own children for bio-fuel if they thought it would further their shitty careers. This was never about sovereignty, it's about a bunch of pricks from Eton wrestling power from each other and stamping all over those less fortunate than them

You only need to look at a map to see that Northern Ireland has no business being British.

What about all the other islands and remote bits of GB?

Part of the problem in NI is that geographically part of it wants to be part of the UK and part want's to be with the republic, so just 'letting' it join the republic would piss of about as many people as it pleased.

I suspect that most “unionists” in NI are fed up of it all and would rather be with Eire in the EU than with the UK outside it.

It would be easy to reach that conclusion but as an outsider looking-in, I'd rather not.

The immediate downside is it would jeopardise the progress that has been made in NI towards a sustainable peace. And surely it is only really worth having a referendum if it has a reasonable chance of succeeding - certainly I think more people are in favour of a united Ireland today than may have been the case in the past, but it still feels like a big leap to say it would be a majority.

It would be easy to reach that conclusion but as an outsider looking-in, I’d rather not.

Fair enough but thats the jist I get from reading around it. My best guess but that is all it is

We pretty much have offered them a new ref: The NI Act 1998 has provision for a new referendum: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/irish-reunification

Not sure it would pass though (see graph at the bottom!)

Not to the idea, but I would to the elements of the loyalist nutjob brigade who would quite possiblty migrate to near me in the west coast of Scotland bringing even more of that sort of nonsense with them.

Quite terrifying prospect actually

Do people really want to go back to trouble time?

The backstop is just EU stirring up issues ...

Boris is the last hope for Conservative party at the moment and if he makes a one wrong move they will disappear from history same goes with Labour. These two main parties are in trouble times at the moment.

I’m assuming the ROI would need a referendum too.

The whole democratic approach to re-unification is laid out in the Good Friday Agreement.

It will probably be by super-majority referendum in both territories to avoid any 48/52 nonsense.

Yes, it will happen. Maybe not this year or next, but it will happen. The demographics will come into play and there will soon be a Catholic, republic leaning majority in the north.

Then some politician will come along (maybe not one of the present lot) with an eye to his or her legacy. Think Tone B. Liar, and he will give anything and everything away just to prove how good he/she is. Tone gave just about everything to the IRA to get them to stop killing people - that hasn't really worked has it. What happened to the weapons? No-one knows. Soldiers can be prosecuted but not the terrorists/freedom fighters. His latter day successor will similarly give away everything to "solve the crisis". As with everything the will of the people will count for little. If you don't think that then just remember how hard our elected representatives are working to try and defeat the result of the democratically held Brexit referendum!

It will happen, when one or other of the main parties has a big enough majority to totally ignore the Ulster MPs and other dissenters. There will be a massive publicity campaign; Project Fear Mk2. Then the change will be steamrollered through.

It might be five years, or ten, or even twenty, but in the context of the centuries old conflict that is a very short timescale.

And if you read the history of the island and the various factions that have been wielding influence over the centuries the present set up makes no sense at all. Everything, all through history, has been a pig's ear of a mess, long before Cromwell, the Apprentice Boys or the Battle of the Boyne.

RoI has a higher GDP per capita than UK, but I suspect they'd find the net expenditure of taking on NI to be financially crippling. Not saying it couldn't be done, but UK would have to hand over a big dowry.

Have you seen the DUP?

Do they look like rational people to you?

And you've heard of these guys, right? Do you think they've gone away? That they've all taken up basket weaving and pottery classes?

As someone who spent a lot of time in Newry (bandit country) and Derry at the height of the troubles, one of the most depressing aspects of this whole debacle is just how little the Brexiteers understand about Irish History. And it is a willful ignorance. They seem to care even less

You’ve missed a very important point – do the Republic want the 6 counties back?

but I suspect they’d find the net expenditure of taking on NI to be financially crippling.

I think Eire is a great place but I would worry that NI and all the crap that goes with it would just be a drain on their finances and other places would suffer

Born in NI before the Troubles started and grew up there. If you think that Brexit is becoming a subject with quasi-religious polarisation, the subject of reunification would take that up a notch or several. The headbangers are already capable of civil unrest, so giving them a new cause to fight over is terrifying.

