It is fashionable nowadays to talk about ‘reuniting Ireland’. It was not always so. I notice another article in yesterday’s Irish Times by a professor in LSE called Christopher Kissane –‘Time to Start planning for a united Ireland.’ (IT1 May2017).That paper recently sent a reporter to me to ask me my views about a United Ireland. These were published about a month ago. I said then that the position of unionists should be central in any discussion about reunification. This is not an entirely original proposition. Indeed, it is one that is reiterated by Kissane in the I.Times. yesterday.
There has been, it would appear, in progressive republican circles, a growing sense that Ireland is already re-unified. That belief is still held in spite of Brexit. It is believed that with the Good Friday Agreement all the pieces are in place for a smooth transition to a reunified Ireland. The transfer of sovereignty is now all that needs to happen. That process will take place when a border poll results in a majority in favour of reunification. Adopting this attitude requires that republicans think and act in an open and generous way so as to encourage unionists who find great difficulty in accepting this new reality to work together for the good of all citizens on this small island and to encourage a new culture of respect for all. Brexit could be an opportunity to further promote this attitude.
The task now for all republicans and nationalists is to make the already re-unified Ireland acceptable to Unionist neighbours. A reunified country must be an Ireland in which Unionists feel comfortable and in which their culture is protected. This is a time of transition and is a time for reconciliation and healing of past hurts where that is possible. Unionists must be at the centre of the reunification process. Brexit has made this task somewhat more difficult and yet it might eventually help in the process of convincing a section of Unionism-especially the farming community, that their best interests lie in an all-island economy within the EU. Their future in an isolated and dissembling United kingdom is bleak, to say the least. The EU has made it clear that if a northern referendum should choose reunification at a future date then the north will return to the EU with the whole island.
Since the last Assembly election when Nationalists gained the largest number of seats we have already moved into a new political phase. This change has been brought about by among other things: 1. Brexit and the majority Remain vote in the north 2. Changing demographics 3. The growing momentum for Irish reunification 4. Scotland’s progress towards independence 5. Growing appreciation of Irish language and culture among all sections especially the young 6. The results of the Assembly Election March 2017 which returned a majority of Nationalists to the Assembly in Stormont.
All of this will sound disturbing to those pro-British writers in the Sunday Indo and who are totally opposed to Irish reunification because they want their little 26 county republic to have nothing to do with ‘the nort’. It will come as bad news to the right wingers in Ireland who do not want change of any kind.
On the other hand, it will come as good news to all those –republican and unionist who are interested in creating a New Ireland where there is harmony, prosperity and equality; an Ireland where there is a more vibrant and self-reliant economy and an Ireland where there is respect for all who are democratically elected to represent the people who live here. It will be an Ireland which is going to be free from British government interference for the first time in centuries. At long last, there is some light at the end of the tunnel and the possibility of lasting peace and justice in Ireland. That should lead to a more prosperous economy for all –not just the few. That is something that everybody, with the interests of all the people on this island at heart, can celebrate.
Around 18% of the total valid electorate in N. Ireland voted for Sinn Fein at the last assembly election. Much as I would like to see a United Ireland I can’t understand where this sudden burst of enthusiasm, that it will happen in the near future, is coming from ..??
BREXIT is the sudden burst of enthusiasm !!! Brexit is bad for all sides of the community in these Six Counties. That is why sensible Unionists voted to Remain.
What majority of nationalists to stormont??? At best you could claim 40 nationalist v 40 unionist and 10 others, its going to take another couple of election cycles before there is a nationalist majority and with stormont now looking mothballed god knows when that might be.
boondock
Yes I am not sure where Joe gets a majority of seats for nationalists,particularly when the common assumption here is that Alliance are unionist.
I do think some people are getting a bit inebriated with their own exuberance to paraphrase Disraeli. We do not know how Brexit will pan out and we have no grounds for assuming it would persuade people to vote yes in a referendum.
But apart from that I agree with him that nationalists need to start the task of making a united Ireland workable with a large minority of unionists in it.
well.they could start employing the minority .painting the postboxes green,putting tricolours up on public buildings,removing statues ect.ect.
billy
That’s the spirit!
well somebodys gonna have to do it the day after the votes in.oh and the norn ireland football team will have to be disbanded on the same day.all change eh.
Bruno, when this island becomes one state there won’t be any unionists in it – except on holidays. I say this, meaning there won’t be any Union to aspire to. So if it takes the retention of dual citizenship and the English language to keep the ex unionists content, why not? Once the option of being in the UK is removed it will be gone for good. If I was a seeker of British citizenship and all the fine things that would make you want to be a British citizen, then I could still have them – albeit in Ireland. Just like now. If I could not bear the thought of bilingual signage, then I would move. Imagine Prince Charles having a holiday home in the Sperrins in the new Ireland and nobody passing any remarks. His GBPs would be very welcome. Nationalists would like a 90+% in a poll but we’ll accept 50+1.
So in this mythical “agreed” united Ireland, Unionists wouldn’t aspire for a United Kingdom, in exactly the same way as republicans aspired to a Republic for the last 100 years?
What would be the point? Unless the taliban take over here, there will be no change in homosexuality laws.
fiosrach
You are applying logic to what would be an emotional position.
