Do you think there will be a united Ireland before the end of the decade?

[KenDodd]

Yabu = no
Yanbu = yes

There’s also welsh water being pumped into england that could be used to the welsh advantage

Also, can folk please stop referring to Ireland as Dublin?

I must say, it’s quite nice to read a thread like this which is absent of the nasty comments which are quickly garnered on any thread which even mentions Scottish independence.

A reasonable and intelligent discussion. No name calling and the like.

Anyway, not wishing to derail into a Scottish independence barny.

I agree with many posters that I never imagined seeing reunification during my lifetime, but Brexit has changed a lot and will change a lot. It will be interesting to see if the tide does change towards reunification or NI separating from the rest of the UK.

Eventually yes. But not within the next decade. 30 years plus. Maybe even 100

I can’t see NI going it alone.
I can see NI uniting with the ROI, but creating an new country and hopefully with support from the EU.

I can see NI uniting with the ROI, but creating an new country

Wouldn’t that be ‘Ireland’?

Or what did you have in mind?

@Mlou32 I know right? It's like RTE news "Dublin and the rest or Ireland "

I think the realistic theory in the Taoiseachs office would be a sort of devolved region.

Some degree of self governance, like the federal system States in the US, as long as the laws of the land and taxation were aligned. And agriculture, definitely.

Mind you, I'm not sure how much they could do differently in practice. We have already seen with Brexit how difficult it is to have two systems, hence the Irish Sea border solution.

But I think the idea is to give as much autonomy as it's practically possible for a province in a small island to have. There is a recognition that many MPs in NI would only agree to it as long as they could keep Stormont and not have to come down to Dublin to the Dail. The indignity!

I suspect in practice Stormont would essentially become a very big County Council.

@LaurieMarlow
I mean the existing constitution of the ROI would need to be scrapped.
They would likely need to consider provincial governments as well to allow for inclusivity.

I mean the existing constitution of the ROI would need to be scrapped.

Hmm. Interesting. Not sure how that could be tabled in ROI.

The provincial point is interesting too. Politically at least, the provinces don’t have much autonomy in ROI. I guess Munster and Connaught would have to be granted significant powers in line with what Ulster would expect.

I guess Munster and Connaught would have to be granted significant powers in line with what Ulster would expect.

All Hail the People's Republic of Cork!

They’d love that

We might let in Kerry as a vassal state, but only if they asked very nicely.

I mean the existing constitution of the ROI would need to be scrapped.

Not necessarily scrapped but there would need to be significant changes. It would be about finding a balance. The needs and wants of those of us in the south need to be considered too.

I guess Munster and Connaught would have to be granted significant powers in line with what Ulster would expect.

I can't see Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan wanting to be part of a devolved Ulster. However, a 6 county partial province with some level of devolved powers, similar to Wales maybe (I think they're less devolved than Scotland, but am open to correction) could work as an interim approach.

@Phosphor - We might let in Kerry as a vassal state, but only if they asked very nicely.

That would give ye the Healy-Raes. Do you really want that?

Excellent point, @OchonAgusOchonO. On the other hand, who else would deal with fairy forts messing with the roads? It's not really Simon Coveney's style. He's crap with the Sídhe.

It’s interesting to debate the details.

Although I think enough support in ROI could be drummed up, I start to realise that it would only be if the unification was mostly on their terms.

Scrapping the constitution wouldn’t fly I don’t think. Some revision, fine, but mostly token stuff.

Finding cultural common ground between
the ROI and the DUP types will always be a huge challenge. And I speak as someone whose social circle mostly consists of Southern Protestants.

Very true @Phosphor. It's important to be on the right side of the Sídhe.

It's not really Simon Coveney's style. He's crap with the Sídhe.

He is

@LaurieMarlow - Although I think enough support in ROI could be drummed up, I start to realise that it would only be if the unification was mostly on their terms.

That is true. I think people would be willing to give some reasonable concessions but nothing that would sniff of going backwards to closer ties to Britain. For example, I can't imagine re-joining the commonwealth being acceptable whereas it would probably bring some of the milder unionists on board.

DUP types will always be a huge challenge.

Has the attitude of the DUP and unionists changed at all over recent years? In that, it really couldn't have been clearer how little people and politicians in England care about them?

Finding cultural common ground between the ROI and the DUP types will always be a huge challenge. And I speak as someone whose social circle mostly consists of Southern Protestants.

I think most Southern Protestants would struggle to find common ground with the DUP.

For example, I can't imagine re-joining the commonwealth being acceptable whereas it would probably bring some of the milder unionists on board.

Yeah, no way.

ROI is quite invested in its emerging identity as a progressive, modern, independent, European nation. There won’t be much interest in anything that flies in the face of that.

Perhaps it’s not as likely as I thought!

I think most Southern Protestants would struggle to find common ground with the DUP.

Yup. There’s nothing.

@KenDodd - Has the attitude of the DUP and unionists changed at all over recent years?

Not really. They are still more British than the British themselves. They're stuck in the 1950's. Or the 1650's for some of them.