The “Irish Troubes” permanently resolved.

You must realise the reason for conflict is that there are groups on both side of the the argument?

Its a simple majority in NI according to the belfast agreement - I suppose it could be agreed it would have to be a super majority?

1. The participants endorse the commitment made by the British and Irish Governments that, in a new British-Irish Agreement replacing the Anglo-Irish Agreement, they will:

(i) recognise the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland;

(ii) recognise that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by agreement between the two parts respectively and without external impediment, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given, North and South, to bring about a united Ireland, if that is their wish, accepting that this right must be achieved and exercised with and subject to the agreement and consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland;

(iii) acknowledge that while a substantial section of the people in Northern Ireland share the legitimate wish of a majority of the people of the island of Ireland for a united Ireland, the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and, accordingly, that Northern Ireland’s status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people;

(iv) affirm that if, in the future, the people of the island of Ireland exercise their right of self-determination on the basis set out in sections (i) and (ii) above to bring about a united Ireland, it will be a binding obligation on both Governments to introduce and support in their respective Parliaments legislation to give effect to that wish;

(v) affirm that whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, the power of the sovereign government with jurisdiction there shall be exercised with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions and shall be founded on the principles of full respect for, and equality of, civil, political, social and cultural rights, of freedom from discrimination for all citizens, and of parity of esteem and of just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos, and aspirations of both communities;

(vi) recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland.

2. The participants also note that the two Governments have accordingly undertaken in the context of this comprehensive political agreement, to propose and support changes in, respectively, the Constitution of Ireland and in British legislation relating to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland.

I spent a bit of time in the north and in the south. And have a lot of Irish friends from both sides of the border.
I would not be happy discussing this with any of them.

There's a reason nobody is really actively pushing for reunification. Joint EU membership and the Good Friday Agreement means It's effectively been parked as an issue.

The Brexiteers seem to have no appreciation of this. A return to a de facto civil war in Ireland is something else they're willing to endorse in pursuit of their ideological lunacy.

Nobody else in any part of Ireland, bar the men in balaclava's, want to see a return to that. Ever.

The ERG idiots around Boris seem to have no comprehension of how emotionally charged the idea of a hard border in Ireland is. But that's nationalism for you. This whole thing is driven by English exceptionalism which doesn't have a good track record in Ireland

If they absolutely insist on pursuing a hard Brexit, which will necessitate some kind of hard border, no matter what their unicorn-based thinking says, then Irish reunification is inevitable

But it would be a long and bloody road to get there

It is one of the beauties of the current situation that the Tory PM has no room to manoeuvre on NI. Now he's in, if he even hints at closer ties between the ROI and NI, the DUP will pull the plug and it will be election time.

You must realise the reason for conflict is that there are groups on both side of the the argument?

Yep. Just thinking of how it could be "spun" by a UK government.

Can't say I'm a fan of super-majorities. I think there's a lot of resentment when the winning side lose.

The border is something even the ERG is going to have to get its head around, eventually. It has to be sorted or the US Congress will not give the UK a trade deal. That's something even they can't blame on the EU or remainers.

OP... you have no clue.

Both Scotland and Ireland rely on referendums that are at the pleasure of the uk government. No getting around that..

Irish unification wouldn't win just now anyhow, and Scottish independence is still a punt at best at the minute. If I was to put numbers on it, I'd say a UI is at least 30 years away, and an IS is 15 years away.

The backstop is just EU stirring up issues …

So, the UK leaves the EU, immediately throws away (say) EU food standards or safety standards or tariffs or import taxation or some such. The rest of the world can then ship inferior goods to NI (where there's no longer restrictions), into ROI (because there's no border checks) whereupon it can move anywhere else in the EU (cecause there's still no border checks).

And you think this is perfectly fine and the EU27 is just being awkward?

I can't fathom you out, chewkw. When you put your mind to it you can post some helpful and intelligent things, then you come out with utter idiocy like this. Either you need to do some reading or you're just trolling.

OP… you have no clue.

I assume that's why he posted. If you have no clue about something, is it not sensible to ask?

Cougar

I can’t fathom you out, chewkw.

I'm with this, really should cut out the trolling and just post actual opinions...Would be much more interesting.

throws away (say) EU food standards

Why would we do that? The UK standards are higher than the EU ones anyway.

Errmmm - no they are not and we have to do that to get the US trade deal Johnson is intent on getting

There’s a reason nobody is really actively pushing for reunification. Joint EU membership and the Good Friday Agreement means It’s effectively been parked as an issue.

The Brexiteers seem to have no appreciation of this. A return to a de facto civil war in Ireland is something else they’re willing to endorse in pursuit of their ideological lunacy.

Nobody else in any part of Ireland, bar the men in balaclava’s, want to see a return to that. Ever.

The DUP must want to see it - they're Brexiteers. Apart from that I agree with you.

There's a really easy solution to the backstop: NI remains part of both UK and EU customs union. Customs checks between GB and NI occur at Holyhead and Stranraer.

The only reason this isn't happening now is parliamentary arithmetic and DUP, who bizarrely consider themselves separate for abortion/gay rights etc, but joined up to UK for e.g food standards.

I suspect that if the arithmetic changes after a GE, this is the solution we'll end up with. No one apart from a few nutters will complain. NI voted remain after all. There are other parts of the UK (e.g London, Scotland) who would bite your hand off for such a deal.

Errmmm – no they are not

Errm - yes they are.

Animal welfare and processing standards in the UK are higher than the base EU ones.

If you think relative animal welfare standards are the issue with the whole border/backstop arrangements then you’re delusional

Ironically, like the Brexit vote itself, the things at play here are emotive, not legalise.

It’ll be a brave man who tries to construct any kind of physical border between north and south now, but in the event of a hard/no deal Brexit it will have to happen

Because otherwise it’s like asking the U.K. to enforce border control everywhere apart from Hollyhead, where they should just wave everything through unchecked with no customs controls.

What do you think would happen?

Would these Brexit nutters agree to that?

Of course they bloody wouldn’t!

But that’s what they’re asking the E.U. to do. Leave a hole in their external border just to suit them

If you're going to write Ireland as Gaeilge can you spell it correctly Éire not eire. two totally different words.

Also please find out what Éire is.

Reunification will certain happen it has always been a matter of time. The only hope is that reunification is achieved in a way that honours why the flags colours were chosen.

Maybe Ireland will join the UK.

What's that you say - don't be daft, that's never going to happen?

Aye, said that about brexit and boris as prime minister. Granted, this would be even more bizarre, but they way things are going...

What’s that you say – don’t be daft, that’s never going to happen?

Have a read of 800years of history then come back.

Maybe Ireland will join the UK.

Of all the fevered brexit hallucinations, up to and including our current Home Sec threatening Ireland with another famine, this is the maddest delusion I have heard.

Maybe Ireland will join the UK.

Don’t be daft.

croe

Member
Maybe Ireland will join the UK.

What’s that you say – don’t be daft, that’s never going to happen?

Aye, said that about brexit and boris as prime minister. Granted, this would be even more bizarre, but they way things are going…

If we're going to get silly, might as well suggest the eu27 should invade and occupy England! 😆

If we’re going to get silly, might as well suggest the eu27 should invade and occupy England!

Perish the thought! Can you imagine the paperwork that would be involved in that?

<div class="bbp-reply-author">dirk_pumpa
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OP… you have no clue.

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So enlighten me.

Shame the amount of effort we put into not getting along. Imagine that effort put towards creating a better UK or British isles

If the UK sits outside the EU then any marked difference in customs tariff regimes is likely to result in a recurrence of smuggling petrol, tobacco and drugs and a return of cross-border organised crime which in turn funded the purchase of weapons and the means to create mayhem. Brexiteer logic is to ignore this fact, plus the notion that we can somehow trade under WTO rules with 'leaky' borders is complete fantasy, like the technology that Boris thinks we can magic up to sort out the problem.

