North and South

Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan

If politics is downstream of culture, then culture is where we need to look

Fintan O’Toole: If a Border poll is going to happen, it will be crucial the proposition is not just a slogan

Moving back and forth between Derry and Donegal is the most natural thing in the world in that little corner of Ireland where we try to ignore the Border

People on either side of the Border are on different pages when it comes to the compromises a united Ireland ultimately requires

Research finds some differences on social issues, such as abortion

The big division across the two jurisdictions remains that of national identification

We invite readers to share their views on the project which sought to examine attitudes about the future of the island, and the likely outcomes of any Border polls.

The quantitative survey was conducted among over 1,000 voters each in both jurisdictions.

The latest findings of the North and South poll explores what an all-island party system might look like

Just 12% of voters in Republic and 11% in North view preparations for unity referendum as a top priority

The three most important issues are housing, health and economic growth

New ESRI research finds mothers in Republic face ‘starker choice’ between full-time employment and not working

North and South: Lack of personal connection may be a significant barrier to Irish unity

The project consists of two major opinion polls conducted simultaneously in Northern Ireland and the Republic, and a series of focus groups to tease out issues

Two-thirds of people in the Republic say they have no friends in Northern Ireland as research shows partition has become a fact

North and South: We examined whether cross-Border connections decrease with distance from the Border

Chances of a united Ireland coming to pass in decades ahead are remote, but endless speculation has put issue at centre of political debate

Optimism bias seriously clouds the judgment of some supporters of unification who imagine that Britain would somehow pick up the tab

The measure could create constitutional blowholes all over the landscape of Ireland’s putative reunification

Sharp exchanges between former Sinn Féin leader and Fine Gael senator Emer Currie at Oireachtas Committee

There is potential for an Ireland in which the Republic and North could share membership of the European Union without having to share a constitution

Some voting rights attach to Irish citizenship, but new thinking needed to accommodate many in a new State

Series shows enthusiasm for a Border poll, but populations far apart on many other issues

Advocates must convince Northern voters of economic benefits and future growth prospects

Big difference between believing ‘in’ something and believing you are then required to do something about it

Negotiated changes to protocol is most popular option among voters

Northern Ireland poll: EU membership an attraction for many voters in Northern Ireland

Voters from Catholic background back EU membership overwhelmingly while majority from Protestant background want to stay outside bloc

Voters want to know what a united Ireland means before any referendum, but unionist politicians won’t want any such discussions until after a referendum

Plus we asked voters what a United Ireland government should look like

Pat Leahy: Poll shows voters want shape of united Ireland worked out in advance but North and South differ on what that shape should be

Northern voters prefer to keep separate institutions such as Assembly, along with devolved powers

The evidence-based, constructive, civic dialogue on how best to achieve Irish unity defies the noisy, ugly caricatures of its critics

North favours a devolved model, while southern voters prefer an integrated model within which Northern Ireland would cease to exist as a political unit

Derry unionists bristle at prospect of constitutional change with more pressing concerns to worry about

Inside Politics podcast: Is the goal of reunification within 10 years realistic?

Far easier to sell the illusion that Irish unity can mean anything at all - and conceal the detail on how their unified state would actually work

Right now, the don’t knows and undecideds seem by far the most sane and rational of thinkers

What the North and South focus groups tell us about attitudes towards a United Ireland