Eventually the number of people aspiring to a return to union with the UK (whatever is left of it) would dwindle I suppose, but in the short term people will still feel the same surely.
There will be concerns about sectarianism and/or discrimination towards those of a unionist background and efforts will have to be made to allay those concerns.
Such fears may have no basis in reality of course given the routine vitriol we see aimed at unionists on sites like this it is understandable that they may worry about how welcome they will be.
Some may say it would be a taste of their own medicine, but I would like to think we would aspire to be better than simply repeating the mistakes of the past.
Bruno, in 1914 and 1939 the Germans were raping nuns and eating babies – alive. Up until the 60s there were comics racially abusing the “nips”. Now we’re all friends in spite of the vitriol. Well, there’s an odd jingo still won’t buy German or Japanese cars but they’ll all soon be dead. That’s what happens in times of conflict. We ‘hate’ each other sometimes to the point of killing each other. Maybe we need a short sharp shock without the usual referees.
fiosrach
Did you see where I said ‘in the short term’?
This is Ireland, Gio. The short term is about 200 years. 😉
The mere fact that we can discuss a reunited Ireland out in the open now as a reasonable and likely outcome within a generation is beautiful to me. I don’t care if it doesn’t come about in my lifetime. It used to be something I loved to discuss in a smokey bar after a rake of pints. A bar-stool republican I suppose. But now its front and centre for good.
@ Freddie.
What practical improvements would a united Ireland bring to you?
Kevin, are you opposed to a United ireland? What practical improvement do you want or need?
@ Fiosrach.
Well, I would respectfully suggest that your first problem is that as the numbers stack up today, I’m not overly persuaded by a united Ireland with Enda Kenny as Chief and Snarlene as Tanaiste.
This is your pet project – sell it to me….
Kevin dont you understand it is a New Ireland we suggest and Free Staters and DUP will not be favoured. Unionists will have all of their rights maintained in the new Constitution of a United Ireland.
Kev, possibly you haven’t heard, but Enda is on his way out (semi-voluntarily) to pasture this year, and unless Arlene starts to improve her results, her party will despatch her to pasture – so your two problems will not really exist!
Well it won’t happen until the numbers do stack up, obviously. And when it happens you will have a vote as to who leads the country. One vote same as the rest of us. If you prefer the status quo, that’s ok too.
Kevin ,you need to think beyond the present set-up….it’s a new agreed Ireland we’re talking about…..where you and everyone else has a say in it’s formation and structure. God forbid that anyone would that excuse for a weasel , Kenny , anywhere near a position of authority again ans as for Arlene…she’ll be long gone….I see a Peter Punt future already beckoning….
@ Eolach.
You cant just wish away the present incumbents because they are uncomfortable truths. When Kenny goes he will be replaced by someone equally as despicable, maybe Lucinda Creighton who said Catholics brought it on themselves.
And when Snarlene is replaced it will be by a different bigot, probably Ian Og that wants RUC assassins presented with medals.
You won’t just be able to wish these people away. They far outweigh your mandate….
So let’s hear of the glories of the New Ireland now…
I’m afraid you have maligned poor Lucinda. She may well have had such thoughts, but it was actually chief whip Regina Doherty who said that ‘Catholics brought it on themselves’!
Oh, Fine Gael bigots with ridiculous names all merge into a Blueshirt oneness.
Any chance of addressing the point though?
You would have trouble with democracy in a new Ireland,then Kevin? You’re happy enough with the present setup?
Ohh, I have plenty to say about the current sectarian.statelets…..but this is YOUR project, sell it to us….
Yes there are people who won’t eat grapes because they have pips in them….there is no problem that’s insurmountable , I’m an optimist …my glass is always half full…..a worry will not change tomorrow but it will ruin today.
Do you think you can sell that optimism to militant Loyalism?
Kevin , as I’ve said many times before ,when the brave boys in “militant loyalism” have to face their adversaries on their own without the British war machine , no free runs home without checkpoints , no police and army directing them to easy picked -out targets , when they have to face what the IRA faced , their insurgency won’t last a week….and their sleeked politicians will have long abandoned them and made shady deals elsewhere.
@ Eolach.
As the Provos showed, it only requires a relatively small group of highly motivated, highly committed paramilitaries to create havoc.
An infrastructure of sympathetic Loyal lodges, bands,heritage & history offer a platform to militancy on a much higher lebel than the Provos ever enjoyed.
Add to that the military training and experience, and easy access to both legal and illegal weaponry, and that’s a potentially lethal cocktail.
You sleepwalk into that at your peril….
So violence or indeed the threat of violence works then? We will have no more criticism of violent republicanism then? Or is it only unionist violence allowed?
So we’ll continue to hide behind fairy tale politics then. Politics that have been shunned by all sides in Ireland.
Silly talk Kevin, again you speak when you have no knowledge. A lot more than what you say is required.
“An infrastructure of sympathetic Loyal lodges, bands,heritage & history offer a platform to militancy on a much higher lebel than the Provos ever enjoyed.”
Are you kidding- do you even believe what you write? Have a large group of sectarian people who like drinking and marching does not equal infrastructure.
There would have to be years of crippling oppression and discrimination to motivate the right group of professionals, thinkers, politicans etc. to engage in a war that they would likely lose (or at least be killed).
Sleep walk indeed.