Why would we do that?

Doesn't matter whether we would, it matters that we could.

Whether UK standards are better or worse than the EU, our standards won't be recognised by the EU (unless, y'know, deal, tick tock) and that presents a problem.

However, at an event on Friday in Co Donegal, Varadkar warned that a no-deal Brexit could make some in Northern Ireland “question the union”. “People who you might describe as moderate nationalists or moderate Catholics, who were more or less happy with the status quo, will look more towards a united Ireland,” he said.

“And we will increasingly see liberal Protestants and liberal unionists starting to ask the question as to where they feel more at home: is it in a nationalist Britain that is talking about potentially reintroducing the death penalty, or something like that, or is it part of a European home and part of Ireland?”

If you’re going to write Ireland as Gaeilge can you spell it correctly Éire not eire. two totally different words.

Also please find out what Éire is.

That aimed at me?

Eire is how my computer spells it - not smart enough to put the accent in.

I was taught - and correct me if I am wrong - that the BBC way was the least offensive - refer to " the island of ireland" for the whole landmass and either Eire ( with no accent cos my 'puter is english) or " The republic of Ireland" for the political entity that controls most of the landmass of the island of Ireland

so - I am not being defensive or argumentative - please educate me

Tj - you can easily add the accent to the e. It's just press Alt Gr at the same time as the e. Now try harder and stop trolling.

It's interesting reading this in that so many of you Scottish guys haven't got a bleeding clue despite being closer to the problems there than the English. With sectarian shite in several of your cities you are still ignorant of many things.

Some of the comments on this thread are laughable. ****less Morons aplenty......

This for TJ’s benefit, with apologies to the OP for slight derailment...

To be fair, I have no problem with people not using the fada (that accent, literal meaning “long” - it broadens the vowel sound so e becomes “ay” instead of “eh”, a becomes “aw” etc). I have a fada in my name and no one really uses it - doesn’t bother me. I live in the U.K. and accents were (mostly) sensibly ditched a long time ago.

I think anyone criticising you for not spelling Éire correctly is being a bit over-sensitive. Irish people’s view on British people’s usage of “Éire” is difficult to explain as it’s so full of context and nuance. It’s a devil to put down in black and white. If I’m honest, it’s become a bit of a trigger 😀 word for me in the last couple of years as it seems to have become a word I hear or read daily in reference to Ireland because a lot of ignorant people (including many of our Tory friends on here, some who we cannot name...) now have an opinion on Ireland. Because, y’know, Brexit. But, opinions are like arseholes etc.

You’re in the U.K., speaking English. Just call it “Ireland.” I find it’s generally used by a certain type of person. I’m not saying everyone using it is being pejorative. But, generally, Irish people (not all of them of course) find it a bit on the condescending side. Yes, we know it’s on our passports, stamps, etc. but almost nobody in Ireland would say “I’m from Éire” unless they were saying it in Gaelic, in which case the form “Éirinn” would be used - something like “Is as Éirinn mé”, I think. The rules for why it changes could take a year to explain. 😀

There’s a certain way I get asked where I’m from sometimes when I’m chatting with people - it’ll be “So I can hear an Irish accent...are you from the south?” I know exactly what he or she means but there’s often a hidden context as to how they may view the island. I just do an inner sigh, and say “yes.” There’s no point correcting some people. That’s not to say I’m offended, per se. But again, it’s a bit of a micro-trigger.

So for your benefit TJ, as I realise you wouldn’t unnecessarily “offend” people, I’d avoid using “Éire” when referring to Ireland while speaking or writing in English. In the same way that you wouldn’t refer to Germany as Deutschland if you were chatting to a German person here. It’s pretty safe to assume, that in context, most people will realise you’re referring to RoI if you say “Ireland.” Just use “Northern Ireland” if you need to refer to the six counties.

Apologies again, that went on a bit.

DD - don't apologise.

People on here spend many many hours on the internet developing ninja level skills in 37-622 ERTRO so 5 seconds on the web to use the correct terms is nothing.

DD, thanks for the insight into the nuances of Irish terminology delivered with honesty and good grace. I dont know how anyone who is not Irish is supposed to find out from the internet, some of the subtleties you describe.

People have stated opinions here but have clearly highlighted that they not close enough to the situation to be clear on all the facts.

I dont think a description as ****less Morons is particularly helpful from someone that clearly got out of bed on the wrong side this morning.

People are showing an interest in politics in Ireland and NI despite the daily goings on in the Irish parliament not being every day news where we live. Also some elected MP's not taking seats at Westminster and an impasse preventing any political leadership at Stormont also are not helping to educate us on some of the finer points on what motivates people politically over the Irish Sea.

Elshalimo, you have said very little that is insightful. Now might be a good time to start.

It's called the Free State.

😉☘️🇨🇮🎣

It’s called the Free State

That was how my Northern Irish Catholic grandparents referred to it

In all seriousness, this is an excellent article which explains the "word wars" down through the years.

https://www.these-islands.co.uk/publications/i279/ireland_the_politics_of_nomenclature.aspx

But that’s what they’re asking the E.U. to do. Leave a hole in their external border just to suit them

Well to be fair that isn't as outrageous expectation as it might seem on the face of it. It's not like it's a normal boarder between any other country.It's with an ex-member state and an island state for that matter so a bit more secure than any other. The day after Brexit nothing material will have changed...our standards and systems will still be aligned and in place and will be for the foreseeable after Brexit, so no reason why things can't continue as normal. It is perfectly within the gift of he EU to be flexible on this IF the political will was there...and I'm sure it is. The difference is the EU are doing a proper job of approaching these negotiations in the spirit of what a true negotiation is, whereas we seem to be tripping up over ourselves with our infighting and people spending every effort to scupper Brexit altogether rather than working to get the best deal possible and ultimately completely screwing up any chances of executing a negotiation strategy with any credibility in the eyes of the EU. And the EU are exploiting that to their benefit. They are being ruthless as we should be.

In any negotiation there is always an element of calling the other sides bluff to see who blinks first, even if it means pushing for a position or outcome that isn't the most desirable for you. the EU are doing it to us...everything is on the table as far as they're concerned..every threat, every opportunity to get us over a barrel and we're just not coming to the party. Efforts from remainers to scupper Brexit is actually making a no deal situation more likely...if they just played an intelligent game and supported the negotiation for a good deal then we might just get a good deal, which would ultimately keep us more aligned to the EU and make it easier for us to re-join the EU in the future compared to coming from a position of a no-deal Brexit.

Dammit. I thought I was in safe territory by using Republuc of Ireland . Now I'm not so sure. Hardly surprising so many folk get it wrong though after reading that. Thanks.

The day after Brexit nothing material will have changed…our standards and systems will still be aligned and in place and will be for the foreseeable after Brexit, so no reason why things can’t continue as normal.

You have just described the Withdrawal Agreement and Irish Backstop.

Me too scotroutes!

It is perfectly within the gift of he EU to be flexible on this IF the political will was there…and I’m sure it is.

simply wrong - against EU law and of course would mean under trading rules we would have to offer tariff free access for every country to UK markets.

Interesting article Crimsondynamo

Did you know that during WW2 Churchill offered Northern Ireland to Valera, in return for the use of Irish ports to fight the U Boats

Just to expand on DD a fraction Ulster does not equal NI.

The day after Brexit nothing material will have changed…our standards and systems will still be aligned and in place and will be for the foreseeable after Brexit, so no reason why things can’t continue as normal

I'm afraid that thinking that this lot of far-right, free-market ideologues don't intend to tear up a job lot of regulations the second we're out of the EU is hopelessly naive

That's their holy grail. Its the whole reason they're so determined to do this. Its an article of faith to these headbangers. The EU is all that prevented them from doing it already. Regulatory alignment with the EU won't last 5 minutes once we're out. The EU knows this full-well, which is why they won't budge on the backstop.

The main reason that the ERG voted against Mays deal was that it involved continued regulatory alignment. If you're going to do that, that destroys the whole point of leaving in the first place. They want to be free of EU regulation so they can torch them in a race to the bottom. That's the whole point of Brexit for them. Bye-bye workers rights. Bye-bye food standards. Bye-bye environmental controls. All that will be history the second we're out.

So an open border would then be a back door into Europe for GM crops, hormone-injected beef, chlorine-washed chicken, money laundering, tax evasion and all manner of other joys that we in the UK will have to look forward too once 'free of the shackles' of the EU. An open, porous 300-mile-long border would quickly become the wild west

Funnily enough I've been wondering about Iris reunification in a Brexit context but more from the angle of whether it's possible that it could be forced on the UK (as a result of posting in the monsterous EU referendum thread).

I'm not great on politics, but did post on the EU Referendum thread as mentioned and, if I understood the answers to my posts regarding the backstop and 'No Deal' correctly, then a No Deal Brexit isn't a legal option, the Withdrawal Agreement prohibits a hard border in NI under EU law whilst it's also prohibited under international law under the Good Friday Agreement. However if Boris goes down the No Deal route then a hard border is inevitable as the EU wouldn't sanction and open border between itself and a non-EU state; we'd be left as a rogue state and something of a pariah.

In the meantime the UK Government and the DUP have rather taken their eye of the ball as far as NI is concerned; the Power Sharing Executive has been down for some years, ostensibly as Sien Feinn won't work with Arlene Foster; she on the other hand has been playing power politics in Westminster propping up the Tories and this unholy alliance has ignored NI, during which time there have been shootings, at least one bombing and the murder of Lyra McKee.

I see the DUP accepting a hard border as it effectively annexes NI further binding it closer to the UK and whilst removing it from Ireland, but I can't see the Republicans accepting it and I really can see it as the flash point that re-ignites the troubles fully. If this were to happen I could see reunification being pushed as a means to resolve this by other countries prior to dealing with the rebel UK, not least the USA whose Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has already stated that the UK won't get a favourable trade deal with the US if the Good Friday Agreement is compromised.

I'm probably being politically naive but the NI issues has the potential to really cause trouble.

It hadn't occured to me that perhaps Ireland wouldn't want NI back but it would leave them dealing with the inevitable Loyalist terrorism problem

Did you know that during WW2 Churchill offered Northern Ireland to Valera, in return for the use of Irish ports to fight the U Boats

What would the Swiss hair specialists want with NI?

RoI has a higher GDP per capita than UK, but I suspect they’d find the net expenditure of taking on NI to be financially crippling. Not saying it couldn’t be done, but UK would have to hand over a big dowry.

Yup. I don't know why this isn't talked about more: the UK spends a hefty wedge on NI and the RoI simply doesn't have the resources to sustain it without making its population considerably worse off.

What would the Swiss hair specialists want with NI?

😂

As well as a UK dowry, the EU would certainly help out. Ireland has been a very good investment. A classic case of a net beneficiary developing to become a net contributor, which is how it's meant to work out.

I’ve seen this assumption that the uk would have to fund reunification mentioned in various places and find it ridiculous. The population vote to leave one union to join another and expect the paid to do so. That would be like the uk going to the eu and saying “we’ve voted to leave and pay us a big wedge of cash the make sure we are not impacted financially”. Funnily enough the exact opposite is happening where the eu want paid for the impact to them for a decision that was not theirs.
The idea of moderates switching could well be true but it will be based on weighing up which benefits them the most as the loss of access to the nhs etc might outweigh being in the eu. As someone who would be part of any vote I would hope I would take all points into consideration rather the traditional voting lines.
Ultimately people need to understand that a vote for a ui would be agreeing to join that country and abide by its rules. Not some halfway house where you keep the best parts of both. Sounds familiar doesn’t it (brexit).
*note: my use of lowercase mid sentence is laziness and should not be interpreted as some political meanings.

It looks like Sinn Fein are pushing for a vote in response to a no deal Brexit:-

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/31/sinn-fein-border-poll-ireland-unity-must-follow-no-deal-